News

Career Development: Is it Time to Rethink your Investing Goals for Retirement?

Posted: May 24th, 2013 in Career Development, Career Development Tips

Successful retirement planning is an ongoing process. Have your priorities changed since you initially set your goals? Early in your career, you may have been planning for your dream home or preparing for children to go to college. A plan that was implemented 5, 10, 15+ years ago will need to be reviewed and adjusted.

Are your investing goals on autopilot since you set the initial goals?

Investor Junkie has posted “4 Compelling Reasons to Rethink Your Investing Goals.” These include not only recognizing that your priorities may be different and your circumstances may have changed, but also include the possibilities that the market may have changed since you implemented your goals, as well as the fundamentals of investing.

Learn more here.

Financial advisors recommend reviewing your plan annually to help keep your savings amount and investment choices on track to meet your retirement goals. If you haven’t revisited these goals in awhile, consider increasing your savings, rebalancing your investments, and rethinking your expectations for living in retirement.

New Personal Healthcare Device Tracks Vital Signs

Posted: May 22nd, 2013 in Medical/Healthcare

The new Scanadu Scout is being promoted as a device that can help anyone conduct their own physical exams from the comfort of their own homes. The device reportedly tracks your vital sign, temperature, ECG, heart rate, even stress.  According to the company’s website, you can use the device to scan your body and “learn ways that different people, locations, activities, foods, beverages, and medicines affect your body.”

Mashable reports that “On a basic level, you can see that your temperature or heart rate is elevated from the norm at any given time. On a larger level, you can also see potential problems headed your way by noticing abnormalities before they become physical issues.”

What do you think? Will this help people get to the root cause of medical issues or simply identify symptoms? Will users understand how to interpret the results? Will people come to rely on it too much as a proactive healthcare tool and feel annual exams are not necessary?

 

 

Career Development: What *Not* to Say at an Interview

Posted: May 17th, 2013 in Career Development, Career Development Tips

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It takes more than being qualified for a position to win an interview in a competitive market. Here are some common things interviewees say that seem innocent enough, but can be a big turn-off to potential employers. Have you ever said any of these things?

I can do anything …

I can try …

I remember we used to …

Why do you …

I didn’t get an opportunity to grow …

Why are these so wrong? Head over to DailyWorth and read:

5 Things Not to Say in a Job Interview

and some of the answers may surprise you!

 

(Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.)

Final Death Toll at Bangladesh Garment Factory Collapse is 1,127

Posted: May 17th, 2013 in Accidents

1,127 workers were killed in what is reportedly the worst disaster in the history of the global apparel industry.

One survivor said she heard from colleagues that cracks had appeared in the building and was reluctant to enter but was told by management that there was no problem. The building owner had been accused of using shoddy building materials and building extra floors, and then filling them with heavy equipment:

Read more in the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-bangladesh-building-collapse-search-for-bodies-20130513,0,3014839.story

What is the Root Cause of Bad Science?

Posted: May 16th, 2013 in Root Causes

Everyone is interested in research statistics but the following infographic asserts that some scientists may make up the data, distort the data … even cook the data!

What would you guess is the root cause of bad science? The infographic suggests that one may be that the scientist changes results due to pressure from a funding source.

And what do you think about the ways to make research more honest at the end of the infographic? Would they work?
Bad Science

Carl Dixon Confirms for the 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: May 15th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Best Practice Presenters, Summit

We are pleased to announce that Carl Dixon has confirmed to speak at the 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit, April 7 – 11 in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

Carl Stool Tornado PicCarl Dixon is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. More than that, he is an entertainer who has performed for audiences around the world for many years. A presence on stage, screen, radio and print (and now the internet), which he’s maintained for over three decades has created a following of people who care about the man and his music.

The career of the good-natured native of Northern Ontario includes his beginnings as lead singer/songwriter of Coney Hatch, lead singer of the Guess Who for eight years, and member of April Wine for four years. A run of album releases with all the above-named bands and his solo work, along with concert appearances around the globe, has made Carl internationally known.

Musically these days Carl either performs a solo acoustic show or tours with his Carl Dixon Band. Speaking appearances are his latest passion, a chance to share his thoughts and experiences in a direct connection to an audience.

