Ted and team face an impossible task. Beat a team they have never beaten before. What does the coaching staff do to prepare for a seemingly impossible victory? They ask the team for ideas. They brainstorm. They plan. They practice and they execute (a friend once said 1 point for the idea, 2 points for the plan, 97 points for execution!). And the team wins. Victory is sweet.
When it comes to safety, how often do we fall into the trap that “I have to solve this?” Even worse, how many times do we believe “it can’t be made safer” or “we tried that before?”
Throw Out the Old Stories
While working in a refinery, there was a leaky pump. All the operators said there was nothing they could do about it. They made up stories about a metallurgical study that proved the impossibility of the task. Turns out, that was a myth. The area superintendent pulled employees and suppliers together. They studied the issue, they brainstormed, and they analyzed. They fixed the problem.
Believe
It’s almost cliche, but belief is a fundamental component of safety leadership. Believing that you can impact safety. I was working in Alberta and there was a bear attack at a rest stop that resulted in fatalities. It’s easy to say that was literally an act of nature. The president of the firm refused to believe that nothing could be done. Instead, he initiated bear education, helped to fund bear-proof trash cans and improved fencing at rest stops. Take a lesson from him. You have to believe that you can influence the “stuff” that others think is out of your control (just like Ted and team believed they could win).
Go To Gemba (Again!)
Ask the people closest to the work how to reduce or eliminate hazards in their workplace. Ask for their ideas. Do a Kaizen. Run a WorkOut session. Use Team Based Problem Solving. Do a “Ted Lasso” and whiteboard their ideas… no matter how gimmicky they may seem. Involve and engage your team. You may end up with a Pepper Shakers, Beckham’s Todger or a Midnight Poutine (all play ideas suggested by the Greyhounds)!
R=Q*A
One of my favorite equations in leadership is “The Results of a solution is equal to the solution’s Quality multiplied by its Acceptance. When you ask the team for ideas and you pass ownership to them, you build acceptance. The solution may not be THE best, but it’s ownership is very high. That makes it a good solution. Those ideas will be owned by the team. Best of all, the solutions will be sustainable long after you have been promoted!
If you are interested in developing your safety team, consider running the Safety Professional’s Academy. Contact me to have a conversation.
If you have safety professionals who require coaching, please give me a call!
