747 Event Signals a Change of Seasons

A week after the 747 Send Off celebration and I am still enjoying reading people’s reaction to the airplane and to the event. It’s a labor of love to be involved in the planning for something like that – so many decisions and choices to be made and a profound awareness of what an honor it is to hold something so precious in your hands. That’s our story, our history and the send off needed to be right for so many different audiences.

What I find lingering are the thoughts about how we pass on our history – both as an aviation industry and as a Communications function. This event, more than any others, has me mindful of a transition that has happened over the last few years.

There was a time when I would have been the project lead. Now, that task falls to a new generation of incredibly gifted communicators. I had a specific task around helping to create the show and took great joy in being able to be dedicated to it without the endless details that the project lead must pay attention to.

I had my season of details. Now, it’s a season of supporting others as they take on that opportunity.

As I take on more of a teacher/mentor/coach role, I find myself increasingly grateful to those who held (and continue to hold) that role for me. You know who you are – communicators, engineers, leaders, mechanics, pilots and friends. You took the time to share history and insight, warnings and advice with such generosity. You answered questions and gave candid feedback.

Books and articles are great for many things. But that first-person narrative is so important. It leads to a deeper kind of learning and connection. And that’s my takeaway from this event – tell your story, retell the stories you were told. Pass it on. It’s a legacy that doesn’t diminish but grows with each generation taking the stories on and adding to them.

#ThankYou747 #TeamBoeing