What companies can learn from Chile miners rescue

Staff Motivation 3.0Erica Liang

Change Management ConsultantOct 14, 2010

Photo credits: Reuters, AP, BBC

Setting goals and purpose for each individual is in fact motivating. Asking everyone to do one thing means it “Ain’t my problem”.

Each miner is assigned a clear task, clearing debris, documenting life underground, however mundane.

Everyone is accountable for one thing.

Encourage discipline. Incentivise appropriately. Communicate benefits. Regularly.

Miners’ health and good spirits in no small

part helped by strict regime and diet. Some even in better shape

than before.

Celebrate every milestone. Break a large goal into little ones. Publicly announce after every small step is reached.

President Pinera holding up first note from the 33 miners trapped 630m

underground

Under promise, over deliver. Oh and always offer options. Customer and staff satisfaction guaranteed.

While three drills aptly named Plan A, B and C were competing round the clock to reach the cave first, even after Plan B got through, officials managed expectations of rescue timings carefully.

Encourage initiative. Have as diverse a team you can afford. Listen to their needs. Give them the resources and tools to do more.

This gentleman turned up voluntarily to bring joy at

Camp Hope when he saw the miners’ kids waiting for their dads

there. His action prompted authorities to set up temporary school

on site.

Going in unprepared is recipe for failure. User trials and rehearsals are time well spent. Better yet, keep it simple.

Four test runs satisfied engineers, doctors and support team before

sending for the first miner. No details spared. The winch + Fenix 2 proved to be an effective, simple elevation

system.

Stay focussed on tangible results. Leaders, create community by providing communal resource. Then stay out of it.

Relatives and friends share media tent. Comaraderie and single focal point leads

to intense focus awaiting each miner popping out from capsule.

Protocol, SOP, checklist, rules, best practice.If you’ve got it, execute it. No exceptions. Or

everyone will try to be the exception.

BBC: Does every miner really need a stretcher? Most seem so energetic after emerging.Chile Special Forces Medic: We had a protocol. We stuck to it.

Leaders take every chance to publicly show gratitude to each contributor. Or allow each staff to shine. Mediocrity takes a back seat if thrust into limelight.

Every single miner given their moment of freedom to shine in front

of their dearest and the world.