In April 2008 Carl’s career path was disrupted by a catastrophic car accident in Australia. This left him in coma with terrible injuries and a poor prognosis from the trauma doctors. To general amazement Carl pushed himself toward recovery with a “No weakness, no fear” motto. He overcame the adversity and eventually made a full return to performance and life. This experience and the lessons gained through it form a large component of Carl’s speaking presentation.

His book Strange Way to Live is being published, an account of Carl’s experiences and impressions of his life and musical adventures to date.  The book details the path which led Carl to here and the factors which helped him overcome the accidents’ effects.

Residing in the forests and hills of Haliburton, Ontario, “Lucky Dog” Carl has a charmed life with his wife and two daughters.

And to those who enjoyed his performance at the Summit reception in Gatlinburg in 2013 — he has agreed to play an acoustic set for us again in 2014!

Learn more about the Summit: http://www.taproot.com/products-services/summit

Rocky Bleier Confirms for the 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: May 14th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Best Practice Presenters, Summit

Rocky Bleier (2)We are pleased to announce that Rocky Bleier has confirmed to speak at the 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit, April 7 – 11 in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

Rocky Bleier’s life story–a gripping tale of courage on both the football fields of America and the battlefields of Vietnam–has held audiences in rapt attention for years. Yet, the motivational message behind it, detailing how ordinary people can become extraordinary achievers, defines success in the new American century.

With the same optimism, sense of humor and steadfast determination that were his trademarks as a Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Rocky Bleier takes audiences from his early years through his professional career and talks about the lessons he learned along the way…lessons that we all can benefit from.

Not falling within the ideal of what a running back should look like, Bleier had to run harder and play smarter to be able to stand out. Despite his drive and ability to make the big play, the Pittsburgh Steelers only considered him a late round pick. But before the season ended that first year, he was drafted again–this time by the United States Army. At the height of the Vietnam War, Bleier was thrust into combat early and was seriously wounded when his platoon ran into an ambush. Receiving wounds from both rifle fire and grenade fragments in his legs, he was barely able to walk and his professional football career seemed to have ended before it began.

For more than two years, he drove himself. Little by little he overcame obstacles and fought his way back. He not only made the Pittsburgh Steelers, but also eventually became a starting running back on a team that won four Super Bowls and became the greatest football team of the 20th century.

The hard lessons Rocky Bleier learned early in his life that helped him overcome adversity and reach his goals, have paid off after football. Some of those lessons are seen between the lines in the popular book on his life, Fighting Back , and an ABC-TV movie of the week by the same name.

Rocky is active in the Veteran’s Administration–Abraxas, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the United Way, the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children; he serves as honorary chairman of the Special Olympics and supports the Civic Light Opera. As a board member of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Rocky helped make possible the erection of a monument in Washington, D.C. to the servicemen and women who died in Vietnam.

Rocky’s special qualities have been recognized by colleagues as well as others who have honored him with awards too numerous to list in detail. Among them are the Whizzer White Humanitarian Award, the Vince Lombardi Award and the Most Courageous Athlete of the Decade Award. He has also received awards from the USO and been named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in America by the U.S. Jaycees.

Today, Rocky Bleier shares his expertise and insight as the sports anchorman at the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, WPXI-TV. He is in demand as a speaker, motivating audiences in a wide variety of organizations, corporations and universities. And several companies, such as Uniroyal Tires, Sports Illustrated, Soloflex, Bradford-White, Swanson Dinners and First Federal Savings of Pittsburgh have benefited from his televised endorsements of their services and products.

Learn more about the Summit: http://www.taproot.com/products-services/summit

Christine Holton Cashen Confirms for the 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: May 13th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Best Practice Presenters, Summit

Cashen_Christine Headshot1We are pleased to announce that Christine Holton Cashen has confirmed to speak at the 2014 Global TapRooT® Summit, April 7 – 11 in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

Christine Cashen delivers a fast–paced, hilarious program with useful content that makes her a sought after speaker worldwide.  For more than 10 years, she has jazzed an amazing variety of audiences throughout the United States, Canada, South Africa and Australia. Christine is an authority on sparking innovative ideas to handle conflict, reduce stress and energize employees.

Before hitting the speaking scene, CC was a university admissions officer, corporate trainer and broadcaster. Hey—she even votes.   Christine holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication and a Masters Degree in Adult Education. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP).  CSP is an earned designation awarded by the National Speakers Association and the International Federation for Professional Speakers to recognize demonstrated commitment to the speaking profession through proven speaking experience.  Fewer than 10% of the speakers on the planet hold this designation.

