ASSERTIVENESS
CRM MODULE
Revision 1.2 RTC (December 2017) ©Ryanair Training Dept.
Assertiveness
CRM MODULE
FLIGHT TRAINING DEPARTMENT REV 1.2 RTC
INTRODUCTION
Assertiveness is an essential communication skill that is necessary to ensure the safety of our operation. The
majority of recent airline accidents have cited human factors as a contributory factor. Even now some
accidents are apportioned to crew members not correctly asserting themselves - not speaking up when they
were unhappy with a situation.
The 737 is certified for operation by two qualified pilots. If one pilot does not assert themselves, or their
views, what is left is essentially a single pilot operation, something that clearly we do not want.
ASSERTIVENESS
Being assertive is a core communication skill. Having assertiveness means that you are able express yourself
effectively and stand up for your point of view, whilst also respecting the rights and beliefs of others. It can
be defined as:
“The quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive.”
Some people are naturally more assertive than others. However, despite your personality type it is possible
to develop assertiveness. That is the aim of this CRM module.
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WHY DO WE NEED TO BE ASSERTIVE?
Assertiveness is based on mutual respect. It is an effective and diplomatic communication style. Being
assertive shows that you respect yourself because you're willing to stand up for your interests and express
your thoughts and feelings. It also demonstrates that you're aware of the rights of others and are willing to
work on resolving conflicts.
Being assertive is not just about what you say; the way in which you relay your message is also very
important. Assertive communication is direct and respectful. Being assertive gives you the best chance of
successfully delivering your message. If you communicate in a way that's too passive or too aggressive, your
message may get lost because the other person is too focused on reacting to your delivery instead of
responding to what you have said.
Throughout aviation, safety is our number one concern. Asserting yourself on the flight deck, does not mean
that the team is compromised. If you assert yourself effectively when you are not happy with a situation, it
will help to ensure that safety remains the number one priority.
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TYPES OF PERSONALITY
Passive
A person with a passive personality is someone who tries to avoid conflict at all costs. This individual tends
to accept things as they are, even if they are not happy, in order to avoid upsetting others. If your style is
passive, you may seem to be shy or overly easy-going. You may routinely say things such as, "I'll just go with
whatever the group decides; I don’t want to make a fuss."
If you tend to avoid conflict it can be a problem because the message you're sending is that your thoughts
and ideas aren't as important as those of other people. In essence, when you're too passive, you give others
the license to disregard your wants and needs.
This inevitably leads to internal conflict that can contribute to:
Stress
Resentment
Suppressed anger
Feelings of victimisation
Desire to exact revenge
Passive behaviour has no place in aviation. As previously stated if a crew member is passive, and will not
speak up what is left is essentially a single pilot operation – clearly something that we do not want in a
modern, safe, aviation environment.
Passive behaviour – You lose and the other person wins
Aggressive
Now consider the opposite personality. If your style is too aggressive, you may come across as a bully who
disregards the needs, feelings and opinions of others. You may appear self-righteous or superior. Very
aggressive people humiliate and intimidate others and may even be physically threatening.
You may think that being aggressive gets you what you want. However, it comes at a cost. Aggression
destroys trust and mutual respect. Others may come to resent you, leading them to avoid or oppose you.
Clearly this type of behaviour on the flight deck is not only undesirable but dangerous.
Aggressive behaviour – You win and the other person loses
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Assertiveness
CRM MODULE
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Passive-Aggressive
Now let’s consider passive-aggressive behaviour. Someone who is passive aggressive may say yes when in
fact they mean no. They may be sarcastic or complain about others behind their backs. Rather than confront
an issue directly, someone who is passive-aggressive may show their anger and feelings through their actions
or negative attitude. Passive-aggressive behaviour may develop because someone is uncomfortable about
being direct about their needs and feelings.
Over time, passive-aggressive behaviour damages relationships and undercuts mutual respect, thus making
it difficult to meet goals and needs. Again this is not behaviour that should be displayed on the flight deck,
as it obstructs the operation, undermines the team and generally creates a negative atmosphere.
