Bryce S. Lawlor

22/06/2024

What/who are you trying to control?

What choices are under your control and what are not?

Here’s my list for today

-

Not under my control

- Others emotions
- Other people’s thoughts and reactions
- My memory
- The weather
- Traumatic events

Under my control

- Reading over scrolling
- Seeking help when needed
- The words I say
- The people I spend my time with
- The grace I give myself

Give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can.

22/12/2023

Spend less time listening to what experts say

More time listening to what workers say

Who knows more about what's best right here, right now?

01/12/2023

Do you sit at your desk all day?

Use my 20-20 Method for getting up and moving throughout the day

-

20-20 Method means you do 20 of something every 20 minutes. 20 reps, seconds, etc. of a physical activity, performed every 20 minutes. Here’s how to get started:

1. Find a time to start your clock. Ideally during a time where you are at your desk. Maybe you are busy out walking in the mornings and lunch to end of day is desk work or vice versa.

2. Pick a movement. It can be simple or more complex depending on where you are in your fitness journey.

Here are some ideas that get progressively more advanced: 
20 steps 
20 laps from point a to b in an office
20 calf raises
20 tib raises
20 lunges
20 squats
20 push ups
20 sec plank

3. The clock starts again after you've finished your movement

~~~

Find the full post on my LinkedIn page - link in bio

26/10/2023

Having trouble motivating workers? Whether it be safety motivation or otherwise?

Here's a powerful truth you need to know:

Essential to motivation is the fulfillment of intrinsic needs.

This fundamental principle is the cornerstone of our mission.

Every employee yearns for more than just a paycheck; they seek fulfillment, purpose, and a sense of belonging within their workplace. It is within these intrinsic needs that we find the heart and soul of safety motivation.

Most people don't try to get hurt, or want to get hurt, but their motivation in keeping from or doing everything they can not to get hurt, has to be more than "well you don't want to get hurt".

Expanding beyond mere rules and regulations; we delve into the core of what makes each team member thrive.

How can we turn safety and health into a source of motivation that fulfills these intrinsic needs? Here are 5 things to consider:

Read the full post on my LinkedIn page - link in my bio

Want more like this? Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eGGNQ-Vi

03/10/2023

Our business is constantly evolving.

Because of that, one thing is abundantly clear: the ability to adapt is not a luxury; it's a necessity.

Continue reading in the link in my bio and at https://brycelawlor.me

22/09/2023

Read that one again…

19/09/2023

A tale of two Aaron’s

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Full post in the link in my bio

07/09/2023

Maybe it's not that you're short staffed,

Maybe you're overloaded with non-value add tasks.

Maybe instead of wasting your time on something low priority, that time can be better spent actually moving the needle.

Let me explain...

In our world, most of us have experienced what we would consider being ""short-staffed"". Maybe some also say ""understaffed"" which to most of us commonly refers to not having a team big enough to carry out the demands of the work to be done. But consider an alternative viewpoint. Maybe instead of blindly complaining about being short-staffed, maybe we ought to take a harder look at the activities we are tasked with? Here I want to unpack this a bit and get closer to understanding the things we commonly do and really answer whether those ""things"" are moving us in the direction they should. Answering, does this truly matter?

Here are 5 things to consider:
1. Prioritize Your Tasks
2. Automate repetitive processes
3. Address unhelpful bureaucratic checklists
4. Delete where its appropriate
5. Review and revise procedures

Read the full description of these considerations here: https://www.brycelawlor.me/blog/06

Ask yourself where you are focusing on non-value add activities. Find them, address them and as best as possible, eliminate them.

06/09/2023

I don't know who needs to hear this today. Maybe many of you but,

Don't be a workplace victim.

Your attitude directly affects people's outlook and perception of their safety at work.

Your attitude transcends to others and often is seen in behavior. Comments like "management doesn't care.." aren't just negative, the communicating of that idea is harmful.

If workers sense that you have a negative attitude toward safety it can subconsciously give them permission to exhibit risky behavior. If after all, if management doesn't care, why should they?

I know this job can be stressful. I know it can be frustrating but do your best to keep those to yourself and put on a positive front for those you serve.

Attitude affects perception
Attitude impacts behavior
We have the ability to set the tone
Acknowledge the importance of positive attitudes
