In this month’s miscellany of truncated articles, the theme of “speaking up” might be the tie that binds. These are the full versions of the “Drilling Deeper” news items that appeared as abbreviated versions in the print edition of PBOG’s December 2015 issue.
Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick discussed the state of the Texas energy industry and the Railroad Commission’s priorities in an interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Russell Gold at the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival. Asked to explain her 2014 remark that “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Commissioner Craddick replied, “I say that because, in Texas, we know where the resources are. Take the Permian Basin for example. Two-thirds of the drilling rigs running in Texas are running in the Permian Basin. [To get an idea of what the Permian holds] take a coffee table—a four-by-four coffee table—and put a coaster on the coffee table. Assume that that coaster covers the “sweet spot” in the Permian Basin. That is all that we have developed in the Permian Basin.”
More Temp Housing on the Way
VESTA Housing Solutions, LLC, a premier provider of temporary and permanent worker housing, has entered an agreement to provide housing for employees of its sister company Atlas Oil Company. Atlas is a major national fuel distribution and logistics provider under common ownership with VESTA. Atlas has secured a pivotal new crude hauling contract in the West Texas region.
“When we formed VESTA, it was in the hope that a housing company would dovetail well with Atlas’ fuel logistics business, and that has proven to be the case,” said Sam Simon, chairman and founder of Atlas and co-founder of VESTA. “Because VESTA was able to quickly identify housing for our driver teams at a reasonable rate, we were able to competitively bid and secure the contract,” said Simon.
The VESTA team focuses on providing turnkey housing solutions for customers wherever their business may lead. “We are very excited to be working with our sister company and believe this is the precise type of situation where the right housing solution is the key to the customer winning the work,” said VESTA CEO Dan McMurtrie. The VESTA team is currently working on projects from Alaska to Louisiana and many locations in between.
More about VESTA:
VESTA Housing Solutions, LLC (“VESTA”) offers upscale work-force housing solutions to customers seeking premium accommodations for their workers. VESTA offers turnkey, short and long-term housing options with an emphasis on quality, comfort and safety for customers in regions with a shortage of workforce housing, particularly within the emerging energy sector. The company offers leasing, financing, and purchase options to meet customer’s specialized needs. Whether you have a short-term need, or are about to undertake a large-scale infrastructure initiative, consider allowing VESTA’s team to plan your project from land development through daily operation.
About Atlas:
Headquartered in Taylor, Mich., Atlas Oil is a premier national fuel supply, logistics and services company delivering comprehensive solutions to customers throughout the distribution lifecycle, from crude oil E & P companies to refineries to commercial end users nationwide, 24/7/365. With operational excellence and industry leading safety standards, Atlas is engaged in all areas of transportation, logistics and fueling, including bulk, fleet, event, onsite, emergency services and transloading. The company is highly active in real estate, including the purchase and sale of locations.
The company leverages a team of nearly 500 professionals, a fleet of state-of-the-industry equipment and a national network of premium third-party relationships, guaranteeing a seamless, consistent, and industry-leading experience at every touch point.
Mine Frac Sand Without Damage
A new Policy Study from The Heartland Institute addresses the potential impacts of frac sand mining on public roadways. The study provides an overview of successful methods used to minimize potential damage to roadways while maximizing the benefits of industrial sand mining to the community.
The study, titled “Roadway Impacts of Industrial Silica Sand (Frac Sand) Mining,” is the third in a series by Heartland Institute Research Fellow Isaac Orr and geologist Mark Krumenacher, the latter being senior principal and senior vice president of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. The series addresses the mining of industrial silica sand, known as “frac sand.” The sand is abundant in the Upper Midwest—especially rural Wisconsin, which produces two-thirds of the nation’s frac sand—and is essential for hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas.
“Industrial sand mining has been a big economic stimulus to Western Wisconsin,” said Orr.
“When I started college at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in 2006, people there were still talking about how the town had never really recovered from the UniRoyal Tire factory closing in town, even though the tire factory closed in 1991. Now, thousands of people have high-paying jobs in the area.
“Oil and natural gas currently account for 35 and 28 percent of our total energy consumption, respectively, and we will continue to need increasing amounts of these resources in the future,” Orr continued. “Shale gas already accounts for 40 percent of our total natural gas production, and this figure is likely to grow, meaning frac sand mining will continue to be an important part of the Western Wisconsin economy for decades to come.”
