by Doug Gray | Jul 19, 2014 | Business, change, Employment, Leadership, Managers, published articles, safety, talent
I have been asked to submit 6-8 articles for publication in Professional Safety, the professional journal for the American Society of Safety Engineers.
Here are the published titles from 2014:
1. “Succession Planning 101.” March, 2014. p. 35. PS_Article_SuccessionPlanning_3.2014
2. “Trends in Safety Leadership Coaching.” May, 2014. p. 35. PS article Trends 5.2014
3. “Smartphone Apps; Making Smart Job Decisions.” June, 2014. p. 46-47. PS Article Apps 6.14
Please forward these articles to your friends and colleagues.
Then call me to discuss best practices for your business or your self. Initial consultations are free. Contact us here.
by Doug Gray | May 27, 2013 | Business, change, Coaching, energy industry, safety, talent
At the request of the editors of Professional Safety magazine, I interviewed several site managers to gain their wisdom
Regardless of your industry, or job title, you can apply these 5 Tips to your business.
May2013p1 WhatSite ManagersWant (page 1 of 2)
May2013p2 SiteManagersWant (page 2 of 2)
I love this acronym, developed by a former coaching client:
T= take the time
R= regularly meet
U= understand the situation and facts
S= share solutions and agree on the next actions
T= thank the other person
A coaching question is: How are you demonstrating your competence and skills with your manager or clients?
Please reply at 704.895.6479 and let me know…
by Doug Gray | May 27, 2013 | Business, Coaching, energy industry, Personal Development, safety
You do not need to be a safety professional to appreciate the value of coaching, managing, or leading.
I urge you to apply this article to your clients, or your company:
Coach safety coaches Feb 2013 p.1.rtfd
Coach safety coaches Feb 2013 p.2.rtfd
So, how are you coaching others?
by Doug Gray | Nov 14, 2012 | Business, change, Coaching, Employment, energy industry, Leadership, Managers, nuclear, safety, Success
There are many approaches to safety, depending upon your training or job title or perspective. Some are listed below.
But before looking at this data, answer this question: How powerful are your co-workers?
We know that peers influence us. Look at Fantasy Football. Look at gambling behavior. Look at rumors. Look at your children…
Which leads to the question: are co-workers more powerful than, say, management commitment or situational awareness? The short answer is yes.
Consider this slide from a recent CII study:
What are your conclusions?
I notice the following:
1. The higher the correlation coefficient (the more red), the more important the safety climate factor. Co-worker relationships has a red highlight (more than 0.7 correlation coefficient. As any statistics student knows, o.5 is considered statistically significant.) Co-worker relationships are a higher factor than ANY of the other factors.
2. Few project sites provide coaching and training that modifies co-worker behaviors. Over time. Those senior leaders are “missing the boat.”
3. Some smart companies are investing in changing leader behavior. For instance, Shaw Power Group has hired Action Learning Associates to work at a construction site with 33+ safety professionals. That team is defining co-worker relationships at the frontline with supervisors and foreman. And the result is profound on their key performance metrics.
Your company can modify leader behavior by focusing on co-worker relationships. We can help you do so. Call us at 704.895.6479.
What are you waiting for?
by Doug Gray | Nov 13, 2012 | Business, change, Coaching, exercise, Leadership, Managers, safety, strengths
Reason #9. Rock climbing.
I love to lead climb.
In my 20s I spent several months rock climbing the best cliffs in the United States. For 3 months I lived in a car with several friends, and we travelled to Boulder, CO and Devils Tower, WY. We ate granola. And macaroni and cheese. While studying guidebooks. Or talking with lanky climbers from all over the world.
Boulder Canyon and Eldorado Canyons were meccas for serious climbers. As a lead climber, my partner and I started on the bottom and climbed all day, until we summited on a ledge. Then we rappelled back down, or hiked down. Every afternoon the thunderstorms terrified us. Every climb had terrifying sections. At Devils Tower we did overhanging aid climbs that required swinging traverses. Just like James Bond on the Eiger in Switzerland. We learned to mitigate risks.
When moving on vertical rock, you have 4 potential points of contact. If two feet and one hand are enough, then you can move the other hand. Climbers learn to distribute weight evenly. To select resting places. To control energy exertion. To keep your hands below your heart to reduce fatigue. To ignore fear.
After days or weeks, your hands develop callouses. After many first ascents, your confidence increases. So you try something harder.
And then you fall.
My most terrifying fall was about 40′ late one afternoon. I had felt invincible. Then the crack thinned out. I could not find any placement. My legs shook. I could not climb back down. And my last piece of protection (climbing hardware) was about 20′ below me. Because I had felt so confident… I had climbed higher than I should have.
I recall pausing. There was a choice. And I chose to fall. I still recall that instant, some 30+ years later.
So I tumbled 20′ to the climbing hardware, then another 20′ below that, until my partner saved my life. We were hundreds of feet above the canyon floor.
That instant of choice reminds me that we can choose to be safe, or not.
Just like adults on a job site. Or adults sorting through career choices. Or adults considering a risky move.
What are some reasons why you care about safety?
Recent Comments