Brian Crossman is a partner in Estevan-based Independent Well Servicing. The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of Independent Well Servicing.
Brian Crossman, introducing Ryan Smith at the Independent Well Servicing Safety Stand Down. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
These days it’s getting hard to maintain that “positive” attitude that we all (most of us anyway) aspire to. Hell, even I who is often called “Mr. Positive” by many people (Well, a few. Ok, maybe none.) have a difficult time of it. So, as I often do, I will rip-off some great examples of encouraging quotes by some people I admire and lay out good ideas to live our best lives in these trying times.
For a few years now, I have become a huge fan of Jocko Willink. For those undoubtedly few people that don’t know who this is, I will provide a short review. Jocko is a highly decorated Navy Seal who served for twenty years and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After leading men into battle in Iraq and surviving many other conflicts, he retired to civilian life and started a leadership consulting company with fellow special operators named “Echelon Front.” Without delving too deep, he and his team have developed an excellent system for leadership training for management teams. Extreme discipline and ownership of all your tasks are at the crux of his philosophy. I have read his books and principles within, are inspiring and I still hope to attend a seminar at some point. Google him and watch his Ted Talk. It will give you a special appreciation of the elite special ops teams that do a great deal of the heavy lifting when needed.
One of Jocko’s main taglines is simply “Good.” One of my best friends, Stuart, gave me a tee-shirt from the Echelon Front website with the single word on it, “Good.” I was going through a difficult time in my life with health issues, and it was greatly appreciated. (I still have the shirt to this day.) Mr. Willink would listen to a problem from a team guy, or even himself, he would immediately say, “Good.” Basically, if something went bad, the reply is always “Good,” which gives you the opportunity to find a solution and get better. This applies to every facet of life, and the oilpatch is no exception.
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“Tough day on the rig?” “Good.” You are learning new skills and getting stronger at the same time.
“Made a mistake?” “Good.” Learn from it, never make it again, and teach others to follow your example.
“The FNG pulled a no-show this morning?” “Good.” You have a chance to mentor a new hire the right way from day one. “Good” chance he’ll be a better hand anyway.
“Low oil prices?” “Good.” Time to work on being more efficient and get ready for the next cycle. (Which inevitably comes around)
“Your boss is treating you like shit?” “Good.” You are being trained how NOT to lead in the future. (Maybe a new career is in your future)
“Your safety record is suffering with too many incidents?” “Good.” Time to change up your training and develop new initiatives to improve how your company operates in a hazardous environment.
“Team morale is down?” “Good.” Be the guy on your crew and your organization that sets a positive, uplifting tone. This is even more important if you are a manager. Positivity is highly infectious, so give it a try.
The lesson in all of this in my opinion is finding ways to overcome adversity. While Jocko may have updated this train of thought, it is far from new. The top Canadian example would be Terry Fox. The man survives cancer then loses a leg and Terry says “Good.” “I’ll raise money to find a cure for cancer by running across Canada.” (The foundation that bears his name has raised over one billion dollars to date. “Good” indeed.)
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- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
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- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
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- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
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In the course of many safety stands downs that I have played a part in, we hired several fantastic keynote speakers. These people each had an inspirational story to tell, and they tell it them well. We hired Candace Carnahan, who is an amazing safety speaker and now a good friend. She lost a leg in an industrial accident as a young summer student and now gives inspirational safety talks. Candace didn’t give up; she has dedicated her life to preventing workplace injuries. “Good.”
Tyler Smith is a survivor of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. He talks about the trauma of losing friends and teammates, the now infamous bus accident and how he and others overcame adversity and PTSD. Tyler’s speech had a profound effect on everyone in the room. “Good.”
This past June at the “Weyburn Oil and Gas Show,” the committee employed Jeremy Evans, AKA “The Grizzley Dude.” His story of surviving a grizzly bear attack and conquering the ongoing effects on his family and his life. A very “Good” story. (Not a dry eye in the house BTW)
If you would like to learn more about these three rockstars, hit the Google machine.
“Political climate bad?” Tough to say “Good” in this case, so take the time to read and listen carefully and support the change you believe in. Maybe you can make a difference. “Good.”
It all comes down to your attitude. “Good.”
“The patch is a bit slow or the road bans are causing some unwanted downtime? “Good.” Take the opportunity to get caught up on the tasks you have been putting off, and more importantly, spend some quality time with the important people in your life. This is truly “Good.”
Brian Crossman is a columnist for Pipeline Online with forty-plus years in the industry. The old adage that a bad game of golf is better than a “Good” day at work isn’t necessarily true, especially if you suck at golf like Brian does. He would like to remind everyone in our beloved industry that no matter what, it is a “Good” place to work.
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- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
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Editor’s note: Minister of Crown Investments Corp and Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison will be the guest on the Pipeline Online Podcast at noon on Friday, Oct. 16. We’re going to get in depth on the site selection of Rafferty and what’s happening now with large nuclear and SMRs. Watch live on X, Facebook or YouTube or catch the recording on PipelineOnline.ca.