Blog
Digital Communication: Dangerous Territory
Earlier this summer, I started reading the new book Digital Body Language by Erica Dhawan. It is a good read, and I recommend it to you. Later in the summer, I went to a national Public Works conference in Houston, (PWX) and had a personal experience that made me even...
The World We Don’t Live In Anymore
There’s a version of the world that some people in construction still think we’re in. A place where raising your voice got results. Where PPE was optional. Where toughness mattered more than communication. Where women and people from diverse cultures were treated as...
What Shohei Ohtani Can Teach Us About Safety
Robert Suarez’ 100 MPH fastball into the shoulder of Shohei Ohtani should’ve been the spark that set this already tense game on fire. But it wasn’t. Not only was the pitch ruled as intentional, but it was the second time in the series. Suarez was ejected. This...
How to Choose Gratitude, Even in Adversity.
The world is not what it was just a few years ago. For many people the new stressors—whether it is current health care prices, the polarization in politics, mental health, crime or the cost of food— we have reasons to feel worried. It can be hard to be consistently...
Mother of Young Children Nearly Died by Suicide
We are living in some pretty violent times friends. So I hesitate to put this one out here...but feel I must, because it is a story of hope and we need those right now. This could be triggering if you have been close to a suicide. So read with awareness and be...
Can You Prevent Suicide?
Do not wait to have that conversation. You know how some memories stay in your mind? I still remember the handshake. The very physical, nearly-break-your-knuckles grip the solidly built young man put on me. And the comment, “Esch, I am nothin!!” He was loud and...
When You Get Power Right, All Boats Rise!
You know what it is like when a boss misuses or abuses their power. All kinds of things fall apart. When a lower ranked person does not use their power well, when they do not speak up when speaking up is required, equally miserable things happen. I think you know what...
Culture Eats Safety for Breakfast: How We Reduced Worker Injuries by 70% and Built a Place Where People Really Want to Work
A multi-ethnic group of four construction workers wearing hardhats and safety vests, having a meeting inside the structure being built. A young Hispanic man is holding a digital tablet and they are all looking at the screen. The worker on the right is a mature...
Throwing Mashed Potatoes at Them is Not the Answer
This Thanksgiving it is possible someone will make a comment about something other than the football game or the quality of the pumpkin pie. Maybe even the recent election. This could be challenging. We are living in highly polarized times, and even the most skillful...
Unchecked Seniority: The Greatest Safety Hazard in Construction?
The best and safest construction companies are religious about naming and reducing safety hazards. Every day they talk about traffic, pinch points, confined space, overhead dangers, electricity, etc. How often do they name seniority as a potential hazard? Probably...
