LEADERS GET OUT OF THE OFFICE! MAKE AN IMPACT!
BY BILL MCENROE
There are so many activities that “chain “Senior Leaders to their offices, whether it be nonstop meetings, excessive e-mails, stakeholder demands, etc. The list of reasons as to why we can’t find time to get in the field is endless. In talking with Senior Leaders, you find that most enjoy the discussion in the field immensely. When done right, there is a 2-way energy flow between Senior Leaders and the frontline building alignment around what is important and how every individual contributes to the success of the company.
When Monroe Energy was established 11years ago, we invested significant time in establishing five foundational values that we live by.
SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
We care for our employees, contractors, communities and the environment in which we live and work.
INTEGRITY – We are honest and ethical in everything we do and with everyone we serve.
TRUST AND RESPECT – We are one team. Trust and Respect form the foundation of our relationships with each other, our customers and our suppliers.
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE – We are an organization of leaders. Leaders at every level striving toward ever-increasing performance and ability. Wise excellence as an ever moving target that allows us to become better.
HUMILITY – We value the strengths, experiences and perspectives of each of our employees. While we rightfully take pride in our accomplishments, we recognize that there are always challenges ahead, and that there is often a better way of doing things.
Values are the underlying principles and standards of behavior. While priorities may change, values never do!
So how does this relate to “Leaders getting out of the office?” Simply, if Senior Leaders are to live these values, they have to spend time empowering, motivating, and energizing frontline teammates to equally live the values and make a positive difference every day.
DuPont coined the term “Visible Felt Leadership (VFL)” as a way to characterize a 2-way impactful interaction that Leaders have with the frontline. As Monroe continues to utilize this principle, we identified additional “coaching points”:
- Be visible & supportive at key events, and periodically show up unannounced in an area.
- Show your PASSION for ZERO injuries and incidents. Be relentless in consistent messaging always tying Safety, Health, and Environmental Excellence into the discussion.
- Listen, process, and empower the frontline to solve issues.
- Recognize that both “body language” and what you “don’t say “is as important as what you say.
- Build a rapport with the frontline. Know who you will be talking to.
- Let them know how we are doing and where we need to improve to be successful. Know that you are always on “stage”. You have to “walk the talk /our values” every minute of the day.
- Celebrate success, embrace lessons learned, & always be open to new ideas and improvement opportunities.
A couple of examples as to how Monroe’s Senior Leadership put our values and VFL to work:
- Monroe actually eliminated Monthly Safety Meetings. Safety SACRILEDGE, you are screaming!!Instead, we conduct Weekly Safety Briefings with two Senior Leaders visiting each area/shop supporting the frontline supervisor conducting the meeting. This is quite a commitment, but through these interactions, information is exchanged empowering personnel to better manage risk, be supportive of the company’s direction, and collaboratively solve potential issues.
- Monroe’s contractors are part of our team and an integral part of our success. During major work, Monroe Senior Leaders visit contractor locations at the start of the shifts to share a Safety Message to ensure that all understand the importance of our Safety, Health, & Environmental value.
As a member of the American Fuels& Petroleum Manufacturer (AFPM) Distinguished Safety Awards (DSA) Interview Panel, I have the honor to interview sites that achieved the highest level of safety performance. Consistently, every facility that has been recognized with a DSA or DSA-Gold award, has a robust program where Senior Leaders regularly interacted with frontline personnel.
In conclusion, if Senior Leaders want to make a positive impact in their facilities’ safety performance, GET OUTOF THE OFFICE!! Share your values, share perspectives, listen, learn, and collaborate, etc. Block out time on your calendar and don’t let anyone take away that valuable field time. Not to mention, you will enjoy it as well!!