Passive-aggressive behaviour – Everyone loses
Assertive
Being assertive is viewed as a healthier communication style, not only in aviation but also in everyday life.
Being assertive offers many benefits, it will not only prevent people from taking advantage of you, but it can
also help you from steamrolling others.
Behaving assertively can help you:
Gain self-confidence and self-esteem
Understand and recognise your feelings
Earn respect from others
Improve communication
Create win-win situations
Improve your decision-making skills
Create honest relationships
Learning to be more assertive can also help you effectively express your feelings when communicating with
others about issues.
Assertive behaviour – Everyone wins
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Of course aviation is not about winning or losing. Nor is it about who is right or wrong, it is about what is
safest for the aircraft, its occupants and the people on the ground. It should be clear that assertive behaviour
is the most desirable in aviation. Not only does it create a team environment; it also allows you to speak up
allowing effective monitoring.
Being assertive in aviation should result in the safest course of action
without detriment to the team environment.
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LEARNING HOW TO BE MORE ASSERTIVE
People develop different styles of communication based on their life experiences. Your style may be so
ingrained that you're not even aware of what it is. People tend to stick to the same communication style over
time. If you want to change your communication style, you can learn to communicate in healthier and more
effective ways.
Here are some things that will help you to be more assertive:
Assess your style - Do you voice your opinions or remain silent? Do you say yes to additional work even
when your plate is full? Are you quick to judge or blame? Do people seem to dread or fear talking to you?
Understand your style before you begin making changes.
Use 'I' statements - Using "I" statements lets others know what you're thinking without sounding
accusatory. For instance, say, "I disagree," rather than, "You're wrong."
Practice saying no - If you have a hard time turning down requests, try saying, "No, I can't do that now."
Don't hesitate — be direct. If an explanation is appropriate, keep it brief.
Rehearse what you want to say - If it's challenging to say what you want or think, practice typical
scenarios that you may encounter. Say what you want to say out loud.
Use body language - Communication isn't just verbal. Act confident even if you aren't feeling it. Keep an
upright posture, make regular eye contact. Maintain a neutral or positive facial expression and be sure
not to wring your hands or use dramatic gestures.
Keep emotions in check – Dealing with conflict is hard for most people. Maybe you get angry or
frustrated, or maybe you feel upset. Although these feelings are normal, they can get in the way of
resolving conflict. If you feel too emotional going into a situation, wait a bit if possible. Then work on
remaining calm, breathe slowly and keep your tone even and firm.
Remember, if it does not come naturally to you, learning to be assertive will take time and practice. If you've
spent years silencing yourself, becoming more assertive won't happen overnight.
By becoming more assertive, you can begin to express your true
feelings and needs more easily.
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ASSERTIVENESS IN AVIATION
Assertiveness in aviation is extremely important. Whilst crew should be familiar with human factors and
SOPs, being able to effectively communicate with other crew members is what is ultimately going to keep
our operation safe.
Consider a scenario in which you are the pilot monitoring and you are uncomfortable with the current
situation brought about by the pilot flying. Now consider that that crew member has previously made it clear
that they are not open to listening. Being passive in this example will not help to correct the situation, in fact
it will likely get worse as the other crew member becomes more overloaded. In this example, although it may
be difficult, it is necessary for you to speak up.
Now let’s consider the reverse of the above. If you were the pilot flying, getting into an unsafe situation,
would you not want the person next to you to speak up and prevent an incident? Even if the situation is not
unsafe would you not want that person to communicate their views so that you are operating as a team?
The answers should of course be yes - aviation is a team environment. You should be aware that being overly
aggressive, or being closed off to listening, will be detrimental to the team and to the operation.
By all crew members being assertive we can create an environment where people will speak up if they are
not happy. This in turn will promote effective monitoring and lead to a safer operation.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SOPs are designed as a framework for crew to work to, and abide by. They are the rules that we must follow,
not only for safety, but also so that all crew members follow the operation together as a crew. Advocate your
position if you are at all unhappy.
One of the key situations which does require you to assert your position is the landing gate. If the aircraft is
not fully stable with the landing checklist complete to “Flaps” a go around must be called. As the pilot
monitoring it’s your call!
