Mack Turner, CUSP, Author at Incident Prevention

Overcome ‘Burnt Toast Syndrome’ to Improve Safety and Training Results

Written by Mack Turner, CUSP on April 15, 2021. Posted in Safety Management.

I have a beautiful and caring better half. She is always there for me. One of the things she does for me is make breakfast. Now, I am an old country boy, so any old breakfast won’t do. I want meat, eggs, potatoes and toast, and she is happy to prepare them for me.

4 Actions to Combat ‘Sheepeople Syndrome’

Written by Mack Turner, CUSP on October 27, 2020. Posted in Tailgate Topics.

I was recently consulting with a client’s safety committee about updating their safety handbook and standard operating procedures. During a discussion of work positioning and work methods, it was discovered that their policies were in violation of OSHA’s minimum approach distance rules. Their initial response was, “Well, we’ve always worked that way, and so do our contractors.” I’ve seen and heard that before out on the plains of my home state. I call it “Sheepeople Syndrome.” It doesn’t matter how it started; what matters is that, at some point, everyone began following along without...

Feedback and Accountability in the Disciplinary Process

Written by Mack Turner, CUSP on February 18, 2019. Posted in Leadership Development.

Disciplining employees is always a tough task to handle, so it’s not surprising that many leaders and employees have a fear of the disciplinary process. However, discipline is a necessary part of business. That’s because sometimes, despite people’s best intentions, course correction must occur. As leaders who are tasked with doling out discipline, we should be careful to focus on the company’s needs in addition to the well-being of our employees throughout the process. We also need to keep in mind that our employees are our most valuable asset and should be treated with respect regardless of...

A Can of Soup: What We Say and How We Say It

Written by Mack Turner, CUSP on October 20, 2017. Posted in Tailgate Topics.

If you look closely at the label on a can of soup, you likely will notice the ingredients section, which lists the soup’s contents from those with the greatest volume or weight down to the ingredient with the lowest volume or weight. This information is good to know before you decide whether to buy the can of soup. If you ask senior executives of a utility or contractor what their company goals or ideal “top ingredients” are, you often will receive responses such as “outstanding customer service,” “maximum return on investment” or “the best value for our customers.” And if you ask that...

Author: Mack Turner, CUSP

Overcome ‘Burnt Toast Syndrome’ to Improve Safety and Training Results

4 Actions to Combat ‘Sheepeople Syndrome’

Feedback and Accountability in the Disciplinary Process

A Can of Soup: What We Say and How We Say It

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