From the Training:
Certified Safe & Loved Practitioner

By now everyone has seen the video of the McDonald’s CEO trying a new hamburger on camera.

As a guy who hates being in front of cameras, I give him credit. That takes guts. But to me, the bigger failure wasn’t the video.

The bigger failure was that his people watched it and let it go out anyway.

In reality, it probably went through dozens of people. Marketing teams. Communications staff. Advisors. Executives. And somehow no one stopped it and said:

“Hey…this is going to be received really poorly. Let’s try that again.”

Maybe someone tried. I don’t know.
And that’s the point of this article.

Help your friends out.

Years ago, I watched a video about a school 'prank' that had been going on for years. High school boys were blindfolded, and their mothers were brought in to kiss them on the mouth. Deeply. Often in ways that were very sexualized.

The school had done it for years.

Years.

Until someone posted a video online and the outrage exploded.

My first thought wasn’t just shock and disgust.
It was—where was everyone?

Maybe they did.

I don’t know. But for the sake of the people you love and lead, say something when things start going in the wrong direction. 

Sooner, not later.
Right then. 

Do it for your friends, coworkers, and leaders.
Walk right up and say, “I need to have a courageous conversation." 

Do it for them. Do it for your culture.

Culture is fragile and it matters more than most people realize, especially when it comes to safety.

The level of your culture is equal to the level of your safety.

If people trust the culture, they protect it.
If they don’t, they disengage from it.

And disengagement is dangerous.

We all make mistakes. Leaders do. Teachers do. Administrators do. Parents do. I certainly do.

Sometimes we just get caught up in the moment and lose sight of what’s right.

That’s why safety has to be holistic.
Protection has to be holistic.

And sometimes holistic protection means protecting each other from ourselves.

Someone should have stopped the McDonald’s video.
And someone should have stopped the ‘kissing’ school.

So help your friends out and protect your culture.

If you see something heading in the wrong direction — speak up.

The culture you protect today may be the safety that protects you tomorrow…or doesn’t.