Christine has been featured as a creativity expert in HOW Designs at Work magazine and is a co-author of the book Mission Possible, Volume Eight. She has also developed the A Dynamic Speaker series of learning resources:  Get What You Want With What You’ve Got DVD, Why Can’t Everybody Just Get Along CD and Got Humor Video. Christine resides in Dallas with her husband and their two children.

She will present

Why Brainstorm When You Can Brain El Niño?

Have you run out of ideas? Is your team having a brain drizzle rather than a brainstorm? Discover the tools to weather creative blocks, solve problems and get great ideas in half the time!  Learn specific strategies to put the “storm” back into brainstorming.  Increase effectiveness and productivity, boost group morale and relieve workplace tension with this program. Get ready to have a brain El Niño!

Learn more about the Summit: http://www.taproot.com/products-services/summit

Career Development: How to Give Effective Feedback

Posted: May 13th, 2013 in Career Development, Career Development Tips

Feedback makes all the difference in performance improvement, but giving constructive feedback can be difficult. Many managers have a tendency to give feedback that makes the employee feel good instead of helping the employee to improve. So, how can we give honest feedback in a way that doesn’t defeat an employee’s efforts but helps them improve?

Research has found that giving feedback to help people see their progress toward their goals is one way to give effective feedback and stay neutral. It is not necessary to highlight what is “good” or “bad” but simply examine the employee’s road map to the goal, and determine how to help them get there efficiently. Employees are often frustrated by professional goals because they know the goals they’ve set, but are unsure of what progress is being made, if any, or what specific actions can be taken to get them there.

This was one tip of four that I learned by reading Time Ideas “Four Ways to Give Good Feedback.” Check out the other three tips here:

http://ideas.time.com/2013/03/18/four-ways-to-give-good-feedback/

Career Development: Will You Enjoy the Benefits of a Vacation this Summer?

Posted: May 6th, 2013 in Career Development, Career Development Tips

The U.S. is the only industrialized country that doesn’t require workers to take vacation. And with Memorial Day weekend, (the unofficial start of summer here in the U.S.), just around the corner, many Americans are still not planning to take any time off from work.

Studies have shown that vacation deprivation increases mistakes and resentment at co-workers. Not only that, workers who don’t take vacation do not enjoy these benefits:

  • improved productivity and creativity
  • lower risk of heart attack
  • improved immune system
  • better sleep
  • deeper family relationships

The infographic below provides some interesting information about which countries do require vacation for the benefit of their employees.

Did you know some countries require you to take a vacation?

As the U.S. Department of Labor states ”The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays. These benefits are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee’s representative).”

Even when Americans are offered vacation, many don’t take it.  According to a study performed by Harris Interactive for JetBlue, about 57% of working Americans had unused vacation time at the end of 2011, and most of them left an average of 11 days on the table – or nearly 70 percent of their allotted time off.

In a CNN Money article (Vacation? No Thanks, Boss), American worker cite many reasons for not taking time off including not having enough money to take a vacation, not wanting the stress of catching up on work when they return from vacation and fear of taking time off from an employer in an unstable job market.

Vacation breaks are better for our overall wellness than overtime. Most people feel better, have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their work goals after a vacation.

Three Minute Leadership: What It Takes to Create a Masterpiece. (To the Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning.)

Posted: April 4th, 2013 in Career Development, Career Development Tips

This post was submitted by  ”Captain George” Burk.  Learn more about this motivational speaker, author & writer on his website: http://www.georgeburk.com/

==========

The following article is typed in its entirety as received from Col. Glenn Waters, USA. THE Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic, United States Military Academy at West Point, 31 March 2011.

Thank you, Col. Waters.  Highlights added.

What does it take to create your life’s masterpiece? This is a provocative question that grabs our attention. John Maxwell, in a recent article, “It Takes a Clear Vision to Create a Masterpiece,” shares his thoughts on the importance of having a vision whose crystal clarity provides purpose and direction to our journey. He introduces the paper with the story “Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia Cathedral.” Its construction began in 1882 and 129 years later, it is still not completed. Best estimates are that it won’t be finished in another 15 years.

