What about the manager?

In every step of our value and vision, the first-line supervisor is designated as the place where the rubber meets the road. This individual is the front line in dealing with personnel development as well as management issues and concerns. We are the people responsible for Personnel Evaluations, Performance Development Partnership, Vision Support Plans as well as day-to-day guidance and direction for our people.

It appears that after the Transition To Management 3 class held at the Boeing Leadership Center, the first-line manager is left to fend for himself. Further educational courses that benefit from that all-important interaction with other managers, provided by the BLC to discuss issues and solutions seemed to be reserved for upper-level management.

Leading from the Middle is a great example. No one has more "opportunity" to lead from the middle than the first-level manager. The class, however, is reserved for "L" level managers first.

Are we doing anything to provide more training for our first-level managers?

-Jamie Brown, Huntsville, Ala.

Editor's note: Beth Kluba, director of Leadership Development and Functional Excellence at the Boeing Leadership Center, provided this response.

Our first-line leaders are key to the success of our company because they interface with employees every day.

We know they wear many hats in addition to being coaches and mentors to their employees. In addition to the leadership and management-development classes offered at the Leadership Center and elsewhere, the company does make available other ways all employees can enhance their skills and develop new ones.

If the writer has completed the First Line Leaders coursework, which is the follow-up to the Transition to Management course, then he is eligible to take Genuine Leadership.

Other educational and developmental opportunities are available through the Boeing Education Network's library of videotapes and webcasts, as well as through the Learning Together Program. For more information on these programs, please go to http://ltd.web.boeing. com on the Boeing Web.

Happy anniversary, indeed

On Oct. 2 I had the pleasure of attending the open house commemorating the 65th anniversary of the St. Louis site. I was there not as a visiting retiree, but as a crew member on the B-25 Mitchell bomber "Show Me" from the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force of St. Charles, Mo. We were honored to be invited to participate in this event.

From our arrival on Friday afternoon to our departure on Saturday evening, the hospitality, courtesy and professionalism shown by Boeing personnel handling our aircraft and our display trailer was nothing short of "top drawer."

Also, a special thanks to the many retirees and employees and their families who visited our aircraft and trailer on Saturday. Their donations and purchases will help continue to maintain the B-25 bomber as a flying tribute to the men and women of the armed services, past and present.

I know I speak for every one in our organization: Kudos to Boeing. Thanks for a great weekend and happy 65th anniversary, St. Louis, from all of us at the Commemorative Air Force.

-Clarence "Bud" Eberhardt, St. Charles, Mo.

Corrections

. The address of Overcoming Obstacles, the organization that the family of Donald Douglas Jr. requested that memorial contributions be made to, was truncated on Page 11 of the November 2004 issue. The organization's address is 111 John Street, Suite 1801, New York, NY 10038.

. The photo of the X-45C on Page 49 of the November 2004 issue was taken by Jeff Corwin.

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