Last week my younger son, born in Mumbai, came to me excitedly and said: “Dad, Dad, there is a big train accident in India!” He pulled me to the TV, and indeed, there had been a catastrophic train accident involving two trains with almost 300 victims.
Prime Minister Modi was shown and declared to punish those responsible for the devastating accident. Politicians quickly hold someone else accountable and quickly punish those found guilty, when indeed, it is a bit more complicated. The objective must be to improve the process and ensure this kind of accident does not happen again.
Train accidents are like black swans; they emerge suddenly out of nothing. They do happen, and not only in India. Having lived there for over nine years, the fact that train accidents did not occur more frequently has always been close to a miracle. And once they occur, we cannot make them unhappen.
Here in Germany, we had a major train accident some years ago; over 100 people died. The reason had been a minor material problem in one of the wheels. What made the accident even worse was that a passenger who realized something was wrong did not pull the emergency break.
And then, of course, there is Japan.
In Japan, the land of the rising sun, accidents haunted the railways. One of the reasons for these accidents was that the train conductors, too engrossed in their duties, should have paid more attention to the signs and departed while passengers were still boarding. The railway management pondered how to prevent such mishaps.
The Japanese began to develop a system – so effective that it transformed Japan’s railway system into one of the safest in the world. Its success even prompted its adoption in the concrete jungle of New York. You, too, can benefit from this method if you seek to shed old habits and embrace better ones.
The Japanese investigated, analyzed, and then discovered that many accidents occurred when conductors acted without thinking, like a bull charging without restraint. They sped along, oblivious to their velocity.
The remedy, they realized, lay in a technique known as “pointing and calling.” Conductors and platform staff were instructed to vocalize and emphasize their actions with gestures.
Picture it: a conductor pointing at the speedometer, exclaiming, “Entering the station at 25 kilometers per hour, applying brakes now. Arrived punctually at 3:16 PM. Awaiting further signals from the platform.”
Meanwhile, a platform staff member, loud and clear, would announce, “Two passengers boarding,” pointing towards them. “All passengers accounted for. They checked doors: 172, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5. All clear. Departure at 3:18 PM. Platform ready.”
This method reduced errors by 82%, and one in three accidents was averted. The power lay in making the subconscious conscious. When conductors observed and vocalized their actions, they became acutely aware of their speed or an approaching stop signal.
How can you apply this method to your life or career? Be your narrator. Observe your own thoughts. Begin to take control of what you are thinking. Acknowledge your meandering thought process and take corrective action when your thoughts derail. It happens to everyone. Observing ourselves and what is happening in our head, we can always pull the ever emergency break.
When you watch a movie, you usually know what action a character should take. So, it is learnable to observe your own thinking. Watch yourself like you were in a car race, fight, or game.
Point the finger at your alarm clock and say, “Ten more minutes stole, but now I rise.” Or declare, “Barely awake, yet already lost in the abyss of my phone. It’s 6:11 AM, and I’m devouring the night’s news.” Always question yourself: Do these actions or thoughts serve or harm me?
During my days as a general manager in India, I had the habit of “Point and Speaking” with my loyal secretary Sally: “I just finished my morning meeting with the team. Now heading back to the office to check emails.” She would confirm and, simultaneously, comment: ” Yes, Sir, going back to the office, but why don’t you spend a few minutes at the front office with guests?”
These routine conversations eventually changed and evolved into better ones. Those newly formed habits often resulted from what I call “constructive exchange,” which would lead to other new practices.
I remember that my office was like a magnet during my various jobs. There was always something to do, especially emails. I was also able to re-focus. Sometimes I completely forgot that my job was on the floor, with my teams, during breakfast in the restaurant, and afterward at the front office for check-outs, ensuring I met departing guests, being open to feedback, suggestions, or even complaints, and saving the day instead of waiting for a complaint letter.
So instead of just routinely passing by the Front Office after the meeting, I asked to occupy the desk of the guest relations executive every day for one hour in the morning and two hours during check-in time in the late afternoon.
I did my office work from there, observing the action and interaction at the front office and being available for guest interactions. I even changed the sign from Guest Relations to General Manager.
The results of this small change were substantial. Quality scores jumped within days after I began this routine. Complaints decreased, employee excellence increased, and overall satisfaction improved.
Direct interaction with guests, not just a few but 80% of them, made miracles possible, and I applied this technique to many other departments as well. Not just interacting with the department head and walking through “speaking and pointing” out but spending quality time in the respective departments and understanding many of the issues few general managers understand or even know about.
There were also days when I would perform working there, for example, in the kitchen, cutting onions, preparing salad, or grilling kebabs. Not only did it help me understand many of the issues related to employees’ problems, but it also did miracles to how we all interacted. Trust is an essential ingredient in leadership. And it is something that takes work. A leader has to deserve it.
Over time, I shaped and formed habits instilled in the managers of the hotels I oversaw. The difference between having management visible and on the floor compared to being invisible and in the office is significant. It also improves the interaction with your team as you become part of the day-in, day-out routine and stand together with them to face the music.
At times during “very active” communications, I had to control my mind. Here the “Pointing and Speaking method worked very well too. Instead of being pulled into a discussion or making a judgment, I simply repeated what had been said, very slowly and very accentuated, to make sure I had understood correctly and for the speaker to revisit his or her idea and have a chance to make instant corrections.
It was a door opener and a timesaver. The issue was simply noted down and kept for the next meeting. Most of the time, however, the person came to meet with me, brought up the subject, and commented that it had been taken care of or that no action was needed.
It enhances community, teamwork, and excellence and saves time. To have more time on the floor rather than in the meeting room, I started having morning meetings in the lobby, a restaurant, guest-room floors, or in the garden or beach of a resort hotel. This “environmental” change had far-reaching impacts on communication, decision-making, empowerment, and team building.
In his course, Martin Wehrle describes these techniques as the “Pointing and Calling technique” In TQM literature, it is also known as the “Shadowing Technique.”
Martin approaches the subject a bit differently. What struck me was that it was nothing new for me. I have been doing it for a long time but have yet to turn it into a conscious concept or standard operating procedure.
It was a part of my leadership style to lead, motivate, and generate better results as a General Manager. Many of my estimated friends and colleagues worldwide also use this technique with excellent results, and it is good to receive confirmation from well-renowned professionals that something you did in the past is even described in an expensive course.
In conclusion, this approach, the pointing and calling or shadowing technique, can improve your workday and personal routines and enhance your leadership style at any level. It paves the way for great habits to emerge, eventually revealing your true potential.
Try it out for yourself. Invent your style. Find a way to make holistic improvements that serve yourself and benefit those around you: your guests, staff, potential owners, and corporate heads.
Today, embrace the essence of pointing, calling, or applying the shadowing technique, and observe the emerging benefits. No matter your present position, start today and form a lifelong habit of it in all aspects of your life and career.
I am sure you will make the best of your day and week.
Talk to you soon again. Over and out.
Helmut