Been reading all these excellent posts with great interest. It just goes to show, I guess, how complicated it can be. CRM is terrific; but it in the end is put into play by humans..and that means unavoidable flaws. It's how we react and adapt to these flaws that makes it all work in the end. As an F/O getting close to having my first command I have been watching with great interest how my Captains manage our flights. I have seen lately two opposing styles; and I have been conscious of my actions in each situation: One Captain is very much in command. He will micromange everything to the point where basically all input is a one-way street. I get along with him great on a personal level, though. He was hired as a direct entry Captain. Another one I have flown a fair bit lately is an excellent study. He is in his late 20's, and this is his first command. He uses his F/O's as a resource. He will brief an approach, or an arrival, and will more often than not turn to me and ask if I have anything to add. If I do, he listens and takes it all in and then makes his decision. I appreciate how he interacts with me in managing the flight, and I appreciate that he is very confident in making his decision.
These are very simple examples, but one of the hardest things to do as an F/O is to not "mold" yourself to the particular captain you happen to be flying with that trip. I don't adjust my personality to the guy next to me...I am always just myself and by being consistent, I have (I think) the trust of my commanders; they know what they are going to get. It is not always so easy; but my job is to help make the flight a safe one. It takes two, and I hope that when my turn for a Command position comes around I will be able to draw on all my experiences in a positive way.
Not really sure where I was going with that.... just got me thinking when I read the original post. I know people like that, and I have flown with people like that. And trying to manage such aggressive personalities is really difficult: I guess we all have to establish our boundaries, and be consistent in our actions. It is always difficult to cross the line between "having a nice fireside chat" and actually going to the company or operations or crewing or CP etc. But it sometimes has to be done and we do it hoping something positive will come about.
Done with my little rant
