Communication key, next class is Thursday

932nd Airlift Wing Process Manager and Certified Covey facilitator, Lt. Col. Stephanie Boehning, talks with Deb Teague from the 932nd Family Readiness Office, during Boehning's Thursday morning class about how communication should work in the workplace, but is sometimes misunderstood. Col. Boehning's courses are all listed on the wing's EIM page and email reminders are sent to the unit members each week to give them a chance to come participate, and not only improve themselves personally, but also improve the execution of their unit, squadron, group and wing mission. "Instead of offering four-hour lecture courses, I'm trying something much different and much shorter. I'll be offering two opportunities each week," said Colonel Boehning. "SOS Tuesdays: Each Tuesday you will receive an SOS email. In this instance, SOS stands for "Sharpen our Saw" which means stop and take time for you. If you keep sawing without stopping, then eventually the blade will be dull and not cut as well," she said. "The same goes for you. If you keep working and working without stopping to re-energize, you'll be far less productive. The idea is to stop, read the email, and take some time for you," Col Boehning said. The plan is for it to take less than 15-minutes for anyone to read, learn, and apply. Reminders on upcoming classes at the 932nd Airlift Wing: Take Time Thursdays is another opportunity to "sharpen your saw" by physically coming to class each Thursday from 10:15 a.m., to 10:45 a.m. The training session is usually held in the 932 AW Auditorium or conference room. "Topics will vary and we'll have many guest speakers as we bring in experts to cover various topics," said Boehning. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Stan Paregien)

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Boehning retires from military

Commander of the 932nd Operations Group at the 932nd Airlift Wing, Lt. Col. Ray Smith, presents Lt. Col. Stephanie Boehning with a special coin recognizing her military years of service to the unit and the nation. She enjoyed the surprise retirement party put on by her fellow wing staff members on May 18, 2017 at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Boehning served with honor during Desert Storm overseas, and a variety of jobs with the 932nd Airlift Wing. She will now will continue working as the wing's civilian process improvement manager and certified Covey facilitator. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Stan Paregien)

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Process manager offers improvement classes

932nd Airlift Wing Process Manager and Certified Covey facilitator, Lt. Col. Stephanie Boehning, talks to a Thursday class recently about paradigm shifts, and the "See, Do, Get" foundation to help improve workflow effectiveness. Her courses are all listed on the wing's EIM page and email reminders are sent to the unit members to give them a chance to come and not only improve themselves personally, but also improve the execution of their unit, squadron, group and wing mission. "Instead of offering four-hour lecture courses, I'm trying something much different and much shorter. I'll be offering two opportunities each week," said Colonel Boehning. "SOS Tuesdays: Each Tuesday you will receive an SOS email. In this instance, SOS stands for "Sharpen our Saw" which means stop and take time for you. If you keep sawing without stopping, then eventually the blade will be dull and not cut as well. The same goes for you. If you keep working and working without stopping to re-energize, you'll be far less productive. The idea is to stop, read the email, and take some time for you! Col Boehning said the plan is for it to take less than 15-minutes for anyone to read, learn, and apply. Reminders on upcoming classes at the 932nd Airlift Wing: Take Time Thursdays is another opportunity to "sharpen your saw" by physically coming to class each Thursday from 1015 to 1045. The training session is usually held in the 932 AW Auditorium or conference room. "Topics will vary and we'll have many guest speakers as we bring in experts to cover various topics," said Boehning. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Stan Paregien)

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Sharpening Our Saw; series about inspiration and reflection

Published Jan. 28, 2020
By Lt. Col (ret) Stephanie Boehning

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --

On 10 Jan 2017, I started a new initiative: SOS Tuesdays. I’d found that most people no longer attend a class; instead, they watch a You-Tube video and get what they need in a few minutes. I decided to send out a short weekly email to provide a teaching moment. I called it

"Sharpen our Saw" which means stop and take time for you. If you keep sawing without stopping, eventually the blade will be dull and not cut as well. Same goes for you. If you keep working and working without stopping to re-energize, you'll be far less productive. The idea was to stop, read the email, and take some time for you. I’ve sent out close to 150 SOS emails in the past three years and have enjoyed getting your feedback when the subject hit home or moved you.

Today will be my last SOS sent as a GS employee since I’m retiring on Friday. My parting SOS, from Chicken Soup for the Soul, is also my parting wish for you. . .

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.
Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father said, ‘I love you, and I wish you enough.’

They kissed and the daughter left. The father walked over to the window where I was seated. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but I could not refrain from asking:
‘When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?’

He began to smile. ‘That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.’
He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more.
‘When we said, ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.’
Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more..

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting…

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Many thanks for your support of SOS over the years. I wish you enough.

The S.O.S series will continue as we look back into an archive of great inspirational stories Boehning has collected and shared with the Citizen Airmen of the 932nd Airlift Wing.

Thank you Lt. Col. (ret.) Stephanie Boehning for your words of encouragement and reflection.

Communication key, next class is Thursday

Boehning retires from military

Process manager offers improvement classes