Cultivate in yourself and others, self-awareness, mindfulness, continuous learning, positive communication, celebrating successes

Happy Wednesday

31/08/2023

Today marks two weeks until the 2023 ASSP Region VI Professional Development Conference kicks off 💃🏻

Conferences are always the best time and place to network and meet new people I haven't before or those I only ever interact with online 🤝🏻

Last year I bought a Dot.cards for better networking

Instead of carrying around 100 business cards in my pocket, I have just 1 card that can be used with everyone 📇

Just by tapping my card to a colleagues phone, with one click they can:

Save my full contact to their phone
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Go to my website
Email me
Follow me on any of the social platforms

This picture gives you an idea what it looks like on your end tapping to my card

With all the research I did of digital business cards, dot.cards is the one I felt was the best product for its value

If you're going to the conference, you still have plenty of time to pick up a dot.card of your own.

See you all soon!

07/08/2023

Excited to get to talk to the great people of the ASSP Greater San Jose Chapter tomorrow!

I'll be giving an interactive presentation on 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 𝙀𝙃𝙎 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙮 🎯

I am thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to seeing/hearing from everyone in San Jose. Thank you Nirap Sainju, CSP, CHMM for hosting me.

See you all tomorrow!

ASSP San Jose Chapter Meeting
August 8th, 2023
3PM EST start time
https://lnkd.in/e4FHFy2m

04/08/2023

If you have an safety incentive program, you have a culture problem.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁'𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱.

I understand you want and sometimes, need to do something. Often times incentive programs are seen as an easy and effective implement for behavioral change.

But its temporary, fleeting and in the end ineffective for true and lasting change. If you require incentives to behave safely, then the root cause is an organizational culture one, not a programmatic ex*****on one.

If you want cultural change, we can make that happen but not this way.

26/07/2023

Here's how I used ChatGPT to role play a conversation with a senior leader

12/07/2023

How many of you have heard, or maybe even said/used something like:
"Only senior leadership can make changes"

**𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗿**

I have, you have, most of us have.

Today I am encouraging you to do and think about a couple of things around this specific statement.

1. First and foremost, quit using this statement
2. Recognize and embrace the position we have
3. Not to mention, this statement perpetuates a culture of complacency.

📖 Want the rest? Read the entire (about a 4 minute read) post here: https://lnkd.in/gwYqcB-2

If you want more topics like this, subscribe to my newsletter. Takes 5 seconds and gives you 1 piece of actionable strategic advice every Sunday morning: brycelawlor.me/newsletter

There is a misconception in our conventional wisdom that only senior leaders make meaningful changes. Part of this is true, well really, a lot of it is.  If senior leaders want to drive the business into the ground, there isn't a lot the employees can do about that.  But that is obviously on the e...

06/07/2023

Building your network means more than just connecting with people on LinkedIn

It means find quality colleagues who will make you better.  Find colleagues who will do this and do yourself a favor and ditch the ones who don't.

Find colleagues who...

✅ are more innovative than you
✅ are smarter than you
✅ are more driven than you
✅are more positive than you
✅are willing to challenge you

Ditch those who only:
❌complain
❌confirm your bias
❌hold you back
❌criticize
❌ are more selfish than selfless

Who is in your network that you feel fits these?

06/07/2023

🧺 Ditch your To Do List 🧺

Use this instead:

-

I heard of this idea from the book Compassionate Leadership and it really stuck with me

The book talks about many of the negative aspects To Do Lists put on our lives.

The constant, endless list of activities we have to accomplish.

The constant over burdening of things we have to do.

⛔Instead of a To Do List

😎Create a To Be List

At its core, it’s a different way to sift through life, and where we find more peace in what we’re doing.

Practically it’s a way to balance the things we say we need to do and the things we want to do.

Your To Be List could be by the day, by the month or by the year. It really could be any time line you’d like. The point being it’s a way for you to think more about what you want than whatever everyone wants from you.

Here’s an idea of my To Be List this week while I'm on vacation with my family. I want TO BE:

✔ Relaxed
✔ Patient
✔ Fulfilled
✔ Tan

Create one for yourself just for today for fun!

Share what's on your list by commenting below what you have - I want to see if your list is as lofty as mine...

I want to be all of them and I think I can, but probably not as likely with the last one 😂

