The website Peace Quarters posted this article Harvard Psychologists Say: Parents Who Raise ‘Good’ Kids, Do These 5 Things! I couldn’t help thinking that all of these parenting behaviours also go into the mix if you want to demonstrate great Safety Leadership.
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SPEND QUALITY TIME
– Management by walk about i.e. eyeballing your team and having a two-way conversation is a key safety management tool.
– Silence Technology: Show up on site and be present without technology interrupting you. Turn your phone to silent, close the laptop and get face to face.
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BE A ROLE MODEL
– Look the part: wear your PPE, obey safety signs and procedures
– Respect has to be earned and making mistakes show that you are human. If you make a mistake own it, no one is above having an incident investigation.
– Take care of yourself: Hypocrisy is ugly; leaders can’t expect their workers to take care of themselves if they don’t manage their own wellbeing.
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TEACHING VALUES
– Set boundaries for behaviour and hold people accountable
– Learn how to ‘share your toys’ (work trucks and other resources) is an important part of being a team
– Weakest Link: the team is only as strong as its weakest link. Making sure that everyone is trained and included is important.
4 SAFETY LEADERSHIP & GRATITUDE
– Celebrate: Catch people doing that right thing and celebrate it. Train yourself to say “I noticed….” a.k.a “You Matter” at least once a day.
– Reward: Reward people for going above and beyond. A sticky bun run/ pie run goes a long way (even if it’s probably not the healthiest reward)
– Refer to History: Explain how things have improved, for example when the Manapouri Power Station was built it was expected that at least 17 people would die on the project. We have come a long way today; however, NZ has still got a long way to go before ‘Everyone Gets Home Safe.”
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SHOW THEM THE BIGGER PICTURE
– What’s Your Why? Remind people of why they want to get home safe (to be with family, loved ones, pursue their hobbies etc)
– What’s your value? Remind people of the true value of their work. It’s not just about dry cleaning sheets, it’s about making sure that a hotel guest feels like they were the first person to stay in a room.
Have a safe and productive week and as always if you have any thoughts or feedback send me an email or give me a call if you have any other ideas or how to demonstrate great safety leadership.
SB