Art Fettig’s Monday Morning Memo
August 3, 2009
In This Issue
- It Goes On And On.
- Say Something Good
- Points To Ponder
- A Little Humor
- Quote of the Week
It Goes On and On
I had another of those phone calls yesterday. It began like most of them do, “Art, I heard you speak ten (or fifteen or twenty) years ago and you talked about positive interaction. You persuaded our entire work force to sign a commitment to safety and we have signed that commitment again and again each year pledging to look out for our own safety and the safety of our fellow worker.” Most callers brag about their safety record over the years. A few have perfect records but most have safety records much better than the average in their industry. Yesterday the caller explained that their company had been bought and sold and changed leadership a number of times but they continued to use our program.
I started that idea of being a Brother’s Keeper back in 1978, as I recall. It has gone through a lot of modifications such as becoming a Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper program. Some clients insisted my taking the idea of calling upon Divine Providence the same way our founding fathers did in the Declaration of Independence. God is no longer welcome in many major corporate settings. We added the powerful 101 hand signal and I guess maybe over the years we have touched tens of thousands of lives but yesterday I looked over our 101 kit before sending it out and the thought came to me that while I might have reached a few hundred thousand people in my lifetime with my safety program, if I had been more focused and a much better marketer then I would have reached millions and would continue to reach millions more because my approach is both powerful and timeless.
There is a scene in the movie about Schindler, the industrialist in who saved the lives of so many Jews, where he is being praised by those who’s lives he has saved and he is about to get into his fine automobile and he cries out, “The Car. The Car. I could have sold the car and saved even more lives.” Well, this morning when I went to the post office to send out that 101 Kit to my old friend I had sort of that same feeling. I welcome suggestions on how I might still reach millions more. We have captured the magic that has worked for so many major corporations into our 101 kit. It has presentations captured live on DVD. It contains original songs, booklets, instructions for implementation everything you need to involve your entire organization. The only element missing is YOU! Call me today. At just $595 plus $11 shipping it will be the best investment you ever made.
Say Something Good
Biscuits. That is North Carolina biscuits. Finger lickin’ all the way up to your elbows kind of GOOD! Not those puny little critters I grew up with in the North. I mean those huge golden brown wonders they continue to pull out of the oven at Bo Jangles with a chicken breast hanging out of each end. They make getting’ up early and driving a mile on Saturday morning well worth it. May God bless America and keep our troops from harms way. .
Points To Ponder
Happiness must be cultivated. It is like character. It is not a thing to be safely let alone for a moment, or it will run to weeds. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
A Little Humor
The real reason that we can’t have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse or Congress is this — you cannot post ‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’ ‘Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery’ and ‘Thou Shall Not Lie’ in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians …. it creates a hostile work environment.
Quote of the Week
Keep away people who try to belittle your ambitions…small people always do that…but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. Mark Twain
Recommended Reading
The 8 Habits of a Highly Effective Safety Culture: Powerful Lessons in Human Performance
An industry professional for over 30 years, Rod hopes to help others learn from his mistakes and avoid the “Safety Cop” mentality.
The process of authoring The 8 Habits of a Highly Effective Safety Culture began in 2004 and has taken numerous years to develop the courage to put pen to paper. All cultures evolve and a safety culture is no different. These eight habits will change as industries change and as people change. However, six of the eight habits remain the same today as in 2004. The two habits that did evolve, #6 and #7, were due to progress in Human Performance Based programs.
This book assembles all the information you need to create a just and sustainable safety culture all in one place. The goal is to make it safe for your employees to fail, because failure is inevitable as long as humans are involved.
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