Do you know your Air Force Credit Score?

Do you know your Air Force Credit Score?  Were you even aware that EVERY single one of us has one?  It is our individual actions that either raise or lower our score….so where do your actions put you on a scale of good to bad, high to low, trusted or avoided?  Here are some things to consider:

• Which one of the following four categories do you fit into: Complainer, Gossiper, Status Quo’er or Do’er?  Depending on what category you fit into, are you helping your larger team to keep moving toward a common purpose or goal?

• Your signature and word should carry credibility…are you working to ensure it does?  When you sign a document or send something forward, is it: full of mistakes; incomplete in analysis; have incorrect assumptions; or is just the easy way out?  If you say you are going to do something, do you do it; Or, do you have to be reminded about it later?

• Leaders set the example – all the time.  EVERY single one of us is a leader as this is not something that is limited to rank.  You are being watched and observed whether you think it or not.  Do you fix a problem when you see one?  If you pass by something that is wrong and don’t correct it, you now implicitly endorse what was going on.  Do you “walk the walk” or just “talk the talk”?  Bottom line, are you doing what your words portray?

• Are you afraid to make the hard call?  Know and be honest with your capabilities and your larger team.  If the baby is ugly, call it ugly….it’s your name on the bottom line, good or bad.
   
• Do you help develop other leaders or someone that can replace you? Do you develop a sense of responsibility and ownership in your peers, subordinates, or team?  Do others want to be around you when there is a tough job at hand?
   
• Have you mastered the art of followership?  No matter your rank, you can always learn from others…don’t forget where you came from and remember who you work for.  Do you know when it is time to step up or equally know when you just need to be a quality team member?

All of the above items either earn or delete from your military service “credit score.” And when others are looking at you, your credit score can tell others if you have the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.

In the end, we all want and think we deserve a high credit score; however, it is the quality of our actions and the integrity of our intent which will get us that higher credit!