During the first Gulf War I led a team of 10 USAF air traffic controllers that deployed to an air base in Oman. We were sent to augment the Omani AF controllers. Before we arrived it was a sleepy little base with little traffic, basically one aircraft in, one aircraft out. When we arrived there were 2 squadrons of US fighters, 2 squadrons of RAF fighters and 2 squadrons of C-130's. The Omanis, while they tried to run the traffic as best they could, were completly lost. They did not have the training or procedures to work that much traffic. Everytime I made a suggestion to the Omani Major that ran their air traffic he came up with some reason to shoot it down. It was very frustrating, traffic wasn't moving the way it should, and we had definite flight safety problems. Suprisingly, I found my solution while talking to our Chaplain. He had some experience with dealing with the Arabs and he told me that basically they were like children. When I made my suggestions on how to restructure their airspace what I was telling the Omani Major was not that it needed improvement, but rather that there was something wrong with what he had been doing. That was not just an insult to him but also to his father, his grandfather, etc., and would only make him lose face. Additionally, as an officer, he would lose face in implementing a suggestion given to him by a seniro NCO, a mere enlisted man. My solution to the problem was this; I would speak to him about some changes I thought might be needed to change the airspace structure or a departure procedure. He would pretend to listen politely and thank me for the info. I would come back a couple of days later and tell him that I had spoken with my commander about HIS suggestions and tell him my commander thought that they were good ideas. By making him think that there were his ideas to begin with, and endorsed by a USAF officer, he would then go about implementing what I had wanted all along. Worked everytime!
WOW. Americans are from Mars. Arabs are from Venus. LOL!!!
One can't help but think though, that's part of the problem. Thought without responsibility is neither.
I worked in a similar capacity with the Omanis during the first Gulf war, only as a Security Policeman helping them build defensive positions.
I had similar experiences-although my counterpart was a warrant officer and he was not quite as stand offish as an officer would be.
I think the need for manipulation is more cultural than what is bred by the natural friction between officers and enlisted
That's a very interesting experience. Thanks for sharing it.
I could site a number of similar instances in the public sector in the United States. As a high-ticket computer sales guy, this was a technique emphasized to us by sales consultants brought in from outside the company. The basic idea was to get the customer ot take "ownership" of the objective you wanted to obtain.
I have always seen it as overcoming the "not invented here" syndrome.
Your technique has some twists that we couldn't use - ie: that your superior approved of "his" ideas. We basically would help the customer to get his "idea invented here" accepted up the ladder in his own organization.
As any rate - its results that counts.....what ever it takes.