Episode 4 - "Pint-Sized Mentality"

ThoughtLeadership.biz Podcast

You should see the face of this dude from England that I speak to periodically; he helps me with some of our marketing endeavors.

• Unshaven
• Gaunt
• Disheveled

Rich didn’t always look like that, though. Like all of his fellow countrymen, he has endured a three-month lockdown, with little more than a grocery store open, let alone a pub. (No wonder he looks so poorly.)

I’m Chris Machut, CEO at Netarus, manufacturer of the HoistCam system. And, comparatively, I look like Brad Pitt.

(Ok, I get that a lot.)

Seriously, not only do I feel sorry for anyone enduring draconian anti-Covid measures right now, but I’m also here to make a wider point about lockdowns and the value of sacrifice.

Many scientists would agree on the merits of hard lockdown (the virus inescapably spreads between us) but surely they would also demand clear results. That’s the whole point of science, isn’t it? We research, measure, record, and act.

Many governments and authorities seem to have lost sight of that recently. They’ve become obsessed with lockdowns at the expense of reality. Surely there has to be some balance that considers the societal and economic costs of hard lockdown. What about mental health, livelihoods, loneliness, etc.? Have Rich’s leaders in England and those in, say, California gone too far for too long? I think they might have.

We can use oppressive leadership as a warning sign when it comes to technology, and specifically crane and safety systems. My fear is that this lockdown and draconian mentality is as contagious as a virus in its own right. It’ll catch on to the point where we’re employing measures and giving instructions with restriction in mind without an end purpose.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a BIG fan of technology. Look at my company if you’re in any doubt. I’m a tech geek, damn it. And proud.

Forget the movie star looks, razor-sharp wit, James Bond charm, and second-to-none business acumen… I’m really at my happiest with my head in a computer, trying to apply technology to life’s problems. When I get some time off work, I talk about material handling, cameras, and tech.

Tech rules!

But, I NEVER apply technology for technology's sake. There has to be a point to it. Its implementation must make us better, faster, cleverer, more productive… SAFER. Otherwise, there’s no point.

In the first episode of this podcast series I tackled the myth that our cameras are there to check-up or pry on workers. As I said, we’ve had many crane operators look at our systems at trade shows and be shocked by the clarity of image, ease of use and extent to which utilization would enhance their work. But they sometimes wonder if there’s a catch.

There’s not.