“Rest is the sweet sauce of labor.” -Plutarch

Rest. Reflect. Refocus.

Three words that seem simple but require some strategy to be done well and deliver benefits. As we move from the spring outage season into summer, I encourage you all to consider how you will do these three things well.

I asked Katie Maldonado, our APM Comms Director, to share some guidance for us. A few considerations from her:

Rest.

Last week you received a memo on Restorative Rest (attached here again). I encourage you to review it and consider how well you are resting. Quality rest that helps you feel your best requires intentionality. And while you don’t need to follow the provided itinerary to the tee, I ask you to be mindful about your habits and routines. A healthy routine can make all the difference in how you feel and perform. Take care of your mind and body, and they will take care of you.

Reflect.

This is a critical aspect of the Deming Cycle, which is the foundation of our commitment-based safety (CBS) philosophy and safety task analysis (STA) standard. Without intentional reflection, minimal learning occurs. Overtime, it is increasingly tempting for us to become set in our routines and rhythms, moving quickly from one task to another. But I encourage you to create space for reflection on your achievements this spring … What went well? What went wrong? What would you do differently? What mattered the most? These are just a few questions you can use to debrief with yourself and prepare for future success.

The start of summer is also key time when we reflect and collect feedback as a business. Next Friday you will see our Annual Employee Experience Survey launch. I ask you to share your thoughts. We need your voice to focus our efforts where there is most value. Thank you in advance for your openness and help to improve.

Refocus.

It is early to talk much about end of summer events, and I do not want you to focus there just yet. Rest and reflection are critical first steps. But I do want you to have a target in the back of your mind. In August, we will come together for a Safety & Quality Reset to align on learnings and standards. This opportunity to spend time together is paramount to our success. Showing up ready to make the most of this event and kicking off the fall season well will hinge on the quality of your rest and reflection this summer.

Thank you for all you contributed to our APM success this spring. We are winding down with 5800+ craft working ~2.4M hours on 800+ jobs under the APM brand. I hope it remains a brand you are proud to represent. I am – thanks to you all.

 Rest well.  

—Jake