Today, a special guest post from Waldo Waldman, author of the just-out Never Fly Solo. (Should I do guest posts on Weds, so that the Tues/Thurs posts are always from me? Hmmn...)

Waldo’s got an incredible story to tell that also has the benefit of getting a great message across: A committed Wingman – a.k.a. Lifeline, in my WGYB terminology – can change your life. In fact, in Waldo’s case, a wingman can save your life. Below, Waldo’s post, drawn from Never Fly Solo – go here to buy and to download all his free bonus resources (including one from me). Also, give him a shout out in the comments and ask questions - I'll make sure he stops by to respond!

Check Six: How to Get the Mutual Support You Need to Thrive at Work
By Lt Col Rob “Waldo” Waldman

My wingman screamed over the radio “Break Right, Break Right! Missile launch, your 3 O’clock!”

I looked to my right and saw two SAM’s (surface to air missiles) skyrocketing towards my aircraft at twice the speed of sound.  My radar warning receiver was blaring which meant I was being locked up by enemy radar. If I didn’t maneuver my aircraft immediately, I would get shot down.  There was no time to think.

I lowered the nose, went to full power, banked the aircraft aggressively to the right and performed my best missile defense maneuver.  Then I heard my wingman (call sign “Pigpen”) yell “Magnum” over the radio. This meant he was shooting an anti-radiation missile at the radar site that was tracking on me. Within several seconds my radar turned off and the missiles lost track of my aircraft and exploded only a ½ mile away from me!

I survived.

Pigpen was my wingman over the skies of Yugoslavia that night and he possibly saved my life. His job on this mission (and every mission) was to provide mutual support to the formation. How did I know this? Because on every mission fighter pilots back each other up and cross check our most vulnerable position – directly behind us. It's where most of the threats come from. We call it the “six o’clock” position and when we’re strapped into the cramped cockpit of the F-16, it’s the location we can’t see on our own.

Fighter pilots train in an environment of mutual support and always check each other’s six for unseen threats.  And when our wingmen call out “break right/left” to avoid the missiles, we never question their judgment.  We take action because we trust each other.  It’s what we’re trained to do.

We survive solo, but win together.

In the heat of battle in business, it’s easy to get channelized and inadvertently blow off your cross check (i.e. sales processes, budget, customer courtesy, critical appointments, etc.) You may be way too focused on the task at hand, overwhelmed or stressed out. You become what fighter pilots call "task saturated."

When this happens, you can lose sight of the big picture and your cross check can suffer. This is when you leave yourself vulnerable to the unseen enemy and can get shot down (i.e. lose the sale, alienate a co-worker, miss a critical appointment, etc.) To avoid this, you need your wingmen to check your six and provide mutual support during these stressful times.

Here are five WingTips to facilitate a “check six” culture in your organization.

1. Start by asking others for 1-1 intimate feedback on your performance
   1. Request that they sit in on a sales call or have them review a proposal.
   2. Ask these two questions: “What did I miss? “How can I Improve?”
   3. Avoid being defensive.  Then, thank them.
2. If you’re a formal leader, openly reward employees who demonstrate mutual support and who encourage others to succeed.
3. Be willing to say "I don’t know" or "I messed up"
   1. When the boss publicly admits a mistake and fesses up to it, others will too (especially the new hire who may be scared an intimidated by your organization.)
4. Set expectations during a daily/weekly briefing to highlight performance expectations, delegate responsibilities, and contingency plan emergencies. Let your team know that you expect them to tell you if you're messing up.
5. Be willing to give extra support to a wingman who may be experiencing a challenging situation at work or even at home.

In fast-paced, high-risk environments, close coordination is required among team members to accomplish a mission and avoid errors.  Creating a check six environment with your wingmen is critical to mitigate risk and ensure the missiles of adversity, change and fear don’t shoot you down. It also helps to break down communication barriers so that all members of a team feel empowered to speak up, ask questions, and call out missiles.

When mutual support is part of your culture, team members become more trusting and engaged, while leaders benefit from the improved flow of vital information up and down the organizational hierarchy. Your customers and prospects will also see a big difference in the quality of their service. Finally, having an extra set of eyes looking out for you (like “Pigpen” did for me) will allow you to function more productively and with less stress during those challenging missions.

Never Fly Solo,

Lt Col Rob “Waldo” Waldman

Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman, the Wingman, is a former combat decorated fighter pilot and the author of Never Fly Solo - Lead with Courage, Build Trusting Partnerships, and Reach New Heights in Business. A professional leadership speaker and consultant, his clients include Aflac, Hewlett-Packard, Nokia, New York Life, Marriott, and Home Depot. To purchase his book, visit www.NeverFlySolo.com. He can be reached at info@yourwingman.com.

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