Orr and Krumenacher write: “Because local units of government generally have the primary regulatory responsibility for industrial sand mining in the Midwest, this Policy Study is written especially for them and the constituents they serve.”
Among the authors’ findings:
- Local officials have the statutory authority and adequate tools to protect public infrastructure used by industrial sand operations and other industries.
- Industrial sand operators have spent millions of dollars upgrading and maintaining local and county roadways to meet their needs for transporting industrial sand and providing safe and efficient transportation for members of the community.
The authors discuss the main factors that influence the lifespan of a road; examine a case study of road upkeep and maintenance agreements from Chippewa County, Wisconsin; and consider the historical impacts of transporting industrial sand in four Midwest states.
Download a free PDF of this new Heartland Institute Policy Study at this link.
The first report, released in May 2015, addresses the environmental impacts of frac sand mining. Download that Heartland Institute Policy Study at this link.
The second report, released in June 2015, examines the economic benefits of frac sand mining. Download that Heartland Institute Policy Study at this link.
Enlink Midstream Increases Distributions
The EnLink Midstream companies announced the declaration of its third quarter distributions for EnLink Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: ENLK) and EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC).
- The quarterly distribution on the Master Limited Partnership’s common units will be $0.39 per common unit, which represents a half cent increase compared to distributions declared for the second quarter of 2015 and a year-to-date distribution increase of around 5.5 percent compared to year-to-date 2014. The distribution is payable on Nov. 12 to unitholders of record on Nov. 2.
- The quarterly distribution on the General Partner’s common units will be $0.255 per common unit, which represents a half-cent increase compared to distributions declared for the second quarter of 2015 and a year-to-date distribution increase of around 19 percent compared to year-to-date 2014. The distribution is payable on November 13 to unit-holders of record on November 2.
About the EnLink Midstream Companies:
EnLink Midstream is a leading, integrated midstream company with a diverse geographic footprint and a strong financial foundation, delivering tailored customer solutions for sustainable growth. EnLink Midstream is publicly traded through two entities: EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC), the publicly traded general partner entity, and EnLink Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: ENLK), the master limited partnership.
EnLink Midstream’s assets are located in many of North America’s premier oil and gas regions, including the Barnett Shale, Permian Basin, Cana-Woodford Shale, Arkoma-Woodford Shale, Eagle Ford Shale, Haynesville Shale, Gulf Coast region, Utica Shale and Marcellus Shale. Based in Dallas, Texas, EnLink Midstream’s assets include over 9,200 miles of gathering and transportation pipelines, 17 processing plants with 3.6 billion cubic feet per day of processing capacity, seven fractionators with 280,000 barrels per day of fractionation capacity, as well as barge and rail terminals, product storage facilities, purchase and marketing capabilities, brine disposal wells, an extensive crude oil trucking fleet and equity investments in certain private midstream companies.
2015 Southwest and Midcontinent O&G Awards
The Southwest and Midcontinent Oil and Gas Awards organizers recently expressed their thanks to all those who attended the 2015 Southwest and Midcontinent Oil and Gas Awards in Dallas, Texas, last month (October). Congratulations were expressed to all the finalists and the winners. Interested parties are encouraged to find all the multimedia from the event (photos and videos) live on the Awards website at http://www.oilandgasawards.com/southwest-and-midcontinent-2015/. The list of winners is shared below.
Award for Drilling Excellence
Ensign Energy Services Inc.
Manufacturer of the Year
Sand X
Oilfield Services Company of the Year
Frank’s International N.V.
New Technology Development of the Year – Products
Drillform Technical Services Ltd.
Consultancy of the Year
KJE, Inc.
Themark Corporation E&P Company of the Year
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
General Industry Service Award
Well Master Corporation
Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility
Apache Corporation
Midstream Company of the Year
EnLink Midstream
Trucking Company of the Year – Presented by Kenworth
Ryder System Inc.
VZ Environmental Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship
Houston Advanced Research Center
The Oil & Gas Financial Journal Transaction of the Year
Encana
Water Management Company of the Year
MIOX Corporation
Engineering Company of the Year
Landpoint
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Award for Excellence in Health & Safety – Operational
Aveda Transportation and Energy Services
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Award for Excellence in Health & Safety – Products
TekSolv, Inc.
