STOP! If you haven’t already, I suggest you head over to listen to Part 1 first, then come back for this one to finish it off (it will make much more sense that way!).   Gordon Bedford continues his daring challenge to the idea of risk, by explaining the concept of vulnerability in some more detail.  I probe the idea to see if it really has legs, which I won't spoil before you listen :-)   IN part 2 of the chat with Gordon, we cover: 2:18 Vulnerability in manufacturing 4:38 The meaning of words do matter 5:10 Risk suits cold, clinical and big numbers 6:26 Vulnerability suits anything involving people 7:43 Exploring vulnerability through hunches and experiments 9:27 Gordon puts it into practice in manufacturing 13:07 And then construction 15:10 What about 'so far as is reasonably practicable'? 17:00 Vulnerable, then Resilient, then Counter Vulnerable 24:35 How the 'vulnerability' experiment is going 29:46 How to connect with Gordon   Gordon mentioned a fantastic concept (Anti-Fragile) from a great book by the same name: Anti-fragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.   Let’s get to know each other! Connect with Safety on Tap on LinkedIn, or me Andrew Barrett.  If Facebook is more your thing, check out @safetyontap If you want to get in touch with me, send me an email! andrew@safetyontap.com

  Have you ever had crazy thoughts, that you try and push out of your mind, but keep coming back?   Like, 'why don't we throw an entire idea, methodology and industry out, and do something different'?   Well you are not alone! I describe today's guest on the podcast as crazy - in a good way.   Listen in as Gordon Bedford mounts the case to relegate risk to the history books, and replace it with something much more effective, much more human:

3:05 Gordon's crazy idea

7:12 Raging against likelihood & 'acceptable risk'

9:04 Risk Fail #1: Fukishima

8:58 Vulnerability vs risk

18:11 Risk Fail #2: Benign risk leads to massacre

19:22 Learning from benign risk but highly vulnerable

21:09 6 people dead, but the risk assessment was right?

27:35 How does vulnerability work in more familiar contexts?

28:53 Road safety already uses vulnerability

Once you’ve listened to PART 1, head over and listen to PART 2 of this interview, when Gordon unpacks some his idea with some practical examples. Let’s get to know each other! Connect with Safety on Tap on LinkedIn, or me Andrew Barrett.  If Facebook is more your thing, check out @safetyontap If you want to get in touch with me, send me an email! andrew@safetyontap.com

  STOP! If you haven't already, I suggest you head over to listen to Part 1 first, then come back for this one to finish it off.   This is the second part of the two-part interview with Brian Barrett, my Dad.  We started with the background to Dad leading his organisation to the very end, until it was amalgamated into a new council, and the challenges he faced leading when he had little control over so much of the change.  We shift into his humbling experience of getting feedback from people in his organisation, and that one person was so moved, they painted a portrait of him. Dad also shares his insights into leading work health and safety, and how his organisation leveraged amazing improvements off the back of their WHS focus.   In today’s episode we cover:

2:18 Ever wonder how you'll lead right to the tumultuous end?

4:44 At the very end, what will people say to you?

10:13 At the very end, will your people be moved to get not one, but two portraits painted of you?

11:35 At the beginning, what did the end of leadership look like to you?

15:34 Leadership and WHS: Get the basics in place first, but it comes down to asking questions

20:38 To the people: "You know your business better than we do as leaders"

22:08 Stem the bleeding first

24:21 The human side of better health and safety

25:43 It all boils down to engaging people as experts in their own work

29:41 You manage processes, you lead people

30:29 Tough advice for people working under leaders who aren't interested

33:18 Don't just be busy….be fearless - you may be surprised at the response you get

Let’s get to know each other! Connect with Safety on Tap on LinkedIn, or me Andrew Barrett.  If Facebook is more your thing, check out @safetyontap If you want to get in touch with me, send me an email! andrew@safetyontap.com  

  It's a great honour to interview my Dad, Brian Barrett this week, a leader who I think has plenty of insight to offer. This first part of the two-part interview, we cover off leading in an organisation you know will cease to exist - from which we can all take something away, including what NOT to do should you find yourself in that situation (actually, it has much a broader lesson). In today's episode we cover:

2:09 Why on earth would Dad do a podcast interview with me

3:45 The mechanics of mergers in NSW local government

5:56 First serious failure in communication (clean out your desk)

6:59 Preparing for merger, when you legally aren't allowed to

10:50 Leading people through uncertainty

14:59 Government as 'supply-chain' leader (or not?)

19:56 Planning which missed the vital ingredient

20:18 "One of the worst pieces of implementation of public policy in 39 years" and the reply which will shock you

26:30 Stand up and say it, there will be plenty of others who are thinking it

28:58 Recruitment fail - not providing feedback to all candidates

Once you've listened to PART 1, head over and listen to PART 2 of this interview, when Dad really sinks his teeth into what good safety looks like to him.   Let’s get to know each other! Connect with Safety on Tap on LinkedIn, or me Andrew Barrett.  If Facebook is more your thing, check out @safetyontap If you want to get in touch with me, send me an email! andrew@safetyontap.com