The Challa mustering “NDP”
Written by Debbie Dowden, Challa Station
Raucous laughter fills the workshop as the mustering crew gathers for ‘tribal council’ after a long hard day of mustering. Stories are shared, grievances aired and points handed out for mistakes and misdemeanours. The points are tallied and a pink nightie is handed over to the person who won the most points, and they have to wear the nightie for the next 24 hours.
Challa Station uses its No Dickhead Policy (NDP) as an entertaining and highly palatable way to discuss efficiency and safety on the job. Points are allocated for various reasons; frivolous ones like upsetting the cook, (15 points) and arguing with the pilot (10 points) or general acts of stupidity, (up to 50 points). Points can also be allocated for errors that affect the efficiency of the muster, like forgetting to take a radio (30 points), running out of fuel (25 points) or cutting the mob off (that’s when your action unintentionally separates the mob of cattle – 10 points). The crew can also earn points for close calls in the yards (20 points), inattention whilst working cattle (15 points) or falling off a motorbike (10 points) – events that can have potentially serious consequences.
Daily total points are tallied on a whiteboard in the workshop and any person who gets a zero-point day is awarded a prize, like a Challa Station work shirt. The person with the most points by the end of the day is awarded the pink nightie, which they have to keep visible on their person for the next 24 hours. The poor person who accrues the most points by the end of the muster wins a trophy – one that is suitably fitting and inevitably reflects a running joke that developed over time. By the end of the muster, we try to make sure every team member has had a zero-point day so they have earned their reward.
The NDP, supported by tribal council, offers our staff a team-building experience, a way to diffuse disagreements, and an opportunity to discuss safety. They share stories about their day, which has often been long and hard, and let each other know that they saw their mistakes and they’re willing to talk about them – and allocate points. Tribal council is never supposed to be serious, it is fueled by good-natured jibes and hilarious anecdotes, and that is why it is such a successful and entertaining way to discuss serious issues.
Our mustering crew has two distinct demographics – the old, experienced musterers and the young, keen green ones. Tribal council gives the old, experienced blokes a chance to impart their wisdom on the younger ones and sometimes have a serious talk about safety. They talk about the grumpy old cow that charged, and how the young bloke missed the warning signs but leapt over the six-rail fence with all the athleticism and thought process of an emu. This inevitably leads to some sage advice being handed out on how to read a beast and avoid dangerous situations – and the allocation of points. The more senior members don’t miss out on points, although theirs may be for more frivolous reasons. Reg, for example, is a meticulous, highly experienced professional musterer who is the epitome of a Murchison stockman. Reg is a flawless crew member, so he is often allocated points for flying under the radar.
We had a young musterer who took time off year 11 to come and work. As a careful, conscientious farmer who understood stock and drove race cars on weekends, it was difficult to find mistakes and allocate points, so the crew gave her 10 points every day for wagging school – except on weekends. We had another young person join us who was on a huge learning curve. He was allocated points every day but was optimistic about the fact that his final daily tally was getting lower as he progressed and learned. On his final day, he managed his greatest triumph – zero points and walked away a much happier, wiser and somewhat safer station hand.
The Challa Station NDP allows our team to discuss serious issues that affect their workplace in a lighthearted way. It serves to diffuse tension between the team as people discuss issues once the dust has settled. It allows us to maintain a strong ethos of care and responsibility and encourages people to learn from the mistakes of others and improve their own ability to recognise and respond to safety and efficiency issues. Education through lighthearted banter is not for every workplace, but it works for us. Our crew know that tribal council is a time for a laugh and a joke, and every now and then a serious conversation emerges that may never have surfaced in another forum. And at the end of the day, the whole team is working towards a more efficient and safer muster.