New Technology Development of the Year – Software Application
Trimble, Geospatial Division
Industry Supplier of the Year
Chemplex Solvay Group
Breitling Energy Future Industry Leader
Stephen Cravens – YPE
Industry Leader
Howard G. Westerman – J-W Energy Company
RRC Chairman Porter on Partnering
By David Porter
There are few industries in Texas as dynamic and essential to our state’s economy and our way of life as the energy industry. Despite recent economic challenges, the energy industry in Texas employs tens of thousands of people in virtually every corner of the state, providing jobs and income to countless families. And more and more, as the industry changes and innovates, its presence in being seen and felt in places previously far from the drilling rigs and hydraulic fracturing operations that once only dotted the vast horizons of Texas.
That’s where the Railroad Commission of Texas comes in. It’s our job to make sure the energy industry is doing its job in compliance with hundreds of state and federal safety regulations. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why I visited Midland recently, to meet with local officials representing 12 West Texas communities ranging from Fort Stockton to Brady to Lamesa to discuss how we can work together to ensure the safe, responsible production of our state’s abundant energy resources.
(The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state’s chief energy regulatory agency, and its current chairman, David Porter, was elected statewide in 2010 to serve the people of Texas in 2010 as commissioner and later [June 2015] was elected by his fellow commissioners to serve as chairman).
To be successful, we must work in partnership with agencies at every level of the regulatory process. Among our most important partners are local officials and regulatory bodies. While the Commission has sole jurisdiction over subsurface (underground) operations, there are a variety of issues over which municipal governments maintain jurisdiction. These issues can include rules on set-backs (the distance between oil and gas wells and homes, schools, etc.), hours of operation, noise abatements and traffic restrictions.
In regulating the operations of oil and gas producers, our mission is the same as many local communities; protect the public and our natural resources, while ensuring the industry can contribute to our local and state economies through job creation and revenue generation. Because many of these state and local regulations can impact each other, it’s vital the Commission and local governments work closely together to enforce the rules in a fair and consistent manner.
The Commission has been regulating the oil and gas industry in Texas for nearly 100 years and is deep with staff knowledge and experience in energy exploration. We can, and do provide local agencies with expert resources on issues of public safety with regard to oil and gas activity in their area. Often this is expertise municipalities simply don’t have access to, or do not need on a regular basis, but can be extremely valuable in decision-making.
Local governments with oil and gas activity in their communities can help keep the Commission up to date on industry activities in their communities, provide information when necessary on how operators are complying with the law, and quickly report those who are not in compliance to the Commission for possible enforcement actions.
This is why it was so important to visit with leaders and regulators from cities around Midland. We want to make sure local communities like Odessa, Pecos City, Big Spring and Seminole know the resources and expertise we have available to assist them, and what our policies, procedures and capabilities cover. Texans living in these communities are constituents of both their local municipality and the Railroad Commission, and we share a responsibility to ensure safe and effective regulatory practices. Strong and open communication between the Commission and our local partners will help improve everyone’s understanding of their role in regulating this important industry, and help Texas remain a global leader in energy production.
Colorado Voters Favor O&G Production
Where the 2016 election is concerned, some 68 percent of registered Colorado voters say they are more likely to support a candidate who supports producing more oil and natural gas, according to a new telephone poll conducted for the Colorado Petroleum Council (CPC) by Harris Poll among 604 registered Colorado voters.
“This poll shows that energy is a top issue for voters next year because it plays a key role in job creation and economic growth,” said Tracee Bentley, executive director of the CPC. “Colorado voters understand the opportunities that pro-development policies create and the need for an all-of-the-above energy policy that helps produce more domestic energy and lower energy costs for American consumers.”
Seventy-eight percent of registered Colorado voters support increased production of oil and natural gas resources located here in the U.S., and the poll also found that:
Majorities of Republicans (95 percent), Independents (84 percent) and Democrats (69 percent) say that producing more oil and natural gas here in the U.S. is important to them.
Majorities of registered voters believe increased access could help:
- create jobs (85 percent),
- strengthen energy security (83 percent), and
- lower consumer energy costs (79 percent).
“Candidates in tomorrow’s debate should take this opportunity to discuss the smart energy policies that concern Coloradoans, growing our nation’s still shaky economy, creating well-paying jobs and maintaining our nation’s global energy leadership,” said Bentley. “That includes expanding access to domestic oil and natural gas resources, ending the ban on crude oil exports, repealing the RFS, approving the Keystone XL pipeline, and reining in duplicative and unnecessary regulations.”
The CPC is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.
Methodology
The study was conducted October 15-18, 2015, by telephone by Harris Poll on behalf of the American Petroleum Institute among 604 registered voters in Colorado, with a sampling error of +/- 4 percent. A full methodology is available upon request.
