GRAY STONE ADVISORS' BLOG

How to Find an Executive Mentor

Are you ready to become a Transformational Leader? That is, someone who guides and directs others to success? If so, great! One of the best ways to ensure your long-term success is to invest your time and energy in an Executive Mentor who’s just as committed as you are to your long-term success. READ MORE

Are You Ready to Become a Mentor?

Have you achieved personal or professional success as a result of working with a talented mentor? Has someone helped you get to where you are today by showing you ‘the ropes’? If so, perhaps you’re ready to pay it forward and become an advisor to someone who wants to elevate their career or personal pursuits to a much higher level. Becoming an effective mentor takes a lot of time and energy—and there are do’s and don’ts so take heed (and read on). READ MORE

A Simple Guide to Performance Benchmarking

Knowing where your team ranks in the “best of” category can often be a complicated puzzle to solve without first defining what metrics that make you a top performer and then benchmarking what your peers across the industry are doing. READ MORE

How to Write Value Statements for Your Flight Department

Does your flight department have a mission and vision statement? If so, it’s important to define the behavioral norms that your team will use to accomplish these goals. By documenting a set of core values—in the form of value statements—you will create ‘behavioral covenants’ for how your team will interact in a way that’s consistent with your mission. Doing so will boost organizational efficiency and put you on the path of achieving your vision. READ MORE

5 Ways to Write a Business Aviation Mission Statement

Once you create an inspirational vision statement for your flight department (e.g., define your future state of being), your next step is to craft a mission statement and define the actions you’re going to take in order to actualize your vision. READ MORE

7 Ways to Create an Inspiring Vision Statement Your Team Will Rally Around

If you could define the most successful flight department, what would it look like? How would the team act toward each other? Would your executive transportation services be different? Would flight operations change? In our last post, Gray Stone Advisors explained the importance of creating a vision, mission and values for your flight department. In particular, we gave you the 5 steps to organizing a successful offsite planning meeting. The second step in this process is to define your vision. READ MORE

How to Create your Vision, Mission and Values: Start by Organizing an Offsite Planning Meeting

Would your flight department team benefit from improved communication with your parent company? Is your senior staff managing rather than leading? Has your team lost its sense of purpose? Are some of your employees not aligned with the big picture? Do you struggle to speak the language of business? If the answer is a resounding “YES!,” your team will absolutely benefit from creating a set of vision, mission and value statements. And this can easily be done by organizing an offsite planning meeting with your key stakeholders – the members or your flight department. READ MORE

How to Improve Business Performance

What’s the best way to ensure long-lasting business performance for your business aviation organization? By getting focused on *why* you exist, *why* you’re in business. This means your department leaders--and the entire team--must truly know and understand the vision, mission and values of your organization. READ MORE

7 Keys to Success in Business Aviation

Today, we are going to discuss the Seven Keys to Success in Business Aviation. Although this particular application focuses upon Business Aviation, these same principles can be applied to most For-Profit and Not-For-Profit organizations. READ MORE

The Economics of Safety Management Systems (SMS)

Our Business Aviation Sector clients are examining, and in many cases, implementing rigorous and formalized Safety Management Systems. Let’s not sugar coat it – this can be a significant undertaking! The unspoken question – “Do well conceived Safety Management Systems produce a real financial benefit or are they just one more added cost?” The corollary question – “How can I demonstrate the investment in a SMS to non-aviation related executives within my company?” READ MORE