Being alert has techniques and trainings, check ins and
red flags. Find them and build them into your plan.
even with a good illumination, like night driving, less vision is
less time to react. The safety net used during construction of the
Golden Gate Bridge was an example of fall protection, in its most
basic form, but nearly 90 years ago, that was new in bridge building.
The same project was the first where not wearing PPE – the
helmet – led to discipline, sunscreen was handed out daily for skin
protection as well as pickle juice as an antidote to anyone who
looked hungover.
A is for “Alert” (and free from distraction)
Whether it’s your kids and their remote homework, cellphones at
the dinner table or the job site, the competition for attention is at
its zenith. Folks are addicted to their phone. They are waiting for
that ring or ping of the text. And folks here will not just grouse, but
will nod “okay” in contrite, sheepish shoulder shrugs, and then as
soon as they’re out of sight, return to the phone. This is a tough one.
In my jury trials in court, judges take the cell phones from jurors
while the case is on. The temptation of distraction is the hallmark
of human nature, and also, of an accident waiting to happen.
QA/QC – SAFETY
“Alert” techniques are the other side of the coin of “free from
distraction.” I am convinced these can be trained, like a batter in
baseball can train himself to count the revolutions and direction
of the seams of a pitcher’s baseball coming at him at 90 miles per
hour, or a golfer can know exactly the swing with his pitching
wedge to hit it 100 yards or 105. Our eyes and brain are computers,
binoculars and videotape empirical logs, and can be trained like a
good athlete, CEO or a tight rock band or symphony who all know
their parts due to “overlearning.”
Football coach Don Shula and business guru Ken Blanchard cowrote
Everyone’s a Coach – short, insightful and about repetition
with high motivation and teamwork creating the highest attention
to detail, flow or “in the zone” ease and confidence. We just
saw that with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, as a case study in
management and leadership of a team. Being alert is a culture. As
former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Madden once explained, “Our
goal is to do the simpler, better.” Being alert has techniques and
trainings, check ins and red flags. Find them and build them into
your plan.
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