“What America is Thinking on Energy Issues” is a public opinion series provided by API, offering data to inform policy discussions and ensure policymakers and others know Americans’ perspectives on key energy issues.
ESG Solutions Acquires Spectraseis
ESG Solutions (ESG), a leading supplier of microseismic monitoring technology and analysis solutions to customers in the oil and gas and mining sectors, recently acquired Spectraseis, an industry leader in surface-based seismic technology and services for hydraulic fracture monitoring (HFM) and induced seismicity monitoring (ISM), through its parent organization, Spectris plc. Spectraseis will be integrated into ESG, and the changeover will produce a combined expertise in downhole and surface-based microseismic technology services, as well as advanced data analysis that is unique to the marketplace, according to the firm’s management.
Over its 22-year history, ESG has been an innovator in passive seismic monitoring solutions. Specializing in advanced multi-array downhole acquisition and analysis, ESG has experienced growth in recent years fueled primarily through its FRACMAP, HYBRID, and SMTI Production Suite offerings. In the new arrangement, Spectraseis’s surface-based seismic services and ISM networks are supported by an array of patented methods designed to maximize value from the data and help clients operate in a responsible manner.
“We feel this union is a natural fit, due in part to the strong alignment in culture between ESG and Spectraseis,” says Brad Birkelo, EVP Surface and ISM Applications. “Both companies seek to provide highest quality, innovative solutions to operators who rely on microseismic to better understand reservoir behavior, optimize production and enhance stimulation success.” In particular, the companies share a focus on collection and analysis of full waveform seismic data including critical shear wave information, which results in greater understanding of reservoir processes, and in turn, maximizes value to clients.
“This is a strategic move for ESG,” says Ken Arnold who will lead the management team of the combined organization. “There are many advantages to this initiative and the leadership team at ESG has a strong interest in developing and investing in Spectraseis’s technology and its highly talented workforce. This will provide the opportunity for our organization to accelerate growth and expansion into key international markets, delivering exceptional value to our customers.”
About ESG Solutions:
Founded in 1993, ESG Solutions (Engineering Seismology Group or ESG) is a pioneer and leading provider of innovative microseismic solutions for the mining, oil and gas and geotechnical industries. ESG helps operators improve safety, optimize production, reduce costs and mitigate risk associated with underground and open-pit mining, hydraulic fracturing, thermal enhanced oil recovery, waste-water injections, natural gas storage, carbon sequestration and geotechnical applications. ESG is headquartered in Kingston (Canada), with operations in Calgary, Houston, Muscat, Beijing and Perth and sales offices in Dallas and Dubai. For more information, visit www.esgsolutions.com.
About Spectraseis:
Spectraseis is a leader in surface-based microseismic sensing technology for hydraulic fracture monitoring (“HFM”), stimulation evaluation and induced seismicity monitoring (“ISM”). It provides services to many of the world’s leading oil and gas exploration and production firms, including a growing customer base among North American unconventional resource operators. Established in 2004, Spectraseis is privately owned and has offices in Houston, Denver and Calgary. For more information on Spectraseis visit www.spectraseis.com.
About Spectris plc:
Spectris plc is a leading supplier of productivity-enhancing instrumentation and controls. The Company’s products and technologies help customers to improve product quality and performance, improve core manufacturing processes, reduce downtime and wastage and reduce time to market. Its global customer base spans a diverse range of end user markets. Spectris operates across four business segments which reflect the applications and industries it serves: Materials Analysis, Test and Measurement, In-line Instrumentation and Industrial Controls. Headquartered in Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom, the Company employs over 8,000 people with offices in more than 30 countries. For more information, visit www.spectris.com.
Paxton on Water Rule Nationwide
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released the following statement after a federal court granted a nationwide stay of the Obama Administration’s new waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule:
“We are pleased that the Sixth Circuit agreed with Texas and the other states that EPA’s new water rule should be stayed. The court’s ruling is good news for property owners whose land would have been subject to extensive new federal regulations due to this overreaching new water rule,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said. “In effect, the WOTUS rules are simply a blatant power grab by the EPA, and Texas will continue to fight against this ill-conceived and overly broad rule in court.”
