Originally Posted by
shackone
Folks need to realize that there is a huge difference between accumulation and accomplishment. Maybe that young guy eventually came to this realization.
In my present job, I work with many young folks. I take great pride in their accomplishments and am always impressed by their capacity to learn. But, aside from their super attitudes and stellar study skills, they are still only 'x' days old...and have only seen 'y' takeoffs and landings. Some things in life are only learned by living. These lessons are not found in books...they can only be realized through participating in many sunrises and sunsets.
Are these relatively low time pilots qualified to 'do the job'? Yes...but that's a guarded answer. As long as we keep ourselves within the bell curve, things should be OK. But, let's not push these folks too near the edge. It wouldn't be fair. They need more seasoning time before they want to wander out near that edge. Out there, things aren't nearly so willing to accept error.
EXACTLY! Many sunrises and sunsets (the accumulation of unique experiences while living) HELPS to make a seasoned pilot. Very good metaphor with wondering close to the edge.
In a previous life, when I would offer a chance for an employee to solve a problem/work on a project/or develop a unique opportunity . . . I would always give him/her more time than necessary AND I would have my back up plan ready to launch if/when the time came. I can positively say that there was always room for improvement and better decision skills and utilization of information available.
But this said, I would use it as an opportunity to HELP develop their thinking skills by showing them new and different ways to accomplish what I was after. Ways in which they could not see because of a lack of exposure. It was not their fault, they just were not exposed to different types of thinking.