AFMC Connect June focus: Connected

  • Published
  • By Estella Holmes, Air Force Materiel Command

The primary components of a successful, productive and healthful workplace is within the grasp of every supervisor.

That trusted environment where participants are committed to respectful collaboration toward mission success is exemplified by members who are connected.

June’s AFMC Connect focus theme is connected.

Connectedness fosters commitment while productivity and trust drives collaboration and cultivates healthy working relationships. Being connected helps team members know they are seen and individual members’ thoughts and contributions are heard and valued.

The connection with a team produces protective environments which make members more resilient when stressors occur. Simply knowing one is not alone in times of need encourages a vital connection among members.

Leaders can facilitate connection by:

- Offering activities that can help reduce stress

- Having fun with the team, while learning about each member and fostering camaraderie.

- Emphasizing the importance of inclusion, giving everyone a voice

- Promoting early help-seeking as a sign of strength and personal growth

- Highlighting individual values and how they contribute to the team’s success

- Getting to know members of the team through frequent interaction

Constructive action can be taken by leaders by discussing ways the team can create and sustain an environment where everyone feels included.

In addition, opportunities to build connections for personnel can be created by employing virtual means, as well as existing forums like staff meeting and calls. Team members can talk about what being connected means. They might also discuss how having everyone contribute to the mission helps build a connected workplace.  In addition, being connected helps to identify those who might be in distress.

The objective of AFMC Connect is to reinforce the importance of connection and how that connectedness can encourage early help seeking behaviors. This directly contributes to suicide prevention efforts by lessening the chance of occurrence for high risk behaviors.

Each month an AFMC Connect theme and corresponding tool has been established to assist supervisors in the delivery of relevant content. The monthly themes feed into a broader quarterly message. This quarter’s theme is “Connected”.

The respect for the contribution of each individual team member allows the team as a whole to be connected.

More information can be found in the implementation guide for facilitating discussions on connected, along with local support sources at https://www.afmc.af.mil/Portals/13/AFMC%20Connect%20-%20CONNECTED%20%28June%29%20.pdf