“Today’s vote to repeal the outdated ban on exporting crude oil is a win for the U.S. economy, particularly due to the huge implications for the creation of new jobs. From the perspective of the drilling contractor community, this is an enormous benefit to our members,” said Stephen Colville, IADC President and CEO. “According to recent studies, lifting the ban would result in an average of 124,000 new jobs in the supply chain, contributing to 394,000 jobs in the greater economy through 2030. Particularly during a time of market uncertainty in the oil and gas industry, these job numbers are big, and meaningful. Combined with the expected addition of $26 billion to the GDP per year from the crude oil supply chain, these numbers clearly provided a deeply compelling case for the U.S. House to vote to lift the ban, and we support their efforts.”
About IADC
IADC is dedicated to enhancing the interests of oil-and-gas and geothermal drilling contractors worldwide. Founded in 1940, IADC’s mission is to improve industry health, safety and environmental practices; advance drilling and completion technology; and champion responsible standards, practices, legislation and regulations that provide for safe, efficient and environmentally sound drilling operations worldwide. IADC is headquartered in Houston and has offices in Washington D.C., the Netherlands, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as chapters in the UK, Brazil, Australasia, South Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and across the United States. For more information, visit the IADC websites www.iadc.org and www.drillingcontractor.org
IADC Praises Vote to Lift Ban
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the crude oil export ban by a vote of 261 to 159. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Representative Joe Barton (R-Tex), would bolster growth for domestically produced oil and facilitate job creation.
“Today’s vote to repeal the outdated ban on exporting crude oil is a win for the U.S. economy, particularly due to the huge implications for the creation of new jobs. From the perspective of the drilling contractor community, this is an enormous benefit to our members,” said Stephen Colville, IADC President and CEO. “According to recent studies, lifting the ban would result in an average of 124,000 new jobs in the supply chain, contributing to 394,000 jobs in the greater economy through 2030. Particularly during a time of market uncertainty in the oil and gas industry, these job numbers are big, and meaningful. Combined with the expected addition of $26 billion to the GDP per year from the crude oil supply chain, these numbers clearly provided a deeply compelling case for the U.S. House to vote to lift the ban, and we support their efforts.”
About IADC
IADC is dedicated to enhancing the interests of oil-and-gas and geothermal drilling contractors worldwide. Founded in 1940, IADC’s mission is to improve industry health, safety and environmental practices; advance drilling and completion technology; and champion responsible standards, practices, legislation and regulations that provide for safe, efficient and environmentally sound drilling operations worldwide. IADC is headquartered in Houston and has offices in Washington D.C., the Netherlands, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as chapters in the UK, Brazil, Australasia, South Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and across the United States. For more information, visit the IADC websites www.iadc.org and www.drillingcontractor.org
Transparency is Key for Mexico’s Auction
As Mexico’s first offshore bidding round for already discovered fields saw bids significantly higher than the minimum set up by the government, adding further transparency to the process would be positive for the round as it approaches its deepwater phase, according to an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.
Adrian Lara, GlobalData’s Senior Upstream Analyst for the Americas, says that the Mexican government’s announcement of the minimum profit oil worked out well, especially in discovered fields, as opposed to the disappointment surrounding the exploration blocks on offer during the previous phase of Round 1.
The minimum for Area 1 of this second phase was established at 34.8% and the bids ranged from 46.7 percent to 86.7 percent. GlobalData’s assessments suggest that assuming a price of $60 per barrel, these fields would be profitable with bids of up to 65%. Four of the nine bids were above this threshold, and two were significantly higher.
The size of the winning bid indicates that competition drove bidding higher because the floor was known. The previous phase also involved determining the potential floor for bidding, which could have led to negative bidding strategies designed to minimize outlay.
Lara comments: “So far, the particular design of Round 1 with its phases has functioned well, as it incorporates lessons learned in the previous phase.
“The success of the last phase, for example, was in part due to the failures of the first phase, namely that not disclosing the minimum adds uncertainty to the geological risk and ultimately lowers the incentive to bid high, or even bid at all.”
While GlobalData believes that the most promising deepwater prospects are the three discoveries Trion, Exploratus and Maximino being offered by Pemex as farm-outs, bidding activity in the next deepwater exploration block phase could be positively impacted if at least the framework for the farm-out agreements is released.
Lara explains: “Building on the premise that disclosing the minimum decreased uncertainty and added a degree of transparency to the process, it would be positive for the next phase if CNH provided more transparency on the terms of the farm-outs.
“This would provide a more comprehensive perspective on the final deepwater phase of the Round 1 and finally set an optimistic precedent for future bidding rounds,” the analyst concludes.
