Knowing your parachute packer
I read about an interesting incident of the Vietnam War and thought of sharing and drawing some lessons. Back in the 1960s there was an officer, Captain Charlie Plumb, who flew jet fighters off the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk. Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane as destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and he spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and even today shares his experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”
“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb. “ I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!” Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.” They reminisced about their service those many years ago. And when Charlie went back to his room, he couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Charlie later on said "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything, because, you see, I was a fighter pilot . . . and he, well he was just a sailor." Charlie thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know, with the understanding that most likely, the parachute would never be used. yet there was always the chance.
Parachute packers are the people who are instrumental in saving the life of a pilot and may not have an opportunity to get noticed or thanked by them. Not many pilot are interested even in knowing about them. If we take a holistic role of the packers now a days, they have more role to play as we are using aerial delivery medium for multiple capabilities.
As per Wikipedia, parachute rigger is a person who is trained or licensed to pack, maintain or repair parachutes. A rigger is required to understand fabrics, hardware, webbing, regulations, sewing, packing, and other aspects related to the building, packing, repair, and maintenance of parachutes. Militaries around the world train their own parachute riggers to support their airborne or paratrooper forces. These military riggers also pack parachutes for aerial delivery operations, through which military supplies and equipment are delivered by aircraft to combat zones.
Our corporate life scenario especially in project environment, construction or even manufacturing could have similar situations, where in the flamboyant leaders do not associate themselves with the so called parachute packers, unless they really need them. Although everyone is paid to work, the motivation, ownership and safety ethos needs to be in grilled in everyone as a part of culture. One wrongly packed parachute, one wrongly fitted machine, one wrongly connected electrical cable, one wrongly engineered product can have devastating ramification. The managers need to identify their enablers, acknowledge them, associate with them, help them in building ownership and let them know that they are an important pillar in the growth journey and their contribution is valued.
Folks as a manager, as a leader, have you identified your parachute packers? These are the guys who soil their hands in the hot humid and challenging conditions supporting you to execute your tasks for which you may have received recognition, promotion, reward and so on. Have you given them the due? Have you sat with them and discussed the problems, they face? Have you consulted them to check what would make them more happy and productive? Have you thought about them? Are you so busy that you do not have time for them? If so, do visit your schedule and realign yourself with your parachute packers, your riggers
"It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?”
Henry David Thoreau
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8 年I like the points you make on parachute packers a) how they carefully fold and maintain each chute, with the understanding that most likely, the parachute would never be used, yet there is always the chance and b) how they are instrumental in saving lives yet seldom thanked by the survivors as in that tense moment no one notices who packed their parachute... .so very important as a leader to catch these nuances, express gratitude, link to the bigger picture and go that extra mile to understand and keep your team engaged!
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8 年DR SANJAY VERMA This is a beautiful narration. If we look at linkages then so many people have packed our parachute and so do we all do. What comes at the forefront is the commitment, and a job that it enables to get over strategic thresholds of differentiation. Being with people down the line, understanding them, knowing them - The ownership and motivational aspects associated with it. People drive strategy to meet the variegated needs of the organization ! I loved reading this one. Thanks.