Web Exclusive: Positive Psychology as a Catalyst for Change

When the Grand Forks Air Force Base had to give up its large fleet of manned aircraft and handle the personnel crisis that ensued, local leadership reinvented the organization to keep it relevant.

by

John E. Michel

and

Andreas Neuman

by

John E. Michel

and

Andreas Neuman

From the Magazine (November 2010)

In 2005, the U.S. Air Force’s 319th Air Refueling Wing, located on North Dakota’s Grand Forks Air Force Base, found itself in a precarious position. Three years earlier, a decision had been made to replace its large fleet of tanker aircraft with an important but smaller group of Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles. With the entire manned fleet scheduled to be redistributed in short order, we were left with a vast infrastructure, an underutilized but very capable workforce, and a base and civilian population facing an uncertain future due to our pending change in mission.

A version of this article appeared in the November 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review.

JM

John E. Michel, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, serves as the executive officer to the commander of Air Mobility Command in Illinois. He was previously the commander of the 319th Air Refueling Wing, the host unit of Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.
AN

Andreas Neuman, an Air Force captain, is in training to become a mission commander for the Global Hawk unmanned aerial system. He previously served as the executive officer to the 319th Air Refueling Wing’s director of staff. The views expressed in this article are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Air Force or the U.S. government.

Web Exclusive: Positive Psychology as a Catalyst for Change

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