Do What You Know is Best

The other side of knowing what to do is doing what you know.

In safety, we average three accidents a week. Most occur when someone failed to follow the defined safe practice. Rare is it that the hurt employee says that he didn’t know better.

Disappoint a customer with poor quality? We knew better.

Disrupt the start of a productive work day by being late or not calling in? We know better.

Waste wood by not remaining diligent in our grading? We have been taught.

I read a blog by an Army colonel yesterday. He said that the Army has many checklists and sophisticated training techniques. But, when he considers whether one of his soldiers will perform a difficult task when he’s not present, he doesn’t think about her intelligence, training or ability. He always goes to character.

A person of character not only has a sense of what to do. She does what she knows is best. Even when no one is watching.