Recently we’ve been discussing “controlling the controllable’s”
The phrase is often used by athletes and sports coaches, but many people also apply this mindset to their personal lives too.
Controlling the controllable can be broken down into three basic areas:
- Clarify what you can control
- Clarify what you can’t control
- Build on what you can control, and find ways to manage what you can’t control.
Legendary USA basketball coach Geno Auriemma has coached some of basketball’s most iconic teams and has guided his players to win 11 national college basketball championships and two Olympic gold medals. He always told his teams to ‘focus on the things we have total control over’. The uncontrollable will always be there. But never fail because you didn’t control the things you could control.
This is the difference between losing, vs being beaten.
Geno spoke with his players and explained how he could handle being beaten by the better team on the day, for example, they were fitter, faster and more accurate. Losing on the other hand meant they had lost focus on what was essential and inside their control, or in other words beaten themselves.
How can you apply this thinking to safety on your site?
Call a whiteboard session with your teams and go through this exercise. Do a brainstorm and see what comes up when you ask them;
What can we control? (attitudes to safety, where people can move, vehicle no-go zones, who we partner with when we implement safety improvements etc)
What can’t we control? (inflation, legislation, global supply chain, weather etc)
Once you’ve clarified what you can and can’t control, it’s time to work on what you can control, and find ways to manage what you can’t directly control.
We get it that projects you have on the go are challenging to manage and budget for with rising costs, labour shortages and supply chain headaches.
Here at Vanguard, we can help you control your vehicle and people controllable’s. We will come on-site or meet with you virtually to scope your requirements, consult you on exactly what you need and provide you with a specific quote leaving no grey areas. We can also ring-fence stock for you at our distribution centre giving you a buffer against rising pressure on supply chains.
Call us on 0800 500 147, or click here to set up a meeting today.
Thanks for reading!
