The power of ten minutes

  • Published
  • By LT. Col. Clifford Altizer
  • 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  What can you accomplish in ten minutes? This is a question that on the surface may look simple but when we think about it, the answer is a bit more complicated. 

How much time does it take to look over an enlisted performance report to make sure it's "just right" before sending it forward? How long does it take to foster meaningful relationships with your people that may enhance their quality of life? How committed are we to this thing called "Excellence?" 

I believe that how we do in this surety inspection and other inspections is completely dependent on our commitment and dedication at the individual and unit level. 

Specifically, we need to think about our mission, our people, and finally our choices. 

A former wing commander once told me the difference between a "Satisfactory" rating
and an "Excellent" rating on an inspection is in the polish. 

Ten minutes spent going over a checklist one last time to ensure it is complete and correct might account for a difference in inspection ratings. 

The time spent preparing for any task beforehand will allow us to focus on the situation at hand and lead to successful mission accomplishment. Sometimes all it takes to go from good to great is 10 minutes of reflection. 

This idea also applies to our people. I firmly believe the relationships we build as Air Force professionals are critical to our success. 

Hopefully, our relationships are built on trust and mutual respect. Taking 10 minutes to get to know your Airmen as individuals will show you care about them and about the
important part they play in accomplishing
our mission. 

Finally, the pursuit of excellence is a choice we make on a daily basis. I'd ask you to think about this choice twice a day: once in the morning and once at night. 

I also encourage you to challenge yourself at the beginning of every day to learn one new aspect of your particular specialty and then accomplish that same task. And later, at the end of your day, think about what you have learned. 

If you realize you may have cut a corner and otherwise disregarded an opportunity to excel, decide then and there to make the right choice the next day! 

So what can you accomplish in ten minutes? More than you may think! Taking a little time on tasks we do everyday will instill a sense of pride and ensure unit readiness is enhanced by our individual contributions. 

Taking time to build relationships with our people will foster mutual respect and enable us to be better leaders and followers. 

Finally, it's an action. Each one of us chooses the level of excellence we aspire to every day. Ten minutes spent pondering excellence can be a powerful thing.