Psychoanalysis at the CANSO AGM

So, this being my first blog since the CANSO Global ATM Summit and 14th AGM, in Oslo, you’ll not be surprised to know I’m going to refer to it here.

I hope that many of you have had a chance to read the CANSO News review of the event, or seen the short movie about it. It was an excellent event, superbly organised by our hosts, Avinor, LFV and Naviair, and I was particularly pleased to be able to take part in the ‘Marketplace’, where we tried to present some key information in as interactive and interesting way as possible.

My ‘market stall’ was set up as a “communications consultation”. I wanted to try and do some in-depth questioning of senior ATM people, so where better than on a psychiatrists couch? But although the setting was a bit of fun, the point behind the questioning was very serious. I wanted to get an understanding of the key priorities for our members, and how CANSO can assist members with those priorities from a communications point of view. As a basis for the questioning I used a model I learnt on a training programme earlier this year. The ARROW model* stands for Aim, Reality, Roadblocks, Opportunities and Who (or When). Leading my ‘patient’ through this model enabled me to see both the long-term needs of Members but also hear of some short-term difficulties and possibilities to make a difference, as well as learning if there are any audiences we are not reaching with our communications.

The answers I received must remain secret due to doctor-patient confidentiality, but I can say that in some cases it confirmed that CANSO is on the right track, and in some other cases showed where and how we can do more. I don’t want to be too cryptic, but one set of answers consistently reminded me of the old line from ‘the Godfather’; “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer”!

I look forward to enlightening you more on this topic in blogs to come.


*It's only fair to point out that the ARROW model is copyright to a training course run by Sue Dewhurst at Melcrum. www.melcrum.com