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Frontline Fundamentals – ‘I Am a Good Putter’ – What Golf Teaches Us About Safety Success

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Here are some valuable resources you may want for your team – some at no cost even.

iP Utility Safety Conference & Expo, this is held twice a year. you can earn CUSP/Certification points here – https://utilitysafetyconference.com/

Utility Safety Podcast – Search “Utility Safety Podcast” on every major podcast platform
- https://utilitysafety.podbean.com/

iPi Forum it is free and a lot of fun via Zoom monthly – https://ip-institute.com/ipi-forum/

Frontline Fundamentals every 2 months, free again – https://ip-institute.com/frontline-webinars/

Incident Prevention Magazine – Free – Great resource – Highly recommend for Safety Professionals – https://incident-prevention.com/subscribe-now/

 

In this episode of Frontline Fundamentals, David McPeak and Doug Hill explore an unconventional but powerful metaphor for safety: the game of golf. Inspired by a putting lesson from PGA Pro Art Eklund, David discusses why “telling yourself you are a good putter” is the first step toward success on the green—and on the job site. We dive into the psychology of safety, moving beyond “thou shalt not” mentalities to a proactive focus on what we actually want to achieve. Learn how to build capacity to fail safely, why investigating success is more important than only studying failure, and how to change the “apathetic” culture often found in safety meetings.

 

Read the article: https://incident-prevention.com/blog/i-am-a-good-putter-what-golf-teaches-us-about-safety-success/

 

Key Takeaways

  • Mindset Precedes Action: Just as putting starts with the belief “I am a good putter,” safety success begins with a positive mindset. Henry Ford’s mantra applies: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right”.

     

     

  • Focus on What You Want: Most safety manuals are filled with things to avoid. True success comes from focusing on what to do (e.g., “keep your shoulders level” instead of “don’t drop your shoulder”).

     

     

  • Build Capacity to Fail Safely: Human error is inevitable. A strong safety plan isn’t just about “trying not to get hurt”; it’s about creating systems and using direct controls so that when a mistake happens, it doesn’t lead to an injury.

     

     

  • Investigate Success, Not Just Failure: We are excellent at reactive safety (root cause analysis after an accident). However, we must become proactive by investigating why things go right for the 99% of workers who don’t get hurt and sharing those success stories.

 

Q&A (Question and Answers)

1. Q: Why did David use a golf putting lesson as a metaphor for safety? A: During a conference in Glendale, a golf pro (Art Eklund) taught that making a putt starts with the internal monologue “I am a good putter.” David realized that safety often focuses on the “water hazards” (accidents) rather than the “green” (success), which negatively impacts performance.

 

 

2. Q: What is the “CHEF” acronym mentioned in the transcript? A: It is a technical framework for putting that stands for Clubface, Hands, Eyes, and Feet. While technical skills are vital, David emphasizes that they only work if the mental game is solid first.

 

 

3. Q: How should organizations change their “After Action Reviews” or “Post-Job Briefings”?

 

A: Based on military and airline models, they should follow a 51% balance rule: spend the majority of the time talking about what went well and how to duplicate that success, rather than only focusing on what went wrong or “white noise” compliance.

 

 

4. Q: What does it mean to “build capacity to fail safely”? A: It is the recognition that because people are human, they will eventually make an error. A successful safety culture ensures that direct controls are in place so that the “energy” of an error is mitigated before it causes harm.

#UtilitySafety #FrontlineFundamentals #SafetyCulture #HumanPerformance #GolfAndSafety #SIFPrevention