If you’ve watched Ted Lasso, you’ve noticed that every morning Ted brings a box of homemade biscuits to his boss, Rebecca. Every. Morning. Without fail. This isn’t about feeding a team or individual with donuts before a meeting. It’s all about relationship.
For safety professionals, it’s not about what you know. It’s about building relationships with your team, boss included. Once the relationship is there, then your knowledge can be sought after and applied.
The biscuit is a symbol of both persistence in warming up club owner Rebecca Welton and laying the foundation of a relationship. The discussion is meant to get conversation going and opening up the private, or hidden, sides of Ted and Rebecca. It is a trust building forum.
As a safety professional:
- Have you built relationships with your stakeholders?
- What can you be counted on to do as part of your routine?
- How well have you become a trusted advisor? How do you know?
- Are your relationships deep enough that it will survive an “aw shoot” when things don’t go right?
- If you don’t have a relationship with a stakeholder, are you persistent in your commitment to build it?
Keep in mind that relationships are the gateway to accomplishment!
