At BTB we’re taking it all in during the downturn. For the first time in years we’ve got some time. What have we done well, where can we improve and how we will get there. Nothing new. In business we all need to do this. What we did remind ourselves is that reflection is a huge teacher.

The three people in the photo here are Greg Cotton, Ian Hockridge & Simon Phin. Over the last 15 years they’ve done well in excess of 350 Safety Leadership programs. We think they’re critical to any new drilling campaign. So what’s news about this? Reflection – why Safety Leadership is imperative to success.

When we considered how many countries we’ve delivered our programs in (some 25 countries and counting) how many times we’ve had to think outside the square and present with power, without power, with people wanting to be there, with people not wanting to be there, with all parties engaged and maybe not so engaged in places we really can’t find a postcard to send home and places where we’d be happy to stay on a little longer, we’ve learned a few things.

• Why am I here? People need a reason that’s clear cut as to why they are here and why it is (or should be) important to them and their team,

• What’s in it for me? It’s not about the presentation or the presenter, it’s got to be a message about the role I/We need to play together. Interdependence not independence,

• Why should I participate? Lecturing people just doesn’t work and death by PowerPoint is such a cop out. Put the effort and enthusiasm into others and they will return it tenfold,

When times are tight we often see organisations tightening the belt, finding ‘efficiencies’ in process and people. Sure, we all have budgets and we all have to live within them. BUT…if your people lose the belief in you that they, your team, are the quintessential element, the el numero uno, between success and failure then you’re done. Smart organisations know this and great leaders know this too.

Never, ever, ever skimp on training. You don’t do it in sport, you don’t do it with your children.

Empower your people with a clear goal, a pathway to get there and a vision/core values by which to hold ourselves accountable. Optimism is not just pop positive psychology (we wrote a paper about this published by the Society of Petroleum Engineers) it’s what gives people the belief in being able to achieve. Yes, a start-up, a new drilling campaign, can be tough – and having people offside will only make it tougher so get it right from the start.

‘Pessimism never won any battle’ Eisenhower.

The future is looking up. If you have a drilling campaign on the drawing board talk to us. We’ve been there before.

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