27/06/2023

Build such a sound EHS strategy that the business works FOR you instead of fighting against you.

👉 Start here: www.brycelawlor.me/course

23/06/2023

6 resources to help strengthen key relationships 🤝🏻

If you enjoyed this or found this helpful, click re-post to share these tips with your network 🔁

This is a continuation from my post yesterday about 4 different types of relationships: Check that out if you missed it: https://loom.ly/7FZuHD4

➡How to Handle Difficult Conversations at Work by Rebecca Knight
https://loom.ly/aFjE2Yw

➡What's Worse than a Difficult Conversation? Avoiding one. by Deborah Rowland
https://loom.ly/_vBXL7A

➡Developing your Emotional Intelligence - EQ Skills You Need
https://loom.ly/2Ds-GuY

➡Build Rapport with Clients: 18 Examples and Questions by Heather S. Lonczak, Ph.D.
https://loom.ly/bBGCsYs

➡10 Tips for Building Stronger Client Relationships
https://loom.ly/DmRsD2s

➡Smart Stakeholder Engagement: 6 Tips for EHS & Sustainability Managers
https://loom.ly/t1wNsys

22/06/2023

4 different types of relationships and how to strengthen them

Here they are: 👇🏻
-

🔴 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀

Establish and build rapport. Understand that the first interaction is usually the most important. Be humble. Don't be arrogant and listen more than you speak.

🔴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲: 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀

Work on getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Difficult relationships will make you very uncomfortable (at least they do for them). Things are only as uncomfortable as you make them to be. Some people are more confrontational so their comfort level in these instances is high. Others are not so the slightest sniff of confrontation, they get nervous.

🔴 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀

Persist in retaining existing relationships. Don't let your focus on new ones, over shadow your need to keep existing ones. Even use existing relationships to help in your new ones. Leverage their network and good graces as means of establishing credibility and integrity with ne relationships.

🔴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳

Develop your own emotional intelligence (EQ). Build up your empathy and ability to understand yourself and others better. Start with yourself since that is really the only person you can control anyway. The quicker you understand that you can't control others, the faster we can get to strengthening relationships with others.

Tomorrow I will be posting:

"Resources to Strengthen Key Relationships"

20/06/2023

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else”

- Yogi Berra

Want to figure out where you’re going, or where you want to go? 👉🏻 brycelawlor.me/course

19/06/2023

This week I am doing a whole series of posts on TRUST 👈🏻 but I want to hear how you define it first:

I am going to talk specifically about the items bulleted below, but first, I want to hear what you think:

🙋🏻‍♀️What do you think trust is or how would you define it? ⁉
Have you used any specific sources for your definition?  
Why do you think your model or definition is right?

Drop a comment with your answer 👇🏻

What you should expect this week:
- what does trust mean, how to define it
- trust in the safety professional
- organizational trust challenges and gaining trust
- trustworthiness and its affect on performance
- trust and mental health
- approaches to trust

Stay tuned for this week's series.  Click the bell 🔔 at the top right of my profile so you get notified of when I post

19/06/2023

How do you define trust?

Most people think of it as more of a feeling and had never put it into words

Here's how trust plays a vital role in your EHS strategy:

-

In my course, part of the Analyze section is to help define who we are and why we exist.

I think an undervalued portion of who we are is our ability to be trusted partners.

This week series of posts is dedicated to trust and be a trusted partner.

I think its such an important aspect of who we are as a support service organization that it should be its own topic.

I also think, if you are thinking about trust in relation to your strategic objectives, you should.

Without trust, our partners will likely question our ability to do the job, question our integrity for doing the right thing for people and whether or not we have the benevolence to be a caring, understanding and thoughtful group.

My course goes through in more detail about identifying who we are as an organization and how it specifically falls into how we analyze, build and execute strategy.

If you want to learn more, head over to www.brycelawlor.me/course. Enroll in 30 seconds and start building your EHS strategy today!

16/06/2023

Learn and understand the 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 👈🏻
Stand back to see what's happening in the 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 👍🏻
Strategize for the 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 👉🏻...

I spent 30+ hours creating this EHS strategy course to help you:

