The students have asked me to teach ground school on the side, which I have been doing for the past week. Kwan had to leave early due to a family emergency, so now Edmond is down to one instructor: Denis.
I felt that the rift between Edmond and me was mostly cultural, so I reached out to him. I was rebuked.
His reply showed me the following:
I later found out that he had BCC'd his email to the staff. I am certain he will claim that I begged him to take me back. The staff knows better.
Edmond has no friends. Only employees. The people who have stayed with him over the years are only there because of the money. He treats everyone the same: shouting over them and bullying them into submission. He is headed for failure, but will only blame those around him.
_______________
Hello Edmond,
I would like to close the gap that has come between us and clear up any misunderstandings. I realize I could have delivered my message better to you and I am partially at fault for not delivering my message in the right way. I want to make sure my ideas are clear.
You know that I am dedicated and passionate about teaching flying, and I know that you are dedicated to running a business. I would never tell you how to run your business or tell you what to do. In western culture it's common to receive advice and information from trusted friends and colleagues. In this way, the business owner can make the most informed decisions. Mao Zedong, Confucius, and Tang Taizong all consulted advisors before making important decisions. If you wanted to take orders from others, you would have gone to work in a factory and not have started a business. I understand this.
It is in this spirit that I talk to you. I understand that you are running the business. I understand that you are making the decisions. I would never tell you what to do. I only care about the safety of the flight training and the success of the students. I don't need to tell you that flight training is a serious business and the objectives must be unambiguous. As your employee, I would be doing you a disservice if I did not tell you when your flight school is in danger.
I am still excited about the school and I still have the respect of the students and the staff. I still talk to them every day and I am aware of what is going on. I left an $80K/year job in America to come here and I do not regret this. If you feel we can overcome our differences, I would be willing to come back and work for you. If you don't think this could happen, then I will understand. I know that Kwan is gone for a while and there are not enough instructors, so I would even be willing to help out temporarily until more instructors arrive.
I want you to know that I respect your position. I also want you to know that I can't compromise on safety standards. I will continue to advise you based on my experiences. What you do with my advice is your decision. I can be a great asset to you if you let me. Speaking up and giving one's opinion is not the same thing as telling you what to do. We both want the same thing – the safety of the students and the success of the school.
Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Kate Montressor
_______________
Kate,
I do not want to reply to your email.
It is because you have been accusing me continuously that I am running LIFT as a business that I cannot keep my mouth shut.
I count this as an insult to my integrity and dignity.
Flying is my passion. I squeezed in a lot of my time and money to fly.
In LIFT, no one takes safety more serious than me. We put in survival kits, extra GPS, Radio, Flyvie, SPOT and later Spidertrack just for safety.
I know who is and who is not a good pilot and this will be addressed soon.
I am sure my Eastern and Western Culture is better than the mere Western Culture you mentioned. After all, the names you mentioned are all from my Country.
If I took LIFT (or aviation) as mere business, I would not have gone into it. They say if you want to be a millionaire in aviation, better start from a billionaire.
Have a safe trip home.
Regards,
Edmond.
I felt that the rift between Edmond and me was mostly cultural, so I reached out to him. I was rebuked.
His reply showed me the following:
- Edmond thinks "business owner" is an insult.
- Edmond did not start LIFT to make money, but to spend it. A lot of people make money in aviation, and some become wealthy. Edmond apparently doesn't want to be in that group.
- Edmond does not know how to create a culture of safety. The "safety" items he mentions are good for finding bodies. Safety is about making good decisions and allowing every to voice their opinion without recourse. Every opinion given to him by anyone, staff or students, was met with abusive shouting that chilled further conversation.
- Edmond has no clue about Western culture, nor does he care to understand where anyone else is coming from. His is the only way.
- Edmond likes to say he is passionate about flying, but he does not put in the effort behind his words. He is a 500 hour PPL (private) pilot and has never bothered to further his aviation education. He has never bothered to see how other flight schools operate and does not seek advice from reputable aviation organizations and professionals.
I later found out that he had BCC'd his email to the staff. I am certain he will claim that I begged him to take me back. The staff knows better.
Edmond has no friends. Only employees. The people who have stayed with him over the years are only there because of the money. He treats everyone the same: shouting over them and bullying them into submission. He is headed for failure, but will only blame those around him.
_______________
Hello Edmond,
I would like to close the gap that has come between us and clear up any misunderstandings. I realize I could have delivered my message better to you and I am partially at fault for not delivering my message in the right way. I want to make sure my ideas are clear.
You know that I am dedicated and passionate about teaching flying, and I know that you are dedicated to running a business. I would never tell you how to run your business or tell you what to do. In western culture it's common to receive advice and information from trusted friends and colleagues. In this way, the business owner can make the most informed decisions. Mao Zedong, Confucius, and Tang Taizong all consulted advisors before making important decisions. If you wanted to take orders from others, you would have gone to work in a factory and not have started a business. I understand this.
It is in this spirit that I talk to you. I understand that you are running the business. I understand that you are making the decisions. I would never tell you what to do. I only care about the safety of the flight training and the success of the students. I don't need to tell you that flight training is a serious business and the objectives must be unambiguous. As your employee, I would be doing you a disservice if I did not tell you when your flight school is in danger.
I am still excited about the school and I still have the respect of the students and the staff. I still talk to them every day and I am aware of what is going on. I left an $80K/year job in America to come here and I do not regret this. If you feel we can overcome our differences, I would be willing to come back and work for you. If you don't think this could happen, then I will understand. I know that Kwan is gone for a while and there are not enough instructors, so I would even be willing to help out temporarily until more instructors arrive.
I want you to know that I respect your position. I also want you to know that I can't compromise on safety standards. I will continue to advise you based on my experiences. What you do with my advice is your decision. I can be a great asset to you if you let me. Speaking up and giving one's opinion is not the same thing as telling you what to do. We both want the same thing – the safety of the students and the success of the school.
Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Kate Montressor
_______________
Kate,
I do not want to reply to your email.
It is because you have been accusing me continuously that I am running LIFT as a business that I cannot keep my mouth shut.
I count this as an insult to my integrity and dignity.
Flying is my passion. I squeezed in a lot of my time and money to fly.
In LIFT, no one takes safety more serious than me. We put in survival kits, extra GPS, Radio, Flyvie, SPOT and later Spidertrack just for safety.
I know who is and who is not a good pilot and this will be addressed soon.
I am sure my Eastern and Western Culture is better than the mere Western Culture you mentioned. After all, the names you mentioned are all from my Country.
If I took LIFT (or aviation) as mere business, I would not have gone into it. They say if you want to be a millionaire in aviation, better start from a billionaire.
Have a safe trip home.
Regards,
Edmond.
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