The real story, however, lies in the vision of its designer, Antoni Gaudi. Maxwell writes that he had “no illusions” that the cathedral would be completed in his lifetime.” He knew that his work and vision would be completed by those who followed him. Gaudi wrote, “There is no reason to regret that I cannot finish the church. I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations its handed down to and in whom it lives and is incarnated”  Knowing this, during his lifetime he devoted his efforts to designing the models and drawings that future generations would use to build the cathedral. From this inspiring story, Maxwell suggests the following:

Clarifying your vision. Gaudi spent over a decade fine-tuning his vision and its clarity has been the driving force behind a project that has spanned three centuries. The renowned Spanish architect understood a fundamental principle of leadership: what must proceed and how. Leaders have to define where they’re going before they begin to move.

Seeing The Vision Clearly Requires Your Effort. Clear visions must come into focus through sustained effort. For me, the whole process begins with questions I must ask myself. What are my deeply felt concerns? What are my core values? What strengths do I have? How have my experiences shaped me? These questions uncover how I am wired and what I hold dear in my life. Once the vision starts to come together in my mind, I share it with the key people in my life. These relationships refine my vision.

Seeing The Vision Clearly Specifies Your Direction.  Why should we make the effort to see the vision clearly? Because vague visions cannot serve as compelling guides to those you want to lead. Followers do not rally behind a leader’s fuzzy picture of the future. Rather, they are attracted and motivated by leader’s who can paint an instantly recognizable portrait of tomorrow.

Seeing The Vision Clearly Determines Your Priorities. Every leader has limitations. Limited time, limited resources, and limited energy. As such, nobody can have it all in life. In light of our limitations, we can each make sacrifices and scale back the scope of our ambitions. Seeing the vision clearly, helps us to prioritize which opportunities to bypass and which activities deserve our dedication. The choices we make either draw us closer to our vision or push us farther away from it.

Gaudi’s life teaches the importance of vision – its foundation in self-knowledge, the direction it provides and how it serves to establish priorities. But there is more. If one’s vision is powerful enough, it will live in others – in the inspiration it gives to others to realize it and its impact in their life. There is a Chinese proverb: “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.”

May your vision inspire you to change the lives of other people.  Remember the words of Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist: “Your vision will become clearer only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”

Colonel Glenn Waters, US Army, is an Afghanistan Veteran and graduate of West Point.  May 2013, he’ll graduate from the Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. He’ll transfer to Fort Lawton, Oklahoma and assume the position as the Garrison Commander. On a personal note. Thank you Colonel Waters for your service to our county and for your friendship.

Who are you really? Where are you going? How will you get there? Who will be on your team? Questions I ask about my personal and professional visions.

Detailed Up-Front Machinery Quality Assessments (MQA) — a Key Prerequisite to Reliable Major Machinery

Posted: March 27th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Best Practice Presenters, Equipment/Equifactor, Root Cause Analysis Tips, Summit

Heinz Bloch explained how Best-of-Class companies use MQA on critically important compressors, drivers, and essential process pumps at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit. The MQA effort consists of structured and well-defined reviews of vendor experience, drawings, calculations, and other documentation. For highest possible value, MQA is often carried out before purchase orders are issued. Mr. Bloch described three distinct phases of successful MQA tasks.

8437Images-Heinz-Bloch-150-1Heinz Bloch is a graduate of New Jersey Institute of Technology (BSME, MSME, Cum Laude). After his retirement from Exxon Chemical Central Engineering (in Baytown, Texas), he worked as a consulting engineer and author of 17 books. He is the equipment/reliability editor of Houston-based Hydrocarbon Processing and has published over 460 papers and articles on reliability improvement subjects. For several decades, he has advised industry on maintenance cost reduction and reliability improvement issues and has taught over 500 equipment uptime improvement courses on all six continents.

Click on the icon below to view the presentation and learn the three phases of successful MQA tasks:

Bloch.Heinz.Detailed Up-Front-1

The 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit is Underway!

Posted: March 20th, 2013 in Summit

We’ve enjoyed a spectacular couple of days of learning in our Pre-Summit courses, and now the Global Summit officially begins.  Here are the welcome slides the attendees are viewing this morning.  (Click the image below to view the slides in Google Docs.)

CoverImage

Best Practice Session 8 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 8 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Friday, March 21
8:00 – 8:50 a.m.

