A Culture of Safety

SafetyCulture“most of us are taught to think of experience as coming from the outside in, psychology and neuroscience shows fairly dramatically that experience mainly comes from the inside out. We each created our own experience and therefore, people involved in the same event can have very different observations, thoughts, feelings and wants about that event.”1 Gervase Bushe

Over the past year I’ve had the good opportunity to work with a number of teams from the oil and gas industry. All the organizations they work for state they operate in a culture of safety, but watching people in action gives you a better sense of compliance versus a safety mindset. Safety isn’t about what not to do, but rather about how to do something safely.

Working from the “inside out”2 is a concept that shows up very clearly when working with a horse. “Never walk behind a horse.” advice almost everyone seems to be able to provide, but a perspective that relates more to how we walk behind a horse than whether we should. Evolution has provided horses with panoramic vision so their range of sight is almost 360 degrees, they absolutely can see you. Acutely aware a horse reads their measure of safety not only from the physical surroundings but through the actions of others, so how we walk behind them does make a difference.

While it isn’t always easy to tell where a horse is looking, their eyes are on the side of their head, a good indicator of where their focus of attention is are their ears. A horse’s body language will indicate their level of concern, in effect they let us know exactly what they are thinking.

In comparison our physiology restricts our peripheral vision limiting what we see to that which is in front of us and we also often falsely believe that we are good at keeping our thoughts to ourselves. A truth that clearly defines itself when we consciously prepare for the “what if’s” about working around a horse, the more likely we unknowingly wear what we are thinking. Horses have taught me a lot about safety.

While Bushe is exploring experience through the lens of the organization his findings of workplace experience is no different that what horsemanship suggests, our thoughts influence our actions. How we respond to what is presented, or how we interpret our safety, the impact is the same, others see what we miss and actions can easily be misinterpreted.

Just as Bushe suggests the more conscious we are of our own personal safety, the more likely our thoughts translate into unintended actions, perhaps we get hesitant, move slower or have a rigidness to our posture. While we may be thinking “I’m just being careful.” our body language changes the experience for someone else.

My awareness in working with horses has developed over time with a lens of safety built into everything I do. Many actions I am no longer conscious of, it has simply become how I do things. My experience has helped me develop a level of comfort working in an environment that others would perceive as risky.

Telling someone what not to do without information about why is no different then telling someone to not be afraid around the horse. A useless piece of advice without the why. Information helps us develop the awareness we need to be safe through our actions. The more open the dialogue is around safety versus a checklist of what not to do the more likely people gain comfort and competence to create the culture of safety.

1 – Bushe, Gervase -http://209.34.253.86/upload/Learning%20From%20Collective%20Experience.pdf
2 – Leading from the Inside Out – was the name The Natural Leader launched under, so a thought I have carried with me

 

“You can act your way into a new way of thinking, but you can’t think your way into a new way of acting.”
Kristen Cumming

Circles in the Snow

Winter is a fabulous time to ride. No bugs!
However, without the luxury of an indoor arena, winter riding is not for the faint of heart. From the brown Michelan Man resemblance I take on to warming the bit before offering it to the horse, heading out requires preparation. It is an endeavour for the committed.

The colder weather also means, the section of cultivated land across the road becomes my outdoor riding arena. There is little to stop the view, stubble rows and piles of chaf become landmarks to weave through and go around the beauty is I can ride without the extreme hazard of snow covered holes.

Despite the number of times we may have crossed the road – there is always opportunity for something interesting to happen. On this particular day the land and sky were a seamless light blue grey. It gives you a feeling of floating as if in some middle world, at least it felt that way until a large truck broke the horizon 3 or 4 kilometers away.

The minute change in scenery interrupted the flow and Sydney became fixated on the distant object inching its way through the grey. The seemingly insignificant altered our ride from a pleasant amble to one where I had to quickly establish a common focus. What I could assume was simply explaining it was only a truck wouldn’t be enough for her. I had to be able to communicate in a way that had meaning to her, otherwise there was little between us and home to slow the energy of my fondly named, TankGirl. I needed to get her focused, engaged, relaxed and thinking!

You might remember me suggesting that horses are not good with change. The instinctual response to change is perceived threat. Sydney’s ONLY thought at that point was get back to the safety of the herd. I had to establish a comfort zone for her where I was her support in our herd of two. Circles are a good way to get your horse focused and relaxed while keeping their feet moving and mind engaged. So circles in the snow it became.

