Lack of Assertiveness

Assertiveness is the ability to express your feelings, opinions, beliefs, and needs in a
positive, productive manner and should not be confused with being aggressive. [Figure
11] It is important for AMTs to be assertive when it pertains to aviation repair rather than
choosing or not being allowed to voice their concerns and opinions. The direct result of
not being assertive could ultimately cost people their lives. The following are examples
of how a lack of assertiveness can be offset:
1. Address managers and supervisors directly by stating the problem.
Example: “John, I have a concern with how this repair is being rushed.”
2. Explain what the consequences will be. Example: “If we continue, the
result will be that the part will break sooner rather than later.”
3. Propose possible solutions to the problem. Example: “We could try doing
things another way or you may want to try this way.”
4. Always solicit feedback and include other opinions. Example: “John, what
do you think?”

Figure 11. Lack of assertiveness

When being assertive with co-workers or management, deal with one issue at a time
rather than trying to tackle a number of problems at once. It is also important to have
documentation and facts to back up your argument, which can give people a visual
account of what you are trying to explain. A lack of assertiveness in failing to speak up
when things do not seem right has resulted in many fatal accidents. This can easily be
changed by promoting good communication between co-workers and having an open
relationship with supervisors and management. Maintenance managers must be familiar
with the behavior style of the people they supervise and learn to utilize their talents,
experience, and wisdom. As the employees become aware of behavior styles and
understand their own behavior, they see how they unwittingly contribute to some of their
own problems and how they can make adjustments. Assertive behavior may not be a
skill that comes naturally to every individual, but it is a critical skill to achieve
effectiveness. AMTs should give supervisors and management the kind of feedback
required to ensure that they will be able to assist the mechanic to do their job.

Lack of Assertiveness

Lack of assertiveness has been a contributing factor in way too many accidents.
Looking at the cartoon takes us back to a fatal float plane accident up north many years
ago. A conscious aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) found a corroded rudder cable
just inside the empennage on a routine annual inspection. He brought it to the attention
of the owner of the aircraft, who said that he would order a cable for the next inspection
as the cable didn’t look that bad. Not long after, the cable failed on a cross wind take-
off, allowing a wing to dip and the aircraft to cartwheel violently and sink in the water.
Four passengers were able to escape the sunk aircraft that hung under one float, but
the owner, who was flying and not wearing the available shoulder harness, was not one
of the fortunate four. By not wearing the shoulder harness, he had received a blow to
his head that likely rendered him dazed long enough for him to drown.
The AME was in the first boat to arrive on the scene. Looking down through the water,
he saw one end of the broken cable attached to the rudder. One can only imagine the
horror he must have felt when he realized that he had contributed to this error. His lack
of assertiveness in doing what he knew should have been done had cost three lives.
The license suspension by the regulatory body meant nothing to him. He never touched
an aircraft again and left the aviation industry.
Lack of assertiveness is failing to act in a bold and confident manner on safety
concerns. It also is failing to listen to views of others before making a decision. Failing to
listen puts you in the aggressive category. Listening means that you are assertive and
willing to hear what others have to say, but you still make the safety decision after
taking their views into account. The image below illustrates that important balance.

We (maintenance personnel) are often not good communicators and don’t always speak
up when we should. The following speech by Giselle Richardson, a dear and departed
friend of mine, says it better than I ever could. I first heard that presentation and met her
at a banquet for an industry guidance committee to Transport Canada, of which I was a
member, way back in 1992. I asked and she gave me a copy to do with as I wished.
She had the ability to shake your hand and know more about you than you knew about
yourself, just from that brief encounter. See if what she said about us back then is just
as true today.