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Attendees of the Barksdale Total Force Development Council's "SWOT's it like to fly above the rest" seminar discuss common problems faced by managers and supervisors during the Southern Association of School Business Officials convention in Shreveport, La., April 14. The seminar presented topics such as how to deal with toxic leadership and combat careerism, as well as the merits of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats decision matrix. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph Raatz)

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Gregory Page, Jackson Parish School Board accountant purchasing agent, presents his team's findings to Senior Master Sgt. Lester Largasepada, 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron operations flight superintendent, during the Southern Association of School Business Officials convention in Shreveport, La., April 14. Largaespada and the Barksdale Total Force Development Council presented a seminar during the convention, addressing common problems faced by managers and supervisors regardless of career field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph Raatz)

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Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Jordan, 2nd Maintenance Squadron flight superintendent, explains the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats decision matrix to attendees of the Southern Association of School Business Officials convention in Shreveport, La., April 14. The Barksdale Total Force Development Council's "SWOT's it like to fly above the rest" seminar presented topics such as how to deal with toxic leadership and combat careerism, as well as the merits of the SWOT planning method. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph Raatz)

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Master Sgt. Jonathan Butler, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Detachment 10 logistics plans functional manager, explains a concept to attendees of the Southern Association of School Business Officials convention in Shreveport, La., April 14. The Barksdale Total Force Development Council's "SWOT's it like to fly above the rest" seminar presented topics such as how to deal with toxic leadership and combat careerism, as well as the merits of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats decision matrix. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph Raatz)

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Senior Master Sgt. Lester Largaespada, 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron operations flight superintendent, discusses careerism with attendees of the Southern Association of School Business Officials convention in Shreveport, La., April 14. Largaespada and the Barksdale Total Force Development Council presented a seminar during the convention, addressing common problems faced by managers and supervisors regardless of career field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph Raatz)

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Barksdale Total Force Development Council members moderate conversations during their "SWOT's it like to fly above the rest" seminar, April 14. The seminar was one of many held during the Southern Association of School Business Officials convention in Shreveport, La., where over 100 school business administrators and official gathered to discuss common issues faced by the industry and learn from each other.

Barksdale Total Force Development Council mentors the community

Published May 4, 2016
By Senior Airman Joseph Raatz
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --

The Barksdale Total Force Development Council delivered engaging professional development to school business officials during a recent seminar at a Southern Association of School Business Officials convention in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The seminar, “SWOT’s it like to fly above the rest,” aimed to discuss common problems faced by managers and supervisors, and to introduce attendees to a planning method designed to alleviate those problems.

“Over our careers, we’ve seen a variety of issues that can impact efficiency,” said Senior Master Sgt. Lester Largaespada, 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron operations flight superintendent. “But I can guarantee you that a lot of these issues aren’t just seen in the military. I’d bet you’ve experienced most of them in your profession at one time or another. That’s why it’s important that we discuss these kinds of things and learn from each other.”

Issues discussed included toxic leadership and careerism, as well as identifying the differences between consumers and producers and how they impact the office.

“No matter what you do for a living, if you do it long enough you’ll run into a toxic leader,” said Gregory Page, Jackson Parish School Board accountant purchasing agent. “It’s a shared experience we’ve all had to deal with at one time or another. It’s interesting to hear what other people have done to address the situation.”

The centerpiece of the seminar was a discussion of the SWOT analysis matrix, a planning method that evaluates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to determine the best way forward for a project or business venture. One of the primary advantages of the SWOT method is scalability, as the same process can be applied to decisions at an individual, departmental or industry-wide level.

“SWOT can be used by anyone, in any field, at any level,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Jordan, 2nd Maintenance Squadron flight superintendent. “That’s the best thing about it; it’s adaptable. Someone in charge of purchasing might use it to figure out which product to buy 10,000 units of, whereas I might use it to nail down the best way to structure a training plan for a new Airman.”

The seminar’s capstone exercise divided the attendees into groups, each tackling a separate issue facing their industry by using SWOT. As each group presented their findings, shared experiences across industry lines became even more apparent.

“I think we all learned a lot from each other and from the presenters,” said Lesia Casanovas, Beauregard Parish School Board director of finance and business. “It’s amazing how similar our experiences regardless of what field we’re in. I’m very thankful to the Barksdale TDFC for putting it on for us.”