• Understand how to research what you need to build a strategy
• Take what you've learned to build your strategy
• How to execute it

I am giving out a free preview! 😎

This gives you an inside look at how the course is structured and laid out.

Want to check it out? Drop a "✋🏻" in the comments and I'll send it to you for FREE.

Direct message me for questions

Get access to the full course at brycelawlor.me/course

16/06/2023

Learn and understand the 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 👈🏻
Stand back to see what's happening in the 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 👍🏻
Strategize for the 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 👉🏻...

I spent 30+ hours creating this EHS strategy course to help you:

• Understand how to research what you need to build a strategy
• Take what you've learned to build your strategy
• How to execute it

I am giving out a free preview! 😎

This gives you an inside look at how the course is structured and laid out.

Want to check it out? Drop a "✋🏻" in the comments and I'll send it to you for FREE.

Direct message me for questions

Get access to the full course at brycelawlor.me/course

15/06/2023

Unlock your full coaching potential using the GROW Method.

Use this to help you better coach your partners.

Work on transitioning from telling others and evolve into coaching others. Coaching individuals and work groups to bring out the best in their ability to execute on their safety and health.

🌟 GROW stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Way Forward—a proven framework designed to guide you on your journey to safety and health excellence. 🏆

GOAL 🎯

Help your audience determine what they want to accomplish and most importantly, how it fits in with your strategic objectives. Consider splitting the goal that aligns with their true winning aspiration with any performance goals they have.

Ask questions like: what do you want to talk about, what would you like to achieve, what is most important?

REALITY 🔍

Embrace reality and growth. Face the current reality of your present state and uncover areas for improvement to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities that lie ahead. The situation may reveal something that requires you to reassess your GOAL.

Ask questions like: what is happening now, how do you feel about it, what are the facts, what might be true?

OPTIONS ⚙

Discover your possibilities. Explore various strategies, tools and resources that can propel you toward your goals. Help them create a list of alternative actions so you may see things the same way. Together we should be able to uncover innovative approaches, creative solutions, expert insights and more.

Ask questions like: what have you tried, what haven't we tried, what time do we need, can you rate these options we have?

WILL 🤔

Make a decision based on all your options and chart your path forward. It's best to steer them through guidance, support, and accountability, rather than telling them what your idea is. Walk with them as you navigate obstacles, overcome setbacks, and celebrate milestones.

Ask questions like: what are you going to do, when will you do it, is this in line with your goal, how well does this align with the overall strategy of the group or EHS?

14/06/2023

A major key to success: defining your capabilities 🔑

My course goes into detail about this, specifically the section on Analysis of Relative Position.

Here's a preview of some of the questions we discuss. These are some of the main ones you should be asking yourself and that of your team to help gain insight to your capabilities: 👇🏻

> What do we do best?
> What do you do best?
> How are we using our resources well?
> What are our core competencies?
> What do we need to improve upon?
> Where do we need to be more efficient?
> What are our company resources – assets, intellectual property and people?
> Where do we need to be more efficient?

This is just one component to a defined strategy.

Learn about the rest in my course

Enroll instantly at brycelawlor.me/course

13/06/2023

Your problems...are not problems at all

Its just your perception

A takeaway from 📖 Energy Leadership by Bruce D. Schneider. One of the most influential books I've read. If you haven't read this yet, do it now! Here's some things I picked up I want to share: 👇🏻

-

⛔ Disclaimer: I understand some problems are very real and that is not the point of this post. Take my comments in the context of business and leadership, not under some of life's toughest challenges. While you can consider the same concepts in those circumstances, its important to be empathetic to the very real struggles people face.

Perception is how we navigate business challenges. But what if we told you that problems are not fixed entities, but rather exist on a spectrum that fluctuates with our energy? ⬅ ➡

Drawing inspiration from Bruce D. Schneider's groundbreaking book on Energy Leadership, I invite you to explore a new paradigm. This can transform the way you approach, and overcome obstacles.