Winter snow offers a brilliant tool for measuring progress. Our fist attempts were anything but circular, as we both started to focus on what the outcome could be the track in the snow began to round and narrow. The truck continued to inch it’s way along the five kilometers of the horizon but I now had Sydney’s attention focused on the task at hand. As I gave her something to do it, a purpose, that in turn offered relief from the pending “threat” the change on the horizon presented. It helped us both regain confidence.

While the actual change minuscule, the perceived change and emotional impact was huge.

As everything about horsemanship and leadership is connected, the experience had me thinking about the chaos that change can inflict on the workplace. Like a horse we are naturally wired to react and resist change. The truck on the horizon demonstrated how easily a very minor change without the right communication can get blown out of proportion triggering the fright and flight mode in an organization.

No matter how many times I’ve encountered a tense moment on horseback I have to consciously remind myself that I have the experience, I have the skill and I have the knowledge to handle the situation. Each time the connection is easier, but like leadership the challenge with horsemanship is we can absolutely know what we need to do, but we must remember to carry it in how we respond. It is our actions that influence the change we would like to see.

It is that conscious awareness that will determine the outcome. I have to admit it is easier said than done, but with practice it starts to flow faster and most importantly when I encounter a change I really don’t know how to manage. I am more than willing to engage the experience of others. It just makes sense.


“That’s my credo – My work is play. I don’t complain about work. I enjoy it. I like the feeling of being able to lay down at night and you’re so doggone tired, you’re just hoping to get undressed before you fall asleep.” – Buck Brannaman

In The Moment

“A horse lives in the present.”

We get caught up in the past and can easily be swayed by what the future holds. A horse is only concerned with what is happening in the moment. As a leadership learning partner, they provide the opportunity for us to see the importance of being present with those we are with.

I spent fifteen years of my career as a project manager. I traveled a lot, worked with a variety of different clients and had to coordinate many different types of people and services. I admit I was guilty of believing I was a great multi-tasker. I thought I was brilliant at handling many things at once, what I now know is our brain is actually only capable of handling one thing at a time. Something David Eagleman explains in his book “Incognito – The Secret Lives of the Brain”. Fortunately the number of things our brains can process is huge allowing us to handle multiple activities concurrently, but we can only focus on one thing at a time.

A horse helps us see how important that is, a learning I have now received many times over. Rhys simply happens to be the best horse at noticing when my attention has drifted for that split second. A skill he demonstrated at a recent program, when a participant shared her learning in a debrief.

“Rhys gets easily bothered if you micro-manage him.” she shared, “when I assume I am in control, he takes over. If I default to managing him by holding the lead shorter, he gets pushy. When I am consistent in defining my boundaries and he is clear on what he can do, he settles down and is really easy to work with.”

Highly sensitive Rhys has become a brilliant teacher in The Natural Leader programs quickly assessing the leadership style of those with him. He can become over reactive with the command control individual, a bully with the pushover and an absolute lap dog with those who recognize he can be a brilliant performer with the right support.

To a horse “Everything means something” Rhys simply demands that you focus on what is happening in the moment and that you adjust to fit the situation. He is very aware of input even when you may not be. Rhys makes it perfectly clear that you should only focus on one thing at a time and helps you recognize what effective communication looks like.

Rhys is just one of the learning partners I have the pleasure of being with everyday. Each horse offers something new even if it is just that reminder to be present. That is what voice mail is for.

A Measure of Control

A horse has an acute awareness of self and presence of others, their survival has depended on it. While horses have come to accept us, domestication hasn’t changed that instinct.

A recent program demonstrated how the slightest change in the environment can alter a horse’s view of safety. The day was gorgeous so we had the arena doors wide open all was fine until a small herd of deer crossed the yard, the horses went from sleepy to alert and ready to run in a heartbeat. We closed the doors.

The arena provides a measure of control over those unexpected changes which can be as small as a fly or big as a train. We prefer the focus remains on the interaction between horse and human.

While there are some things we can control learning how to adapt to what shows up is ongoing within The Natural Leader programs. A statement that refers as much to me as it does for those we host. Events of the day don’t always unfold as anticipated as if to test me to see if I practice what I preach.

Though some things fall out of my control, a constant is how well the horse will attend to the individual they work with. For many simply being with a horse is so far outside of their comfort zone a lot of the responsibility lies with the horse. As the human gains comfort it is the horse who has to wait patiently through the human’s idea of who has control.

