The Ballad of Paul O'Neill:

Get a cup of coffee.

Today, I will talk about one of the brilliant management stories I have ever read. Let's get started.

1/

It was the year 1987, where a bunch of analysts and investors have teamed up to meet the new CEO of Alcoa.

Alcoa is one of the largest aluminum manufacturing firms where employees work in a dangerous environment. Millions have invested in the stock.
2/

Recently management has made missteps letting competitors take away profits and market share.

It was a sign of relief when investors heard about a management change.

The new CEO is Paul O Neill, who is a former Govt bureaucrat.
3/

AGM has started. Paul entered the stage. His only emphasis is *worker safety* He aimed to bring down worker injuries to zero.

He talked nothing about firm profits, capital ratios, taxes.

The investors were confused. They thought he is crazy and sold their shares.
4/

But to their surprise, the firm market value has increased from $ 3 billion in 1986 to $ 27.53 billion in 2000 while net income improved from $ 200 million to $ 1.484 billion.

What's more, all the growth occurred while Alcoa becoming one of the safest firms in the world.
5/

How did Paul manage to turn a dangerous firm into a profitable and a safe one?

The answer lies in understanding keystone habits.

The loop of a habit is Cue, routine, reward.

You see ice cream (cue), buy and eat it (routine), Feel happy (reward)
6/

We are not talking about habits in detail though. That is a topic for another day.

Keystone habits are habits that have the power to create a chain reaction and change the entirety of the form.
7/

For instance, take this, you exercise ➡️eat a good diet ➡️ be productive at work ➡️ create healthy relationships ➡️ improve your life.

This is what exactly Paul has done. He attacked a single habit *Worker safety* and watched it bring changes across the organization.
8/

Paul identified a simple cue: worker injury.

He developed a routine: Anytime someone was injured, the unit president had to report to Paul within 24 hours.

The reward is the people who report on time get a promotion.
9/

The unit presidents are busy people. To report on time, they need vice presidents to be alert.

Vice presidents have to follow up with floor managers. And the managers with employees.
10/

As soon as, an injury happened, Paul got an alert from unit presidents. He understood why it happened.

He took corrective action to ensure from not happening of the same mistake.
11/

For instance, if molten metal was injuring workers when it splashed, then the pouring system was replaced.

If a machine kept breaking down, it was replaced.

This improved production and adoption of new technology improved firm efficiency.
12/

The second big thing Paul has done is he linked up Alcoa's offices across the world with electronic networks.

The premise is simple. To get to know about worker injuries as quickly as possible.
13/

At first, people have used the network to discuss safety issues. Then as email habits became more comfortable, they started posting info on other topics such as local mkt conditions, sales quotas, and business problems.
14/

"I would send in my accident report, and I knew everyone else read it, so I figured, why not send pricing info or intelligence on other firms," a manager said.

"It was like we had discovered a secret weapon and the competition couldn't figure out how we were doing it"
15/

In 2000, Paul has retired from Alcoa. Companies across America have embraced the idea of using keystone habits to remake workplaces.

For instance, At IBM, Lou Gerstner rebuilt the firm by concentrating on one keystone habit: Research and selling routines.
16/

I thank you for reading the full thread. I think reading is your Keystone habit and keep reading.

The entire story is from the book 'The Power of Habit' written by Charles Duhigg. I recommend reading this wonderful book. Have a great day.

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big louis winthorpe III energy


i almost feel bad for the guy, because someone this absolutely clueless about how he sounds really shouldn't be allowed to post under his own name.

he seems like someone who *genuinely* means well most of the time, but it extremely easy to excite and wind up, and who is just profoundly dense about the wisdom of getting wound up the way he does in public.

on the other hand, the tara reade business was indefensible, exploitative, and gross. if there is ever a writer who desperately needs an editor to save him from himself, it's nathan robinson.

i had a few friends in high school who were well-meaning, wealthier than they realized, and in drama class, and most of them grew out of their nathan robinson stage because, well, it was oklahoma. there's almost something a little charming about the fact that he didn't.

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दधीचि ऋषि को मनाही थी कि वह अश्विनी कुमारों को किसी भी अवस्था में ब्रह्मविद्या का उपदेश नहीं दें। ये आदेश देवराज इन्द्र का था।वह नहीं चाहते थे कि उनके सिंहासन को प्रत्यक्ष या परोक्ष रुप से कोई भी खतरा हो।मगर जब अश्विनी कुमारों ने सहृदय प्रार्थना की तो महर्षि सहर्ष मान गए।


और उन्होनें ब्रह्मविद्या का ज्ञान अश्विनि कुमारों को दे दिया। गुप्तचरों के माध्यम से जब खबर इन्द्रदेव तक पहुंची तो वे क्रोध में खड़ग ले कर गए और महर्षि दधीचि का सर धड़ से अलग कर दिया।मगर अश्विनी कुमार भी कहां चुप बैठने वाले थे।उन्होने तुरंत एक अश्व का सिर महर्षि के धड़ पे...


...प्रत्यारोपित कर उन्हें जीवित रख लिया।उस दिन के पश्चात महर्षि दधीचि अश्वशिरा भी कहलाए जाने लगे।अब आगे सुनिये की किस प्रकार महर्षि दधीचि का सर काटने वाले इन्द्र कैसे अपनी रक्षा हेतु उनके आगे गिड़गिड़ाए ।

एक बार देवराज इन्द्र अपनी सभा में बैठे थे, तो उन्हे खुद पर अभिमान हो आया।


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अभिमान के कारण ऋषि बृहस्पति के पधारने पर न तो इन्द्र ही खड़े हुए और न ही अन्य देवों को खड़े होने दिया।देवगुरु बृहस्पति इन्द्र का ये कठोर दुर्व्यवहार देख कर चुप चाप वहां से लौट गए।कुछ देर पश्चात जब देवराज का मद उतरा तो उन्हे अपनी गलती का एहसास हुआ।