March 14 2022
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Discussing recent field visits with overhead power line crews leaders, a new leader shared a concerning story. A storm quickly began moving in. Thunder presented, and lightning struck many miles away. Not knowing the policy exactly, she asked the employee why he was still up there in the bucket truck and when he thought it was appropriate to come down. His response was, "Oh, you just know."
It is easy for someone to become overly confident in estimating and forecasting using experience and judgment alone. Sometimes our overconfidence results in choosing the wrong option, answers on a test, jobs, stocks to purchase, candidates to support, or even the person to marry. It is tragic when it results in the loss of life. Overconfidence is an error trap. Talk through tasks and the hazards and risks people face in the actual performance of their work. Every company has error traps. Do you know where yours are?
"Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you." — Larry Kersten
"There is no more insidious poison than hubris." — C.A.A. Savastano
Shawn M. Galloway is the CEO of ProAct Safety and an advisor to leading organizations across all major industries. With over twenty years of experience in safety systems, strategy, culture, leadership, and employee engagement, he is a trusted advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness.
He is the author of several bestselling books and has multiple regular columns in leading magazines, with over 400 articles and 100 videos to his credit. He also created the first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence, with over 800 episodes. Shawn has received numerous prestigious accolades and has been featured in Power 101 Leaders of the EHS World, Top 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS, Top 40 Rising Stars, Top 11 Health and Safety Influencers, and Top 10 Speakers.
He serves on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and the Fast Company Executive Board. He has appeared as a guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, The Daily Mail, Dubai One, U.S. News & World Report, Sirius Business Radio, Wharton Business Daily, and leading safety magazines and podcasts, reinforcing his status as an authority in the field of safety excellence.
For more information, call +1.936.273.8700 or email info@ProActSafety.com.