The language many people default to through their interactions with the horse is indeed curious. As the participant gains comfort and confidence they often suggest “things got better once they got control of the horse”. Control may come in the form of a tight grip on the lead, pulling the horse around or simply trying to hold them back as they walk. A comment which of course begs the question of “Who is leading who?”. The non-verbal communication much more obvious than the words illustrates the root of where miscommunication in the workplace lies. What we say versus what people see.

Control is something we like to have in our lives, the very state that change upsets. Rather than embracing the opportunity of change we often resort to habits to slow down the pace of change or perhaps simply restrict our awareness of it. As we develop this envelope of denial, the horse or team, may be complying but they rarely let go their own need to deal with change.I often suggest after such comments that they might view “the lead rope as simply the illusion of control”. From my own experience if the horse wants to leave it is unlikely you can prevent it and at best you might end up with a rope burn.

Leadership requires that we recognise the language that fits a situation so that we choose words carefully. There are a number of ways we get participants to experience how letting go of the illusion of control can lead to a better outcome with the horse. For some it is truly a difficult task as they have to trust in both self and the horse. A tall task when you have 500kg trotting beside you.

What is so uplifting about the work with horses is when the language does change. When an individual begins recognise the authority of leadership isn’t about control but about gaining the awareness of self and others so you are working effortlessly together. Yes you might be out of breath but as the smiles, lightness and acceptance shows through the effort the words shift from control to collaboration and the recognition that change is something you adapt to through trust.

 

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

My AndrePreneur Moment

She was certain she had the spelling right! At seventeen, it was Marie’s first job and she wanted to impress her boss with the care she put into the notes she was transcribing. It was possible Andre Preneur simply had an unlisted number.

Leave an impression she did, her boss roared with laughter. Andre was not the focus of discussion but rather the qualities of an entrepreneur had been.

Marie Delorme shared the story of Andre Preneur at her Famous 5 Foundation presentation over two years ago. Marie did not pursue a career as a legal secretary but has built two businesses under The ImagiNATION Group and this summer proudly accepted a PhD. Marie’s list of accomplishments is long, her presence in the community profound and influence on many young entrepreneurs great.

There was much about her presentation that caught my attention. While our connections fit around her many commitments and busy travel schedule, the idea of AndrePreneur lives on, after all I have become one.

One of 81 individuals representing companies from all over Alberta I had the honour of being nominated for the 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EOY). It was a humbling experience to be amoung such talent.

The wonderful evening event, a certificate and the encouragement to apply again next year are but a start, the recognition goes beyond the nomination. It confirmed what The Natural Leader offers does make a difference.

What became clear through the process is the definition of an Entrepreneur for the Ernst & Young program is based on shareholder return and projected corporate growth. The motivation for what I am doing is intentional but combines my talent and knowledge towards creating a viable living where passion before profit prevails. The Natural Leader best fits within the growing numbers of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs.

There was much to model my business after when The Natural Leader began, though little that related directly to what I do. So I created what wasn’t there. The influence we have continues to make inroads as the number of programs delivered grows annually and the distribution of the workbooks I have created is global.

My definition of entrepreneurship may not fit with the EOY program it marries brilliantly with one conceived 37 years ago by an Harvard Business School profession Howard Stevenson. Referenced in January 2012 by Eric Schurenberg of Inc.com “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled.”. The nomination may have produced a piece of paper but the idea has fueled my desire.

The success of The Natural Leader has been dependent on many. I have managed to partner with some incredibly talented people who share my vision, the passion and the opportunity the work provides. For those who continue to read these, sometimes not so monthly, newsletters Thank You. Thank you for continuing to believe what I am doing can make a difference and for allowing me to share my AndrePreneur moment. It is one of the few resources that I can offer freely.

The Best Definition of Entrepreneurship, Eric Schurenberg

“Simple but profound statements authored by Tom & Bill Dorrance, credited for being the original natural horsemen.”

1. The horse is never wrong.
2. The horse has need for self preservation in mind, body, and spirit
3. It takes as long as it takes. Take the time.
4. Do less to get more.
5. Feel what the horse is feeling and operate from there.
6. The slower you do it, the quicker you’ll have it.
7. Be as gentle as possible – as firm as necessary.
8. Let your idea become the horse’s idea.