ILMA Compoundings – October 2019 - 39

NASA/Bill Ingalls

We need to understand what's working and
what's not. And that requires open, honest
conversations with those who experience
the culture every day - our employees.

One-on-One With Scott Kelly

Scott Kelly is an American hero, serving as a military pilot, a
Navy captain, an engineer and astronaut. Through his many
experiences, he's been a leader not only in his work-related
missions, but also beyond the call of duty through his many
speaking engagements over the years. One of those speaking
engagements will be the keynote address at ILMA's 2019
Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Compoundings
connected with Kelly before the meeting for some insight into
his background and leadership style.
Compoundings: You've been a military fighter and test pilot,
an engineer, an astronaut and a Navy captain. How have each of
those experiences helped shape the person you are today?
organization's beliefs and values - and feel free to share
their own - they are more engaged, and productivity
goes up.
What could change in your workplace if bosses spent as
much time listening as managing?
This is the idea behind Workplace Convos & Coffee, the
Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) campaign to encourage people managers and HR professionals
to develop an ethos of strategic, issue-driven conversations
that can improve company cultures. When managers and
their reports - and peers with peers - sit down to talk
about specific workplace issues, real change can happen.
Solving issues such as harassment, skills gaps, inclusion and
equity in the workplace is a collective effort.
This should not be top-down communication but should
take the shape of one-on-one social encounters, where each
person is on equal footing.
We at SHRM invite you to keep the conversation going by
visiting www.talkworkculture.com. There you can find conversation starters and more information on the power of "real
talk" to shape better workplaces. And when we can fix what's
wrong at work, we improve lives beyond the workplace.
Taylor is the president and CEO of SHRM. Under his leadership, the
society has grown to a record 300,000-plus members in over 165
countries who impact the lives of more than 110 million workers every day.

Scott Kelly: Serving in the military provided me with some
understanding of the sacrifices members of the U.S. armed
services make. Being a military pilot and test pilot gave me the
skills I needed and to later build on to become an astronaut.
Being an engineer did that a little, too. Flying in space gave me
a unique perspective on our planet, the environment and the
idea that if we have a goal and work together, we can do some
incredible things.
Compoundings: As somebody who's completed monumental
missions for not just the U.S. but the whole world, how do you
stay humble and focused on your next task at hand?
Kelly: I consider myself privileged to have flown in space. There
are many, many people who are capable of doing just as good
of a job. Knowing that keeps me humble. I consider every day as
an opportunity to do something important.
Compoundings: What do you think are some of the most
important qualities of a leader, whether it be in business, family
or community?
Kelly: Respecting your team and their abilities. I also think
situational leadership is important. Knowing when to use what
style of leadership - collaborative, authoritarian (rare), etc.
Hear Scott Kelly's keynote address, The Sky is Not the Limit:
Lessons from a Year in Space at the Annual Meeting general
session, Monday, Sept. 23, at 9:15 a.m.

http://www.talkworkculture.com

ILMA Compoundings – October 2019

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