Ryanair has a no blame policy for go-around’s
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CRM MODULE
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UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 173 - CASE STUDY
United Airlines Flight 173 was a scheduled flight
from New York City to Portland, Oregon, with a
scheduled stop in Denver, Colorado. On
December 28, 1978, the DC-8 aircraft flying this
route ran out of fuel and crashed in a suburban
Portland neighbourhood.
Flight 173 was piloted by an experienced flight
crew, consisting of Captain Malburn McBroom
who had been with United Airlines for 27 years;
he was one of the airline's most senior pilots with
more than 27,600 hours of flight time, of which
about 5,500 hours had been as a DC-8 captain. First Officer Roderick Beebe had been with the airline for 13
years and had logged more than 5,200 flight hours. Flight Engineer Forrest Mendenhall had accrued close to
3,900 flight hours and had been with the airline for 11 years. The first officer and flight engineer had over
2,500 hours of flying experience between them in the DC-8.
Flight 173 departed from Denver about 14:47 with 189 people on board. The planned arrival time in Portland
was 17:13. According to the automatic flight plan and monitoring system, the total amount of fuel required
for the flight to Portland was 31,900 lbs. There was 46,700 lbs. of fuel on board the aircraft when it departed
the gate in Denver.
The flight was routine until the approach phase of the flight. As the landing gear was being lowered on
approach into Portland, the crew felt an abnormal vibration and yaw of the aircraft as well as a lack of an
indicator light showing the gear was lowered successfully. The crew went around and requested to enter a
hold whilst they diagnosed the problem. For approximately the next hour the crew worked to identify the
status of the landing gear and prepare for a potential emergency landing.
Both the First Officer and the Flight Engineer made references to the depleting fuel, however the report
would later find that whilst they mentioned the reducing fuel levels to the Captain, neither asserted their
view that they needed to land. Fuel burn was increased due to the fact that the gear was down with the
flaps at 15 degrees during the entire hour-long holding manoeuvre, significantly increasing fuel burn rate.
As the crew finally prepared for a second approach for an emergency landing into Portland, the number one
and number two engines flamed out, at which point a Mayday was declared. This was the last radio
transmission from Flight 173 to Air Traffic Control. The plane crashed into a wooded section of a populated
area of suburban Portland about 6 nautical miles southeast of the airport.
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2 crew members were killed and 2 sustained serious injuries, 8 passengers died, and 21 had serious injuries.
The NTSB investigation revealed that when the landing gear was lowered, a loud thump was heard. That
unusual sound was accompanied by abnormal vibration and yaw of the aircraft. The right main landing gear
retract cylinder assembly had failed due to corrosion, and that allowed the right gear to free fall. Although it
was down and locked, the rapid and abnormal free fall of the gear damaged a micro switch so severely that
it failed to complete the circuit to the cockpit green light that tells the pilots that gear is down and locked.
Those unusual indications (loud noise, vibration, yaw, and no green light) led the captain to abort the landing,
so that they would have time to diagnose the problem and prepare the passengers for an emergency landing.
Whilst the decision to abort the landing was prudent, the accident occurred because the flight crew became
so absorbed with diagnosing the problem that they failed to effectively monitor their fuel state and calculate
a time when they needed to return to land or risk fuel exhaustion.
The failure of the captain to monitor properly the aircraft's fuel state and to properly respond to the low fuel
state and the crewmember's advisories regarding fuel state. This resulted in fuel exhaustion to all engines.
His inattention resulted from preoccupation with a landing gear malfunction and preparations for a possible
landing emergency. The failure of the other two flight crewmembers either to fully comprehend the criticality
of the fuel state or to successfully communicate their concern to the captain. The fuel situation was known
to be on the minds of the pilot and crew to some degree. Transcripts of cockpit recordings confirm this.
The NTSB issued an operations bulletin to all air operators to ensure that their flight crews were taught the
principles of flight deck resource management, with particular emphasis on the merits of participative
management for Captains and assertiveness training for other crew crewmembers.
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