I was in Atlanta last week for a conference and was having breakfast off the lobby area.  The omelet man who was nearby was doing what he does nearly every morning.

If you want your managers and front-line leaders to have more influence and impact with your workers, they need to get more personal and transparent. Getting personal allows leaders to deliver a message that will have impact and help workers align their actions with their personal values.

I got an e-mail recently from a colleague in which he expressed his displeasure with a business partner who was very late in paying him.  What was particularly troubling to him was the fact that the partner’s business was based on selling integrity.

Use these quotes one at a time with your committee. As an ice-breaker, ask team members what they think the quote means. That short exercise will open their minds to success. Those who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt those doing it. -Chinese Proverb

As we all become caught up in the business of life and perceived need to hurry, accomplish, arrive on time; and as we find ourselves powerless at times and disrespected at others, it is useful to stop and think, what might the Buddha do?

Just Culture is a management philosophy designed to hold people appropriately accountable. According to one of the current thought leaders in Just Culture, there are three basic kinds of behavior: human error, at risk behavior, and recklessness.

Years ago, around the campfire, I heard this story and have told it to every troop of which I have been a Scoutmaster. Two brothers were leaving the town they had lived in for several years. They were both moving to a new town many miles away.

The fear of “what if” is a significant driver in making ethical decisions. This fear can lead to positive results •  Fear of getting in an accident – can prevent drinking and driving •  Fear of getting caught – can prevent falsifying information •  Fear of hurting someone else – can prevent unsafe behavior.

When safety is a personal value people naturally choose to make the safe choice. They don't need a no-texting or seat belt law. They even use hearing protection and safety glasses at home.

Recent I joined the BNSF Road Way Equipment Safety Leadership Team in Dallas, Texas. They began their meeting, as many companies do, with a safety briefing. For most meetings, I hear someone give a quick safety minute talk about a general hazard. At many meetings, the emergency exits are pointed out and actions to take are shared. BNSF went way beyond that in just about the same amount of time.