New technology has always been exciting to me. As a teenager, I enjoyed reading through "Crutchfield" magazines to keep up with the latest and greatest in home entertainment systems. As a Meteorologist, I enjoy reading through journal articles to keep up with the latest and greatest in weather research. Some research catches on quick...others not so much. At the height of my home entertainment days, anything with "DTS" slapped on it got my attention. Dolby Digital...cool. DTS? Watch out! For surround sound, it was the best thing since sliced bread (in my mind). You could put DTS on an entertainment center and suddenly I'd be hooked.
The thing about a DTS label on an entertainment center is that it probably doesn't enhance the sound experience in any way. That's not to diminish the quality of DTS, or the quality of the entertainment center, it's just not the most appropriate application. On a similar note, only having Dolby Digital doesn't make a receiver bad, nor does having DTS make a receiver great. Is DTS the only way to go for sound? Nope. Had you talked to me about 20 years ago, though, I probably would have said yes.
The "DTS" of weather for me encompasses many new tools and technology, including GR, GOES 16/17, Dual Pol, and BUFKIT (yes, I realize all of those aren't brand, spanking new). High up on my list is Dual Pol. One of the forecaster's at my office often talks about the "story" weather data tells us. Dual Pol tells many...and I'm not convinced we've heard them all. What I find most fascinating about Dual Pol is the ability to help diagnose what storms are producing and how they are evolving, and the additional information this provides compared to legacy data, alone. Does it make legacy data bad or out-dated? Nope. But, I do believe it provides some additional clues that can improve our warning service at times.
A key to finding the best application of new research and tools seems to be rooted in how we view them. New tools are exciting and different, some of which truly are the best thing since sliced bread. An important differentiation is knowing which ones are proven and which ones have potential, but are not yet highly correlated, verified, etc. Personally, I'm guilty of 100% latching onto a new theory or tool at times, quickly trying to sell others on it. It's the next best thing...what are we waiting for?!
In reality, it may very well be the next best thing. But, until something is more solidly proven, we run the risk of an unhealthy view of the proven, yet not-as-new, methods. Ultimately, this could have unintended consequences. Successful warnings, for example, have come from legacy radar data, alone, but have also come from using a legacy and Dual Pol combination.
Having Dual Pol data is great, but it doesn't work perfectly in every situation. Like DTS, know when it can, and can't, be used. For me, I've found that figuring out when starts with admitting that it MIGHT not be the best thing since sliced bread. For those out there who are all-things-Dual-Pol like myself, don't let me lose you here. The point I'm hoping to drive home is to watch out for another case of Meteorological tunnel vision (something I am prone to).
I'm scheduled to present at my office's spring workshop this year, and I was ready to bust down the doors with ZDR Arcs and KDP foots. While research may yet reveal this to be true, I have had to slow my roll and realize that the data isn't 100% there yet to bust down any doors. When you bust down doors, you sometimes end up knocking people over in the process.
With new, or still-being-researched, tools, awareness (as opposed to selling) seems to be a better first step. And think about it...increased awareness can spark additional interest and research that may help in determining the needed viability of a tool. Sometimes we all just need to know a tool exists and how to test it. My hope at the workshop is simply to enhance awareness and let the research sell itself if, indeed, it is a better option. My hope is that I will be more intentional about checking, but not diminishing, my excitement for new research, and knowing when to sell something vs simply raising awareness.
Showing posts with label radar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radar. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
The Best Service Starts with Weakness
One of my favorite tasks in the NWS is working radar. I enjoy the
challenge of figuring out what storms are, or will be, doing and how to
best communicate those threats to people (through warning vs. not
warning decisions, what tags to use, and so on). Ironically, though,
working radar also happens to be the task that I most often deal with
some anxiety about. Typing that last sentence is difficult for me and I
keep thinking through ways to word it in a way that sounds the least
negative. That wouldn't be very honest of me, so I'll just leave it as
is. Oh, the joy of weaknesses and struggles. Can I get an 'amen!'?! No
takers? Didn't think so.
As a general rule, I struggle with being open and honest with co-workers regarding my weak areas. I subscribe to the 'honesty is the best policy' idea, but really struggle to put that into practice sometimes. The past year here at the NWS Wichita office (hard to believe it has been a year already!) has challenged me a lot in this area of honesty. What I've come to realize is that my struggle with being honest with others actually starts with the struggle to be honest with myself.
At my first NWS
office (Great Falls, MT), I had very little anxiety when working radar. A
lot of people in the office didn't want to work radar, which gave me
lots of opportunities to gain experience and confidence. You'd think
that confidence would follow me here to Kansas, but it didn't quite work
out that way. In Montana, I was warning for small towns and cows. But
now I am warning for a much larger population. The city of Wichita,
alone, has more people than the entire NWS Great Falls' CWA. The
magnitude of severe weather is different here as well, especially
regarding the higher frequency of tornadoes and the significant threat
to life and property that that threat, alone, carries. There are simply
more people in my current CWA to be "hit". Radar is radar, though. It's
not like dBZ values have a different meaning here. CC still drops with
debris, Dual-Pol data still reveals large hail, tornadoes, and heavy
rain processes. The only thing that changed was my mindset (stressful vs
not stressful) towards working radar.
I didn't want to admit this and for months I kept trying to hide it...from myself. Which, if you think about it, is kind of a silly goal, and yet it is a very real problem. The truth is, I got some great radar experience while in Montana, but still needed more. I didn't want to need more. I wanted to walk into ICT a confident radar operator, being the go-to guy in severe events. I wanted to be trusted at any point in any event. It simply did not work out that way.
