Entries by Robert Sams

The Link Between Think and Blink

The Link Between Think and Blink I attended another engaging ‘thinking group’ meeting this morning on the Central Coast of NSW in Australia. The meeting was organised by James Ellis, and some new ‘thinkers’ joined us at today’s meeting including; a clinical psychologist who also practices in forensic psychology; a training manager with a background […]

I’m Still Not That Into Safety

I’m Still Not That Into Safety When I first declared that ‘I’m just not that into safety anymore’ over 12 months ago, it was at a time when a number of people who work in risk and safety were expressing their frustration of an industry that had become known as the ‘fun police’ and focused […]

Investigating our Batting Collapse

Investigating Our Batting Collapse I’m a cricket fan. I have been all my life and it’s one of the highlights of the year for me when my best mates and I head to a day or two watching the cricket, it’s an annual pilgrimage. You might not be surprised then to learn that as a […]

How do we Know

How Do We Know? We cannot know about things we do not have a belief in. It makes no sense to say, “I know the earth is spherical, but I don’t believe it”. Yet it is important to note that believing something does not guarantee that the belief is right. (Dew and Foreman 2014) This […]

Flooding is Dangerous, and I Don’t Mean the Water……

Flooding is Dangerous, and I Don’t Mean the Water…… Parts of the east coast of Australia have experienced heavy rain over recent months and it has become common to read headlines of flash flooding causing road closures, cars washed away and sadly a man in Sydney was killed when he was swept into a drain. […]

The Paradox of Helping

The Paradox of Helping I had the privilege of attending the Lifeline Brass Blokes Awards in my hometown of Newcastle last night. The Awards recognise the spirit of ‘blokes’ who have been through adversity yet still find the time, courage and inspiration to give back to their community. As well as celebrate these men, the […]

Dolphyn Newsletter # 5

 Dolphyn Newsetter #5   “Being present to people requires a degree of fragility. To keep control or to impose an agenda only ensures we are about to have a meeting in which no real meeting is likely to take place”   Graham Long (2013, p.74 and p.75) These are the words of The Reverend Graham Long, […]

What Can ‘Safety’ Learn From a Rock…..

What Can ‘Safety’ Learn From a Rock….. I live in Australia, a country inhabited by people from many cultures, a country with a strong indigenous history and a country with a geography that is well summed up by poet Dorothea Mackellar in her poem My Country; “I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping […]

Developing our Inner Introversion

Developing Our Inner Introversion …..the art of questioning becomes more difficult as status increases. Our culture emphasizes that leaders must be wiser, set direction and articulate values, all of which predisposes them to tell rather than ask”. Edgar Schein in Humble Inquiry (2013, p.5) I attended a ‘thinking group’ meeting last week with a new […]

How I Feel About Risk

How I Feel About Risk “The earliest studies of risk perception also found that, where as risk and benefit tend to be positively correlated in the world, they are negatively correlated in people’s minds.” “If their feelings toward an activity are favorable, they are moved toward judging the risks as low and the benefits as […]