| - Accident Investigation is responsible, effective and | | | | educators, not trainers, - spills over in other areas of |
| helps the bottom line.- | | | | the workplace. TOP-SET(R) is a 'thinking system.' We |
| "On the continent," says Lorna Ramsay, Director of | | | | teach our clients to investigate, i.e., to think their way |
| the TOP-SET(R) Investigation System, referring to | | | | through what is really a complex problem. We're |
| Europe, there's corporate manslaughter. The CEO can | | | | 'problem-solvers.' And once you can analyze what |
| be put in jail if people are injured or killed on-the-job. | | | | happened, and learn from it, you can prevent and |
| This concentrates the mind of the CEO wonderfully," | | | | eventually predict." |
| she added. | | | | HOW DO YOU TEACH 'GUT INSTINCT'? |
| This statement got my attention. How about you? | | | | "Go back to when you were in an unfamiliar |
| I'm interested in the use of 'gut feeling' or intuition in | | | | situation," Lorna tells workers in high-hazard industries. |
| the workplace, among other skills considered "soft," | | | | "Think of how a dog or child behaves. When my dog |
| and I'd heard Lorna taught engineers who work in | | | | runs down to the beach in the morning and sees a |
| nuclear plants, the oil and gas, explosives and other | | | | rubbish bag, she'll sniff, circle it, even bare her teeth |
| high hazard industries, how to stay safe by using | | | | until she's sure it's safe. Well that's what these |
| their intuition - as part of using the TOP-SET(R) | | | | engineers need to learn how to do, to 'sense' when |
| Investigation System. | | | | something has changed." |
| Perfect, I thought, high IQ employees using their EQ | | | | "When you're working in a high-hazard industry," she |
| to keep alive. It's for sure in today's rapidly-changing | | | | says, "if you go into a work situation, and there's |
| workplace, companies all over the world are finding | | | | something coming at you that makes you feel funny |
| intellect alone is not enough. TOP-SET(R) teaches | | | | - an almost imperceptible smell, a feeling, in an |
| that indeed it isn't. | | | | explosive factory it could be a change in humidity - |
| As to the focus of the CEO's attention, legislation has | | | | just some change that you sense, rather than see, |
| a way of encouraging ethics and humanitarian values | | | | don't ignore it. If you get a gut feeling something isn't |
| in a corporation where exhortation cannot. Some | | | | right, pay attention to that, act on that. And intuition |
| would call this the "soft" side of business, but why | | | | can be honed by just practising and noticing." |
| wait to be forced to do something good that also | | | | HUMAN ERROR |
| positively affects the "hard" side of business - | | | | Lorna says her major interest is what makes people |
| employee retention, morale, risk management, team | | | | 'tick.' This includes helping people understand |
| building, productivity and ultimately the bottom line? | | | | themselves better, work together in groups and |
| "SOFT" SKILLS | | | | teams, and also human error - why do people have |
| I've been investigating the use of "soft" skills to bring | | | | accidents and why some people more than others? |
| results in businesses around the world. | | | | "I'm interested in helping companies understand their |
| · Tom McDorman, managing director of Western | | | | people in both normal working situations as well as in |
| Digital (Malaysia) Sdn. Bh.d, believes "emotional | | | | crises," she says. "Clients everywhere - Thailand, |
| intelligence-style management techniques" can bolster | | | | Amsterdam, Germany, the US, Australia, South Africa |
| faltering Asian manufacturers. Productivity at his Kuala | | | | - people are interested in learning more about |
| Lumpur factory jumped 20% after he began | | | | themselves and others, and how to work better |
| cultivating the 'soft' side of his workers ... | | | | together, how to work more safely, more |
| · University of Queensland professor Neal | | | | harmoniously, more productively." |
| Ashkanasy maintains that "It's an easy target in | | | | Lorna met recently with two partners she'd |
| terms of the softness and fluffiness, but ... failure to | | | | introduced because they were so different. "The |
| recognize emotions in the workplace [can] reflect in a | | | | steam was rising," she said. "One of them wanted |
| demoralized workforce." | | | | details, figures. The intuitive partner kept forgetting |
| · An article in "The Namibia Economist: Custodian | | | | to tell her partner two days in advance that |
| of Business Intelligence," by a Namibian economist | | | | something was coming up." |
| says, "Forecasting is a dangerous exercise and I shall | | | | "When you're under stress," Lorna says, "you fall into |
| not give myself out as an expert on this terrain. | | | | your hole," and Lorna knows people under stress. |
| What I'm saying is based purely on my personal gut | | | | "People aren't just different," she added, "They're |
| feeling ..." | | | | more different than you can ever imagine." |
| · An Australian news article began "Top leaders | | | | But as with the partners above, being reminded of |
| are getting in touch with their emotions and those of | | | | their differences and how valuable these differences |
| their staff as intuition and emotional intelligence | | | | are to their business - having awareness raised - |
| become the hottest management buzzwords." | | | | helps get back on track. At the end of the day, it's |
| And teaching incident investigation is what Lorna does | | | | understanding people and helping them manage |
| for a living. She and her husband, David, live in | | | | themselves which is key. |
| Scotland, and run the TOP-SET(R) Incident | | | | INNOVATING IN A TIME OF PERPETUAL CHANGE |
| Investigation System ( ). They teach how to | | | | "We help companies move forward and innovate in a |
| investigate industrial accidents all over the world, and | | | | time of perpetual change; TOP-SET(R) is specifically a |
| for some very serious industries -explosives, | | | | thinking system, a key to investigating accidents, to |
| pharmaceuticals, paper, shipping, nuclear engineering, | | | | solving that particular type of problem. But the |
| medicine, gold mining, etc. as well as the emergency | | | | companies often ask us to assist them in thinking |
| services and the medical sector. They and the | | | | their way through other issues, to help them create, |
| TOP-SET(R) team also go into the field to investigate | | | | and to innovate." Lorna says. "It's very successful. |
| for clients all over the world. | | | | I would imagine a programme such as this one would |
| The most rewarding outcome of their work is the | | | | have wide-ranging, positive effects in an organization, |
| companies find that being humanitarian affects their | | | | and Lorna confirmed that it does. |
| bottom line. What they learn through TOP-SET(R) | | | | "We've found when a company is honestly |
| saves lives, increases business performance, | | | | investigating an incident, and the regulatory bodies |
| enhances the company's reputation, increases | | | | are aware of that, then they're less likely to |
| profitability, complies with regulation, and prevents | | | | prosecute. The most important thing, though, is that |
| and predicts similar occurrences. And it also affects | | | | employees feel valued and cared about when such |
| employee morale and attitude. | | | | attention is paid to their safety. And it works. It's |
| "When an employer sends his managers to our | | | | now safer to be on an oil rig than in your own home." |
| seminars," says Lorna, "they know the company | | | | Is it safe at your workplace, physically and |
| cares about them. What we teach - and we're | | | | emotionally? |