Leadership Worksite Visits

My career took an unexpected turn about 18 years ago due to a serendipitous conversation with a charismatic character in a legendary Aberdeen watering hole, The Dutch Mill. As a result of that random chat I found myself (four short weeks later, sans the beer) on an oil rig and making my mark in the North Sea drilling fraternity by scrubbing decks nearly 240 kilometres east of that pub.

Whenever I was scrubbing in the rain (free water apparently!) I always thought of the same story. In 1961, during a NASA visit, JFK asked a janitor why he stayed back late to mop a floor. JFK was told, “I'm helping put a man on the moon". I held on to this mantra during the first part of my offshore career and no matter what offshore job I did, or however marginal my input was, I always considered myself to be putting a man on the moon, or in my case helping drill for oil.

In retrospect, although it wasn't always enjoyable, I am very grateful that my offshore journey began at the business-end of a scrubbing brush. That character-building experience offered several lessons that shaped the professional I am today, one of which was an exceptional insight into how work was executed at the 'coal face'. I can say with confidence that my trusty scrubbing brush taught me far more about work than my formal education ever could.

This was never so apparent as it was when I was working in a drilling team that was led by a particularly strong alpha personality. I would consistently see 'work-as-prescribed' (management system) rarely being 'work-as-done' (by work party) which left a disparity with 'work-as-disclosed' (to supervisor), and even further away from 'work-as-imagined' (by management). That "I know best" attitude by the supervisor (and our reluctance to speak up) left gaps that concealed hazards and risks that resulted in several injuries to colleagues that I wish I could unsee.

Those gaps can be thought of as intended and unintended mechanisms which create misalignments between the person and the process. The causes of most unintended incidents, when the noise is removed, is due to those misalignments, as is the reasoning behind 'perfect play' (perfect alignment). The size and shape of those gaps can tell a fascinating story that will tell you the level of control an organisation has on its workplace, which is a direct reflection on leadership.

Having the ability to spot those gaps is a vital skill that operational leaders must have when they visit the workplace. This includes those from operational support functions, such as HSE. That is why the best professionals within those positions have served their time with a 'scrubbing brush' (or equivalent). In this respect, I am not talking about literally mopping the decks, but they must have been on the worksite long enough to understand the environment, process and people.

I must admit, I am an advocate of senior leaders visiting a workplace. When it is done properly, I have seen the benefit first hand. But, if you have not served your time within the environment that you are visiting then be humble enough to admit it to the workforce (they will know as soon as you change your brogues for Redwings). Trust me, the worst thing you can do when trying to foster respect is try and be something you are not, especially if you are in an HSE role. Instead, be authentic and honest about your past, and ask for those valuable insights.

Lastly, if you are one of the ones that can still spot the gaps then bravo. Those skills become irrelevant very quickly in a fast changing world and it is up to you to pass on that knowledge to others (see previous paragraph) who can benefit from those hard yards you have walked. Remember, from behind a desk it is very easy to think all is well, but to gain a true insight you must look beyond the smoke and mirrors to compare your reality with what is actually happening.