ALS strengthens supervisors, refines communication skills Published Jan. 29, 2007 By Airman Glenn Moore 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Good communication skills are something supervisors need to help support the Air Force, its mission and the Airmen. The Airman Leadership School focuses on improving communication skills for the Airmen training for supervisory roles. "Without good supervisors, the mission can't be accomplished," said Staff Sgt. Latoya Jones-Sanders, ALS instructor. "We teach the Airmen who come through here about communication because in order to be a good supervisor to someone, you've got to understand them. You have to get to know him and realize his personality and if he is struggling, why he is." Although many people think of communication as simple conversation, it involves more than just words. "When you're supervising an Airman, he will listen to what you have to say, but he will also look at the way your uniform looks. How you perform your job is another area you communicate with the Airman without using words," said Sergeant Jones-Sanders. "Being able to communicate with others isn't always easy for people because it takes time," said Master Sgt. Rhonda Martin, ALS flight chief. "The process of becoming a good communicator can start when you were a child. However, there is a lot of grooming to become an effective communicator." Being able to communicate is important, but it is also important to understand areas in need of improvement. "Knowing yourself is also important. By being able to identify your weakness and limitations, you will be more aware of what to say and how to work with people," said Sergeant Jones-Sanders. "To improve your communication skills, you have to be open to constructive criticism and not take it personally," said Sergeant Martin. "It allows you to identify your weaknesses and get someone else's opinion or advice on how to improve." Through ALS, Airmen are able to identify areas they struggle in communicating and help build on their skills. "Our classes give Airmen motivation and help them realize they will not do everything perfectly, but also help push them to improve," said Sergeant Jones-Sanders. "Each class usually has a student or two who is more nervous than others when it comes to communication," said Sergeant Jones-Sanders. "A student being nervous usually has to do with their confidence in themselves, which is an area we have to help them build on." "One of the key things we try to teach the Airmen is to seek first to understand their troop," said Sergeant Jones-Sanders. "Understanding their Airman will help them to communicate with their Airman."