I would like to take a step back and reflect on something I wrote in my “Playing It Safe” column years ago. Everyone remembers the good old days, regardless of how brief or long ago they were. Some reminisce about winning project awards. Others recall the party after a successfully completed project. And there are those who congratulate successful managers and executives on their leadership qualities. We all look back and remember the good. My guess is all of those stories and events compile a career. I would like you to take a moment to reflect on those mentors who guided me along the way; and in the process, you will likely recall some of your own.
A most memorable mentor
In my consulting business, specialists often ask the host contractor or facility owner if he or she had a mentor. In workshops, I’ve seen grown men tear up and cry when describing their mentors, whether a parent, grandparent, manager, teacher or friend. We probably currently have, or have had, multiple mentors in our lives.
One of my mentors passed away in January. This was a man who impacted an untold number of lives and altered my career. He was my boss and remarkable to many, while completely unknown to others. Yet, there were scores who saw his handiwork; they just didn’t know the personality behind the work. Employees thought of him as the change agent for safety in the Greater Houston petrochemical industry. He was not the arms and legs of the safety program, but the brains behind the scene. Even though he retired about 20 years ago, his legacy lives on. He led a company safety team for the engineering and construction firm he managed that attained the longest string of work hours without an OSHA recordable injury in North America: 4.6 million hours worked, according to the Zero Injury Institute Safety Hall of Honor. What a legacy! Just think of how many families remained whole without the breadwinner being injured in a work-related incident. Surely, it must have helped thousands of craft workers and project teammates!
Earlier reference
I referred to this mentor in an article five years ago. The purpose was to encourage readers to thank those who helped them along the way. Shortly after he retired, I missed him and his management style. His replacement had different leadership methods and got different results. Within months of my mentor’s retirement, I sent a letter honoring and thanking him for how he managed me as a “wannabe” safety director. I reminded him of those early days when we worked together and overcame obstacles. I pointed out that with his senior leadership, we were an unstoppable team. The company grew from small to large while he directed operations.
He answered my letter with modesty. He did not take credit for the accolades the safety team achieved. Instead, he said that all of us under his direction had the skills and talents within ourselves, and he only assisted in helping us bring our talents and skills to the forefront.
My dad and other mentors
Besides my father and the boss I mentioned, I was fortunate to have other mentors along the way. I’ll never forget my Boy Scout leader, who taught me many things about character, discipline and lifetime goals. Without his guidance, I would probably have been on the streets getting into trouble and mischief. But under his tutelage, boys in our neighborhood and I became good citizens, scholars and leaders in our chosen fields.
My high school drafting teacher was another mentor. With his encouragement, I became a classroom teacher, using those skills to teach high school and college students to become the best they could be. I’ll never forget his response to the “thank you” letter I sent him. He asked if he could share the letter with others in his church group. It must have touched him, and his response certainly touched me.
I’d like to encourage all of you to take a few minutes to thank your mentors for their leadership, counseling and caring. Please do it while your mentor is alive and well to receive your thanks and appreciate your words. Many mentors never really get the recognition they deserve, nor do they realize how many they may have influenced.
For more information, contact HASC by visiting www.hasc.com.
