Four Secret WordsThat Improve Safety
Tell Me.
- I’m approachable.
- I’m genuinely interested in what you have to say.
- I’ll follow through.
- I care about you.
I recently saw a safety leader wearing a shirt that said “tell me.’ It was a part of a program to raise awareness of safety issues and to engage employees and leaders in safety discussions. The concept is simple. Leaders want to know about safety.
The words are transformational. It invites dialog. That dialog demonstrates caring. That caring builds trust. It’s a virtuous circle, as long as the leader follows up on their commitments.
Thank You.
- I heard what you said.
- I appreciate that you care.
- I’m willing to take feedback.
For years, I have conducted feedback and ’lessons learned’ sessions where I instruct participants to solicit feedback. The caveat is that there are two responses; 1) Ask for clarification; or 2) say ‘thank you.’ I follow-up with a statement that: “Feedback is a gift. Like gifts, not all are wanted, but we always say thank you.”
In terms of safety feedback, ‘thank you’ allows someone to demonstrate caring. It tells others you are open to additional feedback. It allows people to act and keep colleagues safe.
So What?
Leaders need to build trust with their employees. Creating an environment where employees are comfortable telling them about hazards and sharing suggestions is critical to improving safety.
By saying ‘thank you,’ employees accept feedback and create an environment where it is comfortable to give more feedback.
Instructor ,Safety Advisor at North County Training
8 年Words are great, positive supportive action goes a long way too, along with respect for the individual(s)involved. One thing I have found is that you treat employees the way you want to be treated and you will go a long way!
Engineer at Portage District General Hospital
8 年Being approachable and being a good listener are paramount in operating a successful food safety program. No communication leads to molehills turning into mountains!
Behavior Designer / Experto en Seguridad de Procesos / Mejora de Performance Organizacional / Keynote speaker
8 年Larry Pearlman there is nothing more powerful than a "thanks for your good job" and a "You can count on me"
Continuous Improvement & Communication Director at Indorama Ventures Xylenes & PTA
8 年One word Larry--Awesome. Hits right to the heart of it
Learning Leader | Learning & Development Influencer | Learning Solution Architect | Learner of GenAI Possibilities
8 年I agree that civility and sharing a sincere "Thank you" is a part of multitude of behaviors...incentives... that build relationships over time. My experience has been that the sincerity of the relationship correlates with the degree of, and quality of, feedback exchanged about work stuff. In short: Trust = Vulnerability. I will be more willing to give and receive feedback with people that have a track record of demonstrating good will. Nice article!