I am fortunate to have a number of clients in the oil and petrochemical businesses. One of the things that always strikes me about their cultures is the extreme focus on safety. While many other businesses (including some of our other Clients) have a major focus on safety, in a petrochemical plant that deals with high pressures, temperatures, hazardous materials and more, it is ultra important.

Which leads me to the sign I saw at the ChevronPhillips Chemical plant in Pasadena Texas last week. A sticker was posted to the bottom of the restroom mirrors. It read:

This is the person responsible for safety today.

This powerful reminder is true, of course.

And as important as safety is - there and anywhere else - the sign could be altered to be even more true, and even more powerful. Consider a sign on our mirror that reads:

This is the person who is responsible.


All of us are responsible.

The more clearly we recognize this, the more effective leader we will be.
The more clearly we recognize this the more effective team member we will be.

And parent, and teacher, and trainer, and salesperson, and .

The more clearly we understand that we are responsible (not the government, the home office, the markets, the economy, global warming, ), the more effective, and happy, we will be as human beings.

Be responsible today.

Also posted in Leadership and Teamwork.

Labels: accountability

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I have a new hero - Denny Flanagan. Denny is a pilot for United Airlines and was the focus of a a front page article in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal. You can read the article here.

Captain Denny does a variety of things for his passengers - and none of them are in the United employee handbook. Here are just a few examples:

- he takes pictures of people's pets in the cargo area and show them to passengers.
- when there are long delays he buys McDonald's hamburgers or fruit for all the passengers.
- he hand writes notes to passengers in first and business class, thanking them for choosing to fly United.
- he calls the parents of unaccompanied minors on his cell phone if there are delays.

The article states that the airline reimburses the pilot for his expenses for these unique services, and I'm sure they would do it for others as well.

Captain Flanagan is taking personal responsibility for his Customers. Captain Flanagan is leading, without a leadership title. He is making a difference for hundreds of passengers everyday.

And guess what?

Because of his proactive approach, I'm sure Captain Flanagan enjoys his work far more than most of his colleagues.

All of these things are a choices this pilot, who lives on a farm in Ohio, makes everyday. These are choices that are making a difference for his company, his co-workers, his customers and himself.

You don't have to be a leader to make a difference; Captain Denny Flanagan proves it.

And that is why Captain Flanagan is my hero.

Also posted in Creativity, Customer Service, Leadership and Teamwork.

Labels: accountability, responsibility

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