New Commandant

There are reasons to be hopeful:

  1. He’s not her.

  2. Recent, serious command experience with a requirement to produce tangible outcomes (flying hours and availability for the SH force).

  3. That command experience was as a supplier, with customers who get very upset, and who carry huge weight within defence, if what they’ve been promised doesn’t happen.

  4. Engineers deliver solutions, not forms.

He may turn out to be a complete throbber, but if he does it will be despite his previous experience and training, rather than because of it.

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Well, he’s hardly going to state on Twitter that he’s horrifically concerned about how much twitter activity he’s had is he?

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First off, he might not even realise that’s how we found out (“BTW, I’m gonna post this little surprise about you” doesn’t strike me as a likely conversation).

Second, how we found out isn’t relevant to his analytics.

As much as I deplore Dawn’s message, I quite like his response - showing recognition of the attention and gracefully (imo) showing gratitude to everyone who’s interacted in some way.

Less “look at me”, more “I see you”.

We’ll see how it plays out from the Autumn.

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It will be interesting to see what his ‘direction of travel’ is and would love to know what constraints will be put on him by 22GP and above

However, changing a tankers direction is a long term thing and depends on what the crew can deliver under him with the toys and rules they are given

I’m hoping we don’t get another vision and mission statement. Ever since I saw these at work in the early 90s, it seemed a way for management to make it look like they’ve been doing something and earning an extortionate salary. We know what we are doing and trying to achieve, we don’t need empty words on a wall to remind us.

The outgoing CAC has made frequent reference to the fact that (in her opinion, at least) her activity on Twitter has raised the profile of the role to people in the wider RAF.

SM use is here to stay.

SM use should be here to stay, but as an organisation we need to be using SharePoint and Email better for Internal Comms.

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It undeniably has, and there have been plenty of benefits I’m sure.

But as we have mentioned repeatedly for the past decade, SM is great for interaction, great for publicity, but pants at policy announcements.

If only someone had been championing an internal comms manager, none of this debacle would have happened.

Slight thread drift but if it actually is volunteer week, has anyone heard anything being promoted by HQAC? I don’t remember seeing anything.

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Certainly is (https://volunteersweek.org). I had a nice email from DofE Award earlier in the week, thanking all DofE volunteers.

Perhaps HQAC are saving something special for Friday so that we can start the weekend with a warm, appreciated feeling??

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I had one from the DofE and our the Rector of our Deanery.

Please do not hold your breath wrt HQAC.

Don’t worry, I won’t be, but they have got 48 hours to shock us all

Dawn will probably just retweet another organisation’s thank you message and think job done.

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Almost as if something reminded her…

Someone must be lurking here…

Comdt AC @ComdtAC
(https://twitter.com/ComdtAC)

In this week of recognising Volunteers, it would be remiss of me if I didn’t send a huge personal THANK YOU to every volunteer with @aircadets - no matter what your role or how much or little you are able to contribute, it all matters and is appreciated.

a very personal message . . . on twitter.

The irony of a personal message being so short and impersonal isn’t lost on me. An email to all users wouldn’t be too much work would it?

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Way it should have gone in my opinion (and how every big announcement should be done!)

  • Email to accounts, detailing an announcement will be made in x number of days, or on this date.

  • Sharepoint IBN published on date, with a detail of who will be appointed, and that squadrons/wings are to publish details from 00:00 hrs on date to announce the appoint with the following words

  • SM announcement - happy days, cake and medals, everyone’s happy.

Problem you will have is people jumping the gun, and posting it immediately, wanting to be the first with the scoop, or not reading the brief fully and going off on their own initiative.

I’m still to hear anything offical, so can’t exactly pass it down my CoC.

I’m not passing judgement on the new Air Commodore at this time. I want to see what he’s got lined up to take the organisation forward. He’s got a lot of issues to fix.

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So personal: “all of you, whoever you are, whatever you do, as long as you have Twitter and follow me, right after I’ve ignored you in favour of SM fuzzy feelings”

And what did Media Comms do to mark the week? Changed their Facebook page cover image.

Totally valued.

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Why even say there will be an announcement?
OK this is news but it’s not as though it will make a huge difference to many if any of us at a personal level. All it needed was for it to be done appropriately and not by a thumb waggler. For all the difference it makes we could have been told the day before. One out another in, so what. I’ve seen too many of these come and go and not many have really made much difference.

all i have seen is on these boards saying it is “volunteer week” - I have seen nothing in my inbox, on Sharepoint or on SM - if this is a RAFAC, CFAV, Govt /National or even international “volunteer week” campaign I have missed any mention of it…

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