Trending Using the TapRooT® Software (Chris Vallee and Dan Verlinde) (View in Google Docs)

How Can TapRooT® Be Used in Reliability Centered Maintenance (Mark Olson) (View in Google Docs)

Slips, Trips and Falls: The Science Behind Walking HSL (Robert Shaw)

The Role of Management in Ensuring Effective Root Cause Analysis (Kevin McManus/Kevin Palardy) (View in Google Docs)

Best Practice Session 7 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 7 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Thursday, March 21
2:40 – 3:50 p.m.

Testing and Qualifying Your Investigators (Dr. Salman T. Al-Mishari and Ralph Brickey)

Troubleshooting Equipment & Software Problems:

Using RCA to Ensure Network Reliability (Tim Fandrich) (View presentation in Google Docs)
Assessing Risk: the Pinnacle of Accident Prevention (Steve Swarthout)

Fatigue Accident Analysis (Bill Sirois) (View presentation in Google Documents)

Joplin Disaster – Lessons Learned (Ed Skompski)

Operational Excellence in TapRooT® (Kevin McManus) (View presentation in Google Documents)

Risk Assessment:

1. Effective Risk Assessments in JSAs, JHAs, JRAs and Investigations (Jim Whiting) (View in Google Docs)
2. Assessing Risk: The Pinnacle of Accident Prevention (Patrick Karol) (View in Google Docs)

Best Practice Session 6 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 6 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Thursday, March 21
1:00 – 2:20 p.m.

Proactive Root Cause Analysis: Why You Need It and How You Do It (Mark Paradies and Scott Waddle)

Night at the Improv: A Template for Industrial Disaster (Applying Lessons from Catastrophic Equipment Failures) (Ken Bloch) (View presentation documents here and here).

Changing Behavior By Praising the 49 Character Traits (Dr. Beverly Chiodo)

Fatigue Sentinel Event Investigation (Bill Sirois) (View in Google Docs)

Implementing TapRooT® through Operational Ownership (Mike Hayes, Mitch Miller, David Smith, Gabe DeGabriele) (View in Google Docs)

Inspecting Incident Root Cause Analysis: Experiences of a European Regulator (Frank Verschueren) (View in Google Docs)

Family Wellness: Using Root Cause Analysis for Families (Akivah L. Dixon Northern)

Feedback for Future TapRooT® Software Development (Dan Verlinde and Matt Irving)

Best Practice Session 5 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 5 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Thursday, March 21
10:50 a.m. – Noon

Optimizing Investigations (Ken Reed) (View in Google Docs)

Auto Safety: A Real Life Lesson Learned (Lori Reineke-Avant) (View in Google Docs)

Proactive Quality Improvement Using Mistake Proofing (Chris Vallee) (View in Google Docs)

Best Practices for Software Implementation (Dan Verlinde)

Best Practice Session 4 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 4 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Thursday, March 21
9:10 – 10:30 p.m.

TapRooT® Certified Instructor Recertification Workshop (Linda Unger, Ken Reed and Michelle Wishoun)

Secrets of Influence (Ken Futch)

Character Driven Success (Dr. Beverly Chiodo)

Building Reports from the TapRooT® Software (Dan Verlinde)

Serious Injuries and Fatalities: Common Factors and Lessons Learned (Mark Paradies) (View in Google Docs)

Best Practice Session 3 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 3 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Wednesday, March 20
2:40 – 3:50 p.m.

Deepwater Horizon and Texas City: What Should We Learn About Accident Investigation & Process Safety? (Mark Paradies) (View in Google Docs)

Training Reliability Engineers to Add Long-Term Value (Heinz Bloch) (View in Google Docs)

Understanding Human Behaviors:

Understanding Non-Verbal Communication (Barb Phillips) (View in Google Docs)
Human Performance Improvement (Charles Taylor) (View in Google Docs)

Comparison of Risk and Reliability in the Healthcare and Nuclear Industries (Ed Skompski and Kay Wilde Gallogly)

Health, Wellness & Ergonomics

How Health & Wellness Programs Contribute to Safety (Michelle Fry)
Using TapRooT® to Solve Ergonomics Issues (Dennis Osmer) (View in Google Docs)

My TapRooT® Software Implementation – Scott Gunderson (View Scott’s Presentation in Google Docs) and David Smith (View David’s Presentation in Google Docs)

Best Practice Session 2 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 2 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Wednesday, March 20
1:00 – 2:20 p.m.

