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 […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 15.0 – “Lead With Humility”
Even if you know the answer, you’re better off asking others. You may even get a better answer. While coaching the fictional Richmond Greyhounds, Ted does that. A lot. He knows it works. Humility is a complex concept and should defy simplification. I’ll try to simplify it anyway! In my mind, humility is all about […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 14.0 – “Don’t be a goldfish”
Ted often tells his team to ‘be a goldfish.’ Goldfish, he proclaims, ‘are the happiest animals on earth, because it’s got a ten second memory.’ It’s a good message about moving on from failure and to be resilient. A great lesson for us (even if it’s not true about the ten second memory). As safety […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 13.0 – “When you encounter tough cookies, dip them in milk”
Ted faces a lot of resistance in the Greyhound organization. They aren’t all won over by his charm and sincerity. Individual resistance is hard to overcome. Especially when you are trying to ‘get people to change.’ I say that in quotes because so often we believe we really can ‘make people change.’ What I have […]