Energy Leadership teaches us that our energy impacts every aspect of our lives, including problems. When we emit low-level energy, we tend to perceive problems as insurmountable hurdles, causing frustration and a sense of victimhood. However, as we raise our energy and shift our mindset, problems begin to lose their grip on us.

Imagine a spectrum where problems lie on one end, and your energy, attitude, and resilience reside on the other. By consciously choosing to cultivate higher levels of energy and embracing a growth-oriented mindset, you can effectively diminish the power problems hold over you.

As you elevate your energy, you'll find that problems transform into opportunities for growth and innovation. What once seemed overwhelming now becomes a chance to learn, adapt, and create new solutions. By shifting your perception and taking charge of your energy, you unlock a world of possibilities.

Embracing Energy Leadership means understanding that you have the power to shift the way you perceive problems. It's about taking ownership of your energy and actively choosing to approach challenges with a positive and solution-oriented mindset. As you rise on the energy spectrum, problems become stepping stones on your path to success.

So, the next time you face a problem, pause and reflect on the energy you're bringing to the situation. Are you allowing it to consume you, or are you choosing to rise above it? Remember, problems are not fixed entities but rather dynamic experiences influenced by your energy. Harness the power within, embrace Energy Leadership, and unlock a future filled with growth, resilience, and unlimited possibilities

12/06/2023

I finished Paper Safe: The triumph of bureaucracy in safety management by Gregory Smith, a few weeks ago 📕

Thinking back on what I learned

There are 6 major things I learned from it: 👇🏻

-

1. Think critically, separate from traditionally bestowed wisdom
2. Safe systems do not mean that everything is safe
3. We typically rely on measuring activity and it is easy to forget about purpose driven achievements
4. I agree with a lot but disagree with the all-or-nothing attitude
5. Safety is hard - to do this profession right, it takes a lot of critical thinking above most. Some people simplify it too aggressively but nothing about what we do is simple.
6. To not fall into this paper safe trap, you should have a strategy to direct your course of action.

To that last point, it’s easy to fall into the world of writing policies and moving on.

🎯 Building and executing a well-designed strategy is hard but it’s necessary if you want to truly understand what you are looking to accomplish and how you will do so.

For that reason I built a course just for you: Building an EHS Strategy: How to build and execute a strategy for an internal EHS organization.

Use that as your starting point to eliminate the paper-safe fallacy.

09/06/2023

Scenario analyses are good tools for your strategy toolbox

They help you think a bit harder about different situations and possible occurrences

They also help us in evaluating our capabilities

Scenario analysis is a method for predicting the possible occurrence of an object or the consequence of a situation, assuming that a phenomenon or a trend will be continued in the future (Kish*ta et al., 2016).

I've used scenario analyses like the one you see in the photo here to define things like ability to recover damages in compared to incident potential. This helps define our what is possible question.

You can use this tool to do things like:
- identify gaps, looking at hypothetical situations or potential future trends
- evaluate your strengths to assess how your existing capabilities align with different business scenarios
- prioritize capabilities looking at the relative importance and which ones are critical for success
- planning for contingencies and anticipating potential disruptions or risk that may impact your capabilities

Want to learn more about identifying capabilities for your organization? Enroll in my course, Building an EHS Strategy where I take you through analyzing, building and executing strategy for an internal support services organization.

Enroll at https://www.brycelawlor.me/course

08/06/2023

You see your CEO in the cafe

You see an opportunity to strike a conversation

You simply ask: "do you have a quick second?"

1) do you have a plan? If they say yes, then what? Do you have a plan for what you are going to ask?
2) Don't do this: Don't be unprepared. Know what you're going to say or what your charge is. Don't ramble, don't be disrespectful or overwhelming. Highlight your value proposition and the most important thing you want to get across.
3) Elevator pitch - Craft your elevator pitch. Say you want to say in under a minute. But the question is, what do you think is most important?
4) Winning aspiration - A good place to start is to relay your winning aspiration. Detail your winning statement, where to play and how to win.
5) Don't have a winning aspiration? Or don't know what that is or how to craft one? Crafting this and more are detailed in my course:
Building an EHS Strategy: How to build and execute strategy for an internal EHS organization

Enroll now at www.brycelawlor.me/course