Are you a great Airman? Published March 8, 2012 By Chief Master Sgt. Alfred Wilkes 319th Recruiting Squadron HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- The success of the Air Force depends on our great Airmen. Being part of a company or organization gives you the chance to make a contribution to its advancement. Business managers like to hire people who have the right skills and attitudes because these are essential attributes that promise success to the business. So what does it take to be a great Airman? Love your work. Passion is a necessary ingredient in order to achieve something. If you only work for the money, you will lose your motivation in the long run. Develop real passion in your job, no matter how menial it seems to be. You will achieve so much more and you will be noticed. Set high standards for yourself. A great Airman maintains discipline with themselves in areas such as punctuality, excellence in work output, observance of work values and ethics. You must demand a higher standard for yourself than your boss demands from you by giving more than what is expected. Always move forward. Continue to advance your learning by continuously educating and improving yourself. Make things better than the way they were. You are never too old to learn new tricks, whether it's in your personal life or at work. The possibilities are endless. Develop excellent people skills. An Airman who has the ability to communicate with others from all levels of the organization is always better than the one who knows their job but lacks people skills. If you find yourself a bit challenged in this area, take time to find ways to overcome your shyness and learn how to associate with your fellow Airmen. Be willing to help and work effectively with others. A person who builds good working relationships with customers, staff members and management is a key ingredient to success. A great Airman knows the value of reaching out to network with others and how to maintain excellent rapport. Respect co-workers and your supervisor. Respect is a great virtue within the workplace. Regardless of the type of job you have, you will be assessed by the respect you give to your fellow co-workers and supervisors. Great Airmen are well-known for their character and how they treat others in return. Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics and author of three books, once relayed her success. "We treat our people like royalty. If you honor and serve the people who work for you, they will honor and serve you."