A year in, I have gained additional experience and my confidence is coming back. But, it's still not to the level I want to be at in order to provide the best possible service I can. Part of what has helped me is finally coming to terms with my struggle. I admitted it to myself...I still need improvement on radar. It took me long enough to admit that, but now it is time to be honest with others - this blog post is a part of that and has been a year in the making! In a strange way, working on this post has actually helped me feel more confident. Not that I magically have things all figured out, but now when tasked with working radar, I have one less weight on my shoulder - the weight of acting like I have it all together. Whether anyone in my office ever sees this post, the simple act of typing it out, and making it public, is a huge step even in just being honest with myself.
On a side note, I somewhat comically think back to the first time I was tasked with radar here at ICT. Man, I was so nervous that I was struggling even with the less-visible SPS (a far cry from the confident radar guy I was back in Montana). At one point, the Lead Forecaster I was working with nicely remarked, "You know, it's ok to issue an SPS". I appreciate the grace is in his patience. I have come a long way since that day, but it sure was a low point for me.
So, what about you? Are there any weaknesses or struggles that deep down you know are there, but don't want to admit it? Maybe it isn't even a weakness, per-say...maybe you don't like forecasting or public briefings, but are afraid to admit it. Maybe you don't mind being open with others, but fear their response. I totally understand the concern. I'm not saying you go into work today and draft up an all-hands email about every struggle. Maybe for now you simply need to be honest with yourself.
The beauty here is that the admission of weakness is the beginning of wisdom.
Convincing ourselves that a weakness or struggle doesn't exist, or isn't that big of a deal, can cause us to miss important learning opportunities. Consider this as well...what you learn through your weakness now, could play a vital role in you helping someone else through a similar weakness down the road. Just the simple fact that you are not the only one with a certain struggle can be encouraging!
Now, I will say, being honest with others may open the door to less-than-receptive responses and I don't want to ignore that possibility. Even in great working environments, there are often one or two that may give people a hard time for showing, or sharing, struggles. If one imperfect individual cannot accept someone else's imperfection...well, that is on them. I know this doesn't ease the fear of a negative response, but I do still believe in the importance of being open with others at times. Start with yourself, then consider opening up to at least a few others.
We ALL have weaknesses and struggles. There are no perfect Meteorologists. If we're honest about our weakness and patient with others', we can all work together to provide the best service possible. If you want to set yourself, and others, up for success, then start with honesty.
As a general rule, I struggle with being open and honest with co-workers regarding my weak areas. I subscribe to the 'honesty is the best policy' idea, but really struggle to put that into practice sometimes. The past year here at the NWS Wichita office (hard to believe it has been a year already!) has challenged me a lot in this area of honesty. What I've come to realize is that my struggle with being honest with others actually starts with the struggle to be honest with myself.
I didn't want to admit this and for months I kept trying to hide it...from myself. Which, if you think about it, is kind of a silly goal, and yet it is a very real problem. The truth is, I got some great radar experience while in Montana, but still needed more. I didn't want to need more. I wanted to walk into ICT a confident radar operator, being the go-to guy in severe events. I wanted to be trusted at any point in any event. It simply did not work out that way.
A year in, I have gained additional experience and my confidence is coming back. But, it's still not to the level I want to be at in order to provide the best possible service I can. Part of what has helped me is finally coming to terms with my struggle. I admitted it to myself...I still need improvement on radar. It took me long enough to admit that, but now it is time to be honest with others - this blog post is a part of that and has been a year in the making! In a strange way, working on this post has actually helped me feel more confident. Not that I magically have things all figured out, but now when tasked with working radar, I have one less weight on my shoulder - the weight of acting like I have it all together. Whether anyone in my office ever sees this post, the simple act of typing it out, and making it public, is a huge step even in just being honest with myself.
On a side note, I somewhat comically think back to the first time I was tasked with radar here at ICT. Man, I was so nervous that I was struggling even with the less-visible SPS (a far cry from the confident radar guy I was back in Montana). At one point, the Lead Forecaster I was working with nicely remarked, "You know, it's ok to issue an SPS". I appreciate the grace is in his patience. I have come a long way since that day, but it sure was a low point for me.
So, what about you? Are there any weaknesses or struggles that deep down you know are there, but don't want to admit it? Maybe it isn't even a weakness, per-say...maybe you don't like forecasting or public briefings, but are afraid to admit it. Maybe you don't mind being open with others, but fear their response. I totally understand the concern. I'm not saying you go into work today and draft up an all-hands email about every struggle. Maybe for now you simply need to be honest with yourself.
The beauty here is that the admission of weakness is the beginning of wisdom.
Convincing ourselves that a weakness or struggle doesn't exist, or isn't that big of a deal, can cause us to miss important learning opportunities. Consider this as well...what you learn through your weakness now, could play a vital role in you helping someone else through a similar weakness down the road. Just the simple fact that you are not the only one with a certain struggle can be encouraging!
Now, I will say, being honest with others may open the door to less-than-receptive responses and I don't want to ignore that possibility. Even in great working environments, there are often one or two that may give people a hard time for showing, or sharing, struggles. If one imperfect individual cannot accept someone else's imperfection...well, that is on them. I know this doesn't ease the fear of a negative response, but I do still believe in the importance of being open with others at times. Start with yourself, then consider opening up to at least a few others.
We ALL have weaknesses and struggles. There are no perfect Meteorologists. If we're honest about our weakness and patient with others', we can all work together to provide the best service possible. If you want to set yourself, and others, up for success, then start with honesty.
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