This is the third and final installment in a series of posts by Matt Hudson, Rhino Staging’s Executive Director of Safety, Training, and Rigging. Matt is an ETCP Certified Rigger with thirty-seven years of production rigging experience. He is a Certified Safety Professional specializing in fall protection, a level three Rope Access Supervisor and Evaluator, and is the past President of The Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians.
Culture
Rhino has experienced remarkable growth and financial success. I would argue that our success can be attributed to Rhino founder and CEO Jeff Giek’s steady leadership and the culture we have developed. Our core principle of treating people right has been a solid recipe for success. We have hundreds of employees that have worked for us for decades. Here are the key elements of our culture that we must strive to maintain as we grow and change:
- People first. Our product is our people. We must never lose sight of how to treat our people with dignity, respect, and fairness.
- Long-term view. We err on the side of taking care of our people over a short-run gain. If we lose a show or a building because we stick to our guns about safety, we will more than make it up by gaining a good reputation.
- Do it right. Sometimes it is tempting to take a shortcut. You could stand up on the top step of that ladder to reach that last fixture or you could climb down and go get a taller ladder. You could step over the guardrail for a second to grab that cable or you go all the way down to your truck to get your harness. You scratch a wall with a forklift. No one saw. You could drive away or you could own up and let the building know. Doing it right and behaving with integrity puts us at less risk and increases our reputation over time.
- Make it right. Inevitably, there will be times when we don’t perform as well as we would have liked. Take responsibility, don’t make excuses, apologize, and try hard to fix the problems. If you behave this way, people are a lot more forgiving of a mistake and willing to give second chances.
- Calm and reasonable. There are many stresses and pressures in our fast-paced business. Staying calm, reasonable, and solutions-based will solve the majority of conflicts.
- Looking out for each other. The environment we work in is potentially dangerous. We often don’t control the tasks we’re asked to perform. Many times we don’t know the specifics of what we are going to do until we are in the middle of it. What we can control is what we do and how we care for each other collectively as Rhinos. A key element of doing the work safely and effectively is looking out for each other. We observe and take care of the people working around us to prevent problems before they start.
Conclusion
Long-term financial success in our industry is complex. There are many pros and cons to different approaches. Carefully weighing these is essential to choosing successful strategies and striking the correct balance. Our experience over the past 35 years has proven one concept. Treat people right and we will succeed.
Read the other installments in this series at the links below.