Enhance Your Creativity at Work
Sam and Boris were having lunch. Boris candidly told Sam that he admired his creativity and innovation. Boris was pretty risk-averse and never wanted to be the nail the stood out and got pounded down. Sam mentioned that he didn’t always think that way. He learned to acutely observe the traits, ideas, and concepts of others, and incorporate them into his own professional style.
After lunch, Sam went backed to his office and tried to figure out why he was different. He wanted to figure out what made him different. He came up with five rules that influenced him.
Sam remembered that one of his bosses, Earl, would always call out the elephant in the room. On occasion, a senior person in a meeting was misinformed. Many in the room would be reluctant to correct the information. Earl would consistently and respectfully point out this disconnect. Once the issue was discussed, the path forward could be more clearly decided.
In the workplace, pay attention to your coworkers and your leaders. Specifically, pay attention to the ones that stand out, in a good way. Ask yourself, what makes them special? Are they good at giving presentations? Are they detail-oriented? Are they willing to politely but firmly challenge authority? Or, do they keep quiet and allow a negative outcome to occur? Do they dress in an appropriate manner that makes the right impression on others?
When you model someone, don’t be afraid to literally copy their behavior. It isn’t easy to exactly imitate someone. Your version of them will be your own, or it will quickly evolve to your own style.
Find someone else to model (and repeat often)
Sam realized that, in his career, he met many unique individuals–bosses, peers and subordinates. From the ones who truly stood out in a positive way, he tried to figure out what he could do. For example, Ric believed in reassigning employees to growth roles when they got too comfortable and stopped growing. Sam incorporated that trait in his leadership.
Bad role models can be helpful, too. Sam had a manager named Bob who did two things that frustrated Sam.
First, Bob was an extreme micro-manager who was always looking over Sam’s shoulder. Bob never gave Sam the room to do his work. Sam felt like he wasn’t being trusted. Going forward, Sam avoided micro-managing his people.
Bob had a second bad habit. He would assign a task, and when Sam and others would turn in exactly what he asked for, he would mark it up and ask you to re-work the assignment, with no explanation. That bothered Sam and his peers. When Sam became a manager, sometimes he would receive work that was not what he expected. Before acting, he would pause and assess the situation. He thought about what he asked for. If the result was acceptable as an end product, he would say nothing and learn to be more precise when describing task assignments. If the result was unacceptable as an end product, he would sincerely apologize to the person for having to rework the task and acknowledge it was his mistake in the task definition.
Over time, the best of the good examples will integrate into your unique behavior. And, if you catch yourself doing a bad behavior, you can correct it.
Seek outside sources of inspiration
Sam was a voracious reader. He read books, blogs and magazines. He kept up with industry trends and also trends from outside his industry. He studied technology and leadership. If he came across something that might transfer to his career, he would see if he could make it work. Sam developed a reputation as an out of the box thinker. He was really just open to new ideas and always striving to improve the products and processes in his workplace.
Combine two seemingly unrelated ideas
Earlier in Sam’s career, the concept of concurrent engineering became popular. Sam also participated in a process called Design For Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA). DFMA involved having Manufacturing review designs for producibility before they were finalized. Sam took a risk on a small program he was managing and took DFMA to another level. He invited Manufacturing to participate in the design process from the beginning. This saved the cost and schedule impact of completing a design iteration after the DFMA.
Sam received kudos for his innovation but the change did not catch on throughout the company. Not all tries will succeed. Even those that succeed, may not become widespread. But the trial and error enhanced Sam’s reputation as a creative thinker. He was regularly invited to be a member of teams formed to improve company processes.
Ask “What if?”
Sam believed in challenging the status quo. Why do we build our products this way? What if we started with a blank sheet of paper? What would our new process be like? Is there a cost-effective way to benefit from the results of this exercise?
Every company’s culture is different. Exercise your judgment as to how much you challenge the status quo. But if you don’t play the “what if” game, you will not see opportunities to improve your workplace and advance your career.
When Sam finished his reflection, he had these five tips to be more creative and innovative. They involved integrating the best practices and ideas from others into his work habits.
He met with Boris a week later and shared his notes and examples. Boris liked it so much he asked Sam to come and present them to his team.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Walt Grassl is a speaker, author, and performer. He hosts the radio show, “Stand Up and Speak Up,” on the RockStar Worldwide network. Walt has performed standup comedy at the Hollywood Improv and the Flamingo in Las Vegas and is studying improv at the Groundlings School in Hollywood. For more information on bringing Walt Grassl to your next event, please visit www.WaltGrassl.com.