East Palestine Derailment: Why Learning From Incidents is So Freaking Hard
The NTSB issued their final report on the Norfolk Southern Railway derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The 201page report contains 37 NEW findings and 35 NEW recommendations. I like to look for quick wins and the NTSB provides several. Finding number 6 states that “the vulnerability of tank car placards to fire exposure resulted in […]
Wide World of V.U.C.A.
For episode 37, we speak with Larry Pearlman to explore the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (V.U.C.A.) that we are all faced with when dealing with change management. Our conversation dives into important principles and practical application from an industry veteran in his field. This is an important episode for us all as we deal […]
Faster Than the Disaster: BP Texas City 19 Years Later
March 23rd will mark the 19th anniversary of the BP Texas City refinery disaster. 15 people lost their lives that day. None needed to die. I write about this incident every year because people and organizations forget. We need reminders. My career in safety started with this disaster. I was assigned as a consultant to […]
Risk Assessment vs. Poor Management of Change for the Francis Scott Key Bridge Disaster
It’s natural to point to poor risk assessment when looking at this disaster. Let me suggest something different. This likely wasn’t a flaw in risk assessment during the design phase. It’s likely a flaw in the management of change for MDOT who manages the bridge. (Let’s let the great folks at the National Transportation Safety […]
How good is your safety organization?
If you asked your internal customers “how good is my HSSE organization,” what would they tell you? If you are courageous enough to ask the question, the responses typically look like something like this: “Your team is really great. They work hard. They know their stuff and they are stretched too thin. I’d really like […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 20.0 – “Letting Go of Your Idea.”
Ted Lasso’s coaching style changes. He tries something and it sticks. More often, he tries something and moves on to something else. Moving on is not quitting. It’s letting go. I picked up @david provan’s ‘blueprint for improving the safety of work.’ He traces 100 years of safety theory. In that time there were 37 […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 19.0 – “Quitting vs. Letting Go.”
Ted Lasso’s marriage fails. He has a moment when he realizes he’s not quitting. He’s letting go. As HSSE leaders, when do we need to let go? Here are a few types of letting go. 1) Leaving a company where you don’t fit; 2) Letting go of an idea that isn’t working; 3) Letting go […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 18.0 – “It’s All About Building Your Own Brand.”
Keely, the entrepreneur in Ted Lasso, responded to a comment about self-promotion being bad. She replied “that’s not how it works anymore. It’s all about promoting your own brand.” Almost all the safety professionals I meet are dedicated professionals. They know their stuff. They are hard workers and are dedicated to eliminating injuries. Unfortunately, those […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 17.0 – “Doing Everything the Right Way.”
During the Greyhound’s practice, Coach Lasso gets upset. The team isn’t practicing correctly. Ted screams out ‘the day we stop doing things the right way means we are one day closer to doing everything the wrong way!” I’ve certainly felt that way as I’ve observed employees performing their work. They skip steps. Like the players, […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 16.0 – “I Appreciate You”
In the humble, midwestern way that only Ted Lasso can do, he utters the phrase, ‘I appreciate you.’ As safety leaders, we often find ourselves focusing on what’s wrong. We don’t thank people for what’s right. The expression of appreciation is often missed. I once worked at an auto manufacturing plant. The vice president proclaimed […]