Mindy Buckley, jetBlue University

How Personal Perspectives Impact Training

Paradigms by definition are “a standard, perspective, or set of ideas.” Perspectives are a way to look at things and ultimately define what we think is “normal.” In training environments, we need to understand not only how a student’s perspectives can influence their learning; but also how our perspectives with procedures and processes can affect their training. Donella Meadows, an American scientist stated “Your paradigm is so intrinsic to your mental process that you are hardly aware of its existence, until you try to communicate with someone with a different paradigm.” Most of our brains are now wired to “speak aviation” and understand its quirks. However someone who is new to the industry may need to remove or set aside their current perspectives and learn new ways of thinking; or even better, have an instructor team who can help them learn using their current paradigms.

Mindy Buckley, Inflight Instructor, jetBlue University

Originally from North Ridgeville, OH (a west side suburb of Cleveland), Mindy attended Baldwin-Wallace University earning both a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a minor in Biology, and later her MBA in 2015.

Mindy worked in various management roles in the Cleveland sports and music industry until she joined the aviation industry in 2005. Having worked as an Inflight Crewmember for both Northwest Airlines and JetBlue, she was later given an opportunity to re-join Northwest Airlines in a supervisory role. In 2011, Mindy moved into the Manager of Inflight Operations role overseeing the operation at Republic Airways, working closely with the FAA on policies and procedures. Always looking for a challenge, Mindy accepted a position as a management consultant where she mentored leaders of companies on building efficiencies and effective leadership techniques. She soon realized how much she missed playing with airplanes and came back to JetBlue as an Inflight Instructor.

Her very successful MBA thesis on Reducing Flight Attendant Injuries during Turbulence gave her the opportunity to present her findings at an FAA Regional Safety conference in Indianapolis; and during her tenure as a consultant, Mindy presented on several topics falling under the Change Management umbrella. She is also a multi-year presenter at JetBlue University’s annual Learning Conference.