Three Questions Every Aviation Professional Should Ask Before Communicating – Part Two

In our last D.O.M. article (Part I), we addressed the challenge that often accompanies communicating difficult news – professional concerns, performance issues, procedural corrections, for example.  Communication is one of the most powerful and underestimated tools in business aviation. In an industry built on precision, safety, and coordination, communication is the cornerstone. It can strengthen trust, foster teamwork, and drive a culture of service, safety, and efficiency, or quietly erode them.

In these difficult conversations, why and how you communicate is as important as what it is that you are communicating. If the message recipient does not clearly understand in the way we, as the sender intend, they may become defensive and completely miss the point.

So before words are spoken, emails are sent, or messages are passed along the chain, there are three simple questions business aviation professionals at every level should filter their messages through:

Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?

In Part I we discussed the first question, “Is it True.” 

Is It Necessary?

Not every thought needs to be spoken or written, and not every frustration needs an audience in the workplace. In high-pressure environments, it is easy to communicate reactively, especially when stakes are high and stress is elevated.

Asking whether something is necessary helps filter communication through purpose. Does this comment improve and promote safety, clarity, performance, or understanding? Or does it simply release tension? Might it strengthen teamwork or could it possibly damage it?  Am I working from facts or judgements?  If a colleague has a different technique than you, do you observe with interest or immediately seek to teach them your way?  

In business aviation, where teams rely heavily on one another to perform at a high level, unnecessary communication can become noise and distraction. Over-correcting, repeating criticism, or highlighting minor issues publicly can distract from priorities and erode confidence, with a negative impact on our business relationships.

Necessary communication is required. It serves a clear function:

• Clarifying expectations
• Addressing a real issue
• Preventing future errors
• Supporting operational alignment
• Depersonalizing our communication

When business aviation professionals intentionally and consistently communicate what is necessary, their words carry more weight and their teams listen more closely.

Is It Kind?

Kindness may sound like a hokey topic, but in aviation communication, kindness is often misunderstood. It is not about avoiding accountability, lowering standards, or sugarcoating reality. Kindness is about respect.

Kindness in communication is showing empathy and understanding that there may be another perspective than your own.  To ask if something is kind is to ask: How will this be received? Will it build understanding or create reactive defensiveness? Does it preserve dignity while addressing the issue?

Aviation professionals operate under constant pressure, with deadlines, regulations, customer and PAX expectations, and safety responsibilities. Communication that lacks kindness can quickly turn corrective feedback into personal criticism, which then creates unrelated issues and dilutes focus.

Kind communication considers tone, timing, and setting. It recognizes that people are more receptive to feedback when they feel respected. This is especially important across roles, where misunderstandings can easily become cultural divides.

Kindness does not weaken authority. In fact, professionals who communicate with respect are often trusted more, not less.  These emotionally intelligent leaders are the most trusted and respected among their peers, and often the impact on those who work for them lasts well beyond their time working together.

Sarcasm or misplaced humor can have the opposite effect. What may seem lighthearted to one person can create doubt or a dark cloud for another, making it harder to see the truth. In high-stakes environments like aviation, clarity matters more than cleverness. Humor should never obscure facts or erode trust.

When All Three Align

The most effective communication occurs when all three questions are answered “yes.”

• Is it true: grounded in facts, not assumptions or misinterpretations
• Is it necessary: purposeful and relevant to work and tasks at hand
• Is it kind: respectful and constructive to help elevate the organizational culture

When communication in the workplace meets these criteria, even difficult conversations are productive instead of destructive. Feedback is received more openly instead of resisted. Teams feel supported rather than scrutinized.

At ServiceElements, we see firsthand how the quality of communication quality impacts service delivery, safety culture, and leadership and team effectiveness. Organizations that develop communication skills with intention create environments where people speak up sooner, collaborate more effectively, and recover more quickly from problems.

A Practical Leadership Discipline

Asking these three questions doesn’t slow teams down. Instead, it increases overall efficiency and effectiveness. It introduces a moment of pause that prevents avoidable conflict and strengthens clarity. Remember: clarity is kindness.

In business aviation, where trust is essential and the margins for error are slim, that pause can make all the difference of a successful and fulfilling job.

Before the next conversation, email, or correction, consider the filter:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?

Bob Hobbi is CEO and founder of ServiceElements, and has over 37 years’ experience in the aerospace and business and general aviation industry. Bob held various executive positions at FlightSafety International, until he was recruited by Honeywell to be Director of the Aerospace Academy, responsible for training thousands of aviation professionals from all sectors of the industry. Bob later joined MedAire in the role of Vice President and General Manager for all business aviation activities. He has held executive positions on several boards including the Arizona Business Aviation Association, the NBAA Business Aviation Management Committee, and 9 years on the Scottsdale Airport Commission. Additionally, Bob is the co-author of Building a Service Culture (Information Age Publishing, 2008), has published numerous articles on workforce development, and is a frequent keynote speaker at business aviation industry events. In 2003, out of sheer passion for the industry, Bob launched ServiceElements International Inc. to develop people and solve challenges in the business and general aviation industry. ServiceElements has grown into an industry icon addressing topics such as Service Culture, Leadership, Teamwork, Communications, Human Factors and Organizational Development.