What’s New in the TapRooT® Software (Dan Verlinde)

Detailed Up-Front Machinery Quality Assessments (MQA) — a Key Prerequisite to Reliable Major Machinery (Heinz Bloch) (View in Google Docs)

Behavior Based Safety and TapRooT® (Ralph Brickey) (View in Google Docs)

Best Practices for CAPA:

Creating and Sustaining a Business Wide CAPA (Amy Bratkovic) (View in Google Docs)
Best Practices from Industry (Barry Cross) (View in Google Docs)

HSEQ Management & Management Systems

Role of Incident Investigation in HSEQ Management (Mike Rodriguez) (View in Google Docs)
Management Systems and Continuous Improvement (Dave Janney) (View in Google Docs)

Best Practice Session 1 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 18th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Summit

Here are the best practice handouts provided by our presenters for Session 1 at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Wednesday, March 20
10:30 a.m. to noon

TapRooT® Users Share Root Cause Best Practices (Linda Unger & Ken Reed)
Significant Reductions in Chronic Equipment Reliability Issues (Buddy Lee)

Human Performance Improvement:

The Impact of Head Injuries (David Halstead)
Rasmussen’s Model & Knowledge Based Errors (Ralph Brickey) (View in Google Docs)

Joplin Disaster: Lessons Learned (Ed Skompski)

TapRooT® Examples

Analyzing a Project Management Incident (Jonathan Kennedy) (View in Google Docs)
Analyzing a Quality Incident (Barry Cross) (View in Google Docs)

Proactive Accident Prevention

Hey! There Is No Circle on Your SnapCharT®! (Dave Janney) (View in Google Docs)
Using SnapCharT®s Proactively for Management of Change (Jesus Alonso) (View in Google Docs)

Looking Forward to Welcoming Carl Dixon to the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: March 14th, 2013 in Summit

Here is Carl Dixon singing some tunes you are sure to remember!

Career Development: Decoding Non-verbal Behavior

Posted: February 25th, 2013 in Best Practice Presentations, Career Development, Career Development Tips, Summit

Studies indicate that non-verbal behaviors comprise a large portion of all interpersonal communication, so paying attention to someone’s body language during an investigative interview or a job interview will give you a wealth of information that they aren’t saying verbally.

When you are judging someone’s non-verbal behavior, where do you look?  Most people look for the truth of the story in someone’s face, but did you know that is the main place that people hide their true feelings?  Think about it — growing up how many times did your parents say, “Get that scowl off of your face?” or “Put on a good face for Aunt Linda?” How many times do we tell our own children and grandchildren that?

The best way to judge someone’s true feelings is to look at their feet! People tend to have “happy feet” when things are going well, and perfectly still or nervously shifting or bouncing legs and feet when the are not. Some people have restless leg syndrome so a bouncing leg isn’t always a clue that something is awry, but if you know a person typically bounces his or her leg, and suddenly they are kicking their legs and feet out during an interview or not moving them at all, that could be a clue that something is not right. Look for sudden changes in the movement of the legs and feet and think about what was being discussed just prior to the change.  If the person is seated at a table and you can’t see their feet, look for vibrations in their shirt, jacket or shoulders that give the movement of their feet and legs away.

See me at the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit for more tips about decoding non-verbal behavior, or attend my session on the Human Performance & Behavior Change Track (Understanding Human Behaviors: Body Language – Things to Look for in an Interview), Wednesday, March 20 at 2:40 p.m.

Register now for 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit week,  March 18 – 22, 2013 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Where to Stay in Gatlinburg for the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit

Posted: February 6th, 2013 in Summit

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is yours to explore during Summit week … come a day or two early or stay the weekend after the Summit to enjoy it. But you’ve heard about the bears who like to roam around the National Park, right? So, you’ll want someplace safe and warm to go every night.

Okay, so I’m kidding about the bears (although workers at the candy kitchen may not think so), but if you are registered for the 2013 Global TapRooT® Summit (March 18-22, 2013 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee), you’ll want to book your hotel accommodations NOW while you still have options.  Everybody likes options, so our planning team came up with quite a few.

Here are the hotels offering discounted rates for the Summit.  Be sure to mention “System Improvements/TapRooT® Summit” when you make your reservation to get the rate.

Glenstone Lodge:  $70

Fairfield Inn & Suites:  $75

Clarion Inn & Suites:  $90/King Suite $140

Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg:  $119

Still haven’t registered?  Don’t delay … courses are filling up.

Register for the Summit.

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