Mike Blevins is Adjunct Partner for Senior Executive Coaching and Development. Prior to his early retirement in April 2010, Mike served as COO of Luminant, the power generation subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings. He, along with his team, were responsible for leading Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant to be recognized in safety, production, and a top rating as a nuclear facility.
Mike works with both for-profits and non profits, sharing his expertise in developing leadership teams and culture.
In the second of a three-part series, Mike discusses the misconceptions about discipline in this article and how discipline is an integral part of creating a Just Culture. Discipline is often associated with punishment, and Mike explains why this leads to performance and people problems.
Does discipline fit into a Just Culture? I am convinced it is an element of a Just Culture.
When I was in school, I never really learned to appreciate the study of English. I was fine with vocabulary and grammar but the rest of it failed to excite me. In fact, part of the reason that I am an electrical engineer rather than mechanical is that EEs only had to take nine hours of English and MEs had to take 12 hours where I attended college. It wasn’t until later in life that I realized that those teachers had more going on than I realized. Words usually mean what the word means. I think we have overcomplicated the meaning of words. Often if we will just focus on the word itself we can understand what it means.
"I worked with AMCA during the 1980's and mid 1990's as a group executive for one of the world's largest engineering and construction companies. Ann and her team helped me achieve a personal cultural transformation; helped me develop a successful team of business unit leaders; and helped build teaming relationships among the corporation's executive management."