Headwork (a.k.a. Risk Mismanagement)

Two simple equations that apply to everyone. First, initiative plus knowledge equals kudo. However, bright idea plus overconfidence equals booby-trap.

If a wobbly ladder stayed wobbly and just scared you, that might be OK. The problem is that it doesn’t. No, it will provide an express elevator ride to the ground/pavement/shrubbery below, minus the elevator car.

Every time I get to feelin' sort of invincible, like nothing bad could ever happen to such a neat guy as me, I recall the last words of General John Sedgwick, who said, as he watched the Rebs and his Yankee troops skirmish in the distance around the Spotyslvania Courthouse, "Don't worry none. They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist--."

If there's one word that brings a shudder to someone who has read several thousand mishap reports, it is "self-taught." You have to ask yourself, how much does the person you're learning from know?

Every act has its consequences. Everything costs, either in coin or kind. The question should always be, "What am I willing to pay?"

Hope for the best and plan on the worst. You may be pleasantly surprised, which will be nice, and at least you'll be prepared, which will also be nice.

Aviators have long joked about the worthlessness of altitude above and runway behind. Add "training scheduled for next week" to the list.

If the "S" in your S.O.P. sometimes stands for "shortcuts," you are walking on thin ice, and it's time for a major rethinking of that modus operandi. Yes, resources are short and tasking is long. But many a finger, a job, a mission, even a career, has been cut short by a shortcut.

If someone asks whether you read the label, the recommended answers are either "Yes" or "No, I'll read it right now." The answer isn't "Label? I don't need no stinkin' label."

Take a minute to read those warning labels. Sometimes they aim at the lowest common denominator, but they aren't casting aspersions on your I.Q. or your common sense. They keep us from learning the hard way. And if you're tempted to ignore them, take an additional minute to consider how it will look when someone replays the video.

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