safety meeting starters (sms) sept 2013

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Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) September 2013 Happy September! - - Wow, another month in the books…this year is zipping by! Don’t worry about last month, it’s gone. And, don’t worry about tomorrow for it is not yet here. Today is the only day that you can get hurt so do things right today! Enjoy this month’s safety material. And as always, send me your feedback, [email protected]. Wishing you and your family a blessed and safe Labor Day Weekend. Thanks again and Remember, no one gets hurt today! God Bless, Matt. What is Safety Meeting Starters (SMS)? SMS is your FREE resource aimed to help you have more effective tailgates, job briefings, and safety meetings. SMS features all types of safety information for all types of industries including an Involved Safety Meeting Activity (ISMS), idea for Safety Awareness Items, links to dozens of safety related articles, tools for safety pros, and more. Feel free to route and share within your organization and network. Also, encourage your fellow supervisors, managers and safety leaders to sign up to receive SMS. One may sign up at; http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001DHL4fuLXGflzE7hcsNgrelxok3N SWtKGC7SeHf8lIG9y5veytZfQ7ncQGIYShXsVPLiVpsEPMJN6MGSB1McQDdFGyF_EZkbJczlBx_b64 IU%3D Why Wait for Safety Meeting Starters, instead get real time safety information through Matt’s Twitter feed. Follow Matt in June and receive a code for 50% off any one book in Matt’s collection (find Matt’s books here http://www.safestrat.com/review-and-order-safety-books/) and follow Matt on Twitter from this link: https://twitter.com/Safestrat or @safestrat. About Matt… Matt Forck is a board-certified Safety Professional (CSP) and former Journey Lineworker in the hazardous field of electrical line work (JLW). Matt’s recent innovations include the development of the Safety Committee MAP process, a systematic process for safety committee success, and the Informal Leader Program aimed at engaging the true safety leaders within any organization. Matt has published nearly 100 safety articles and written seven books including his latest release, What Safety Leaders Do. He is a frequent speaker at national and regional safety conferences and leads corporate sponsored safety, motivational and culture building keynote presentations. You may contact Matt through his website, www.safestrat.com. SMS is a FREE monthly newsletter to the safety community. Matt Forck, CSP, JLW | www.safestrat.com | 573.999.7981

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What is Safety Meeting Starters (SMS)? SMS is your FREE resource aimed to help you have more effective tailgates, job briefings, and safety meetings. SMS features all types of safety information for all types of industries including an Involved Safety Meeting Activity (ISMS), idea for Safety Awareness Items, links to dozens of safety related articles, tools for safety pros, and more. Feel free to route and share within your organization and network. Also, encourage your fellow supervisors, managers and safety leaders to sign up to receive SMS.

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Page 1: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) September 2013 Happy September! - - Wow, another month in the books…this year is zipping by! Don’t worry about last month, it’s gone. And, don’t worry about tomorrow for it is not yet here. Today is the only day that you can get hurt so do things right today! Enjoy this month’s safety material. And as always, send me your feedback, [email protected]. Wishing you and your family a blessed and safe Labor Day Weekend. Thanks again and Remember, no one gets hurt today! God Bless, Matt. What is Safety Meeting Starters (SMS)? SMS is your FREE resource aimed to help you have more effective tailgates, job briefings, and safety meetings. SMS features all types of safety information for all types of industries including an Involved Safety Meeting Activity (ISMS), idea for Safety Awareness Items, links to dozens of safety related articles, tools for safety pros, and more. Feel free to route and share within your organization and network. Also, encourage your fellow supervisors, managers and safety leaders to sign up to receive SMS. One may sign up at; http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001DHL4fuLXGflzE7hcsNgrelxok3NSWtKGC7SeHf8lIG9y5veytZfQ7ncQGIYShXsVPLiVpsEPMJN6MGSB1McQDdFGyF_EZkbJczlBx_b64IU%3D

Why Wait for Safety Meeting Starters, instead get real time safety information through Matt’s Twitter feed. Follow Matt in June and receive a code for 50% off any one book in Matt’s collection (find Matt’s books here http://www.safestrat.com/review-and-order-safety-books/) and follow Matt on Twitter from this link: https://twitter.com/Safestrat or @safestrat.

About Matt… Matt Forck is a board-certified Safety Professional (CSP) and former Journey Lineworker in the hazardous field of electrical line work (JLW). Matt’s recent innovations include the development of the Safety Committee MAP process, a systematic process for safety committee success, and the Informal Leader Program aimed at engaging the true safety leaders within any organization. Matt has published nearly 100 safety articles and written seven books including his latest release, What Safety Leaders Do. He is a frequent speaker at national and regional safety conferences and leads corporate sponsored safety, motivational and culture building keynote presentations. You may contact Matt through his website, www.safestrat.com. SMS is a FREE monthly newsletter to the safety community.

Matt Forck, CSP, JLW | www.safestrat.com | 573.999.7981

Page 2: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

2

S.A.F.E. (See Accidents Forever Eliminated) at Work - A Motivational Safety Column!

Safety, It’s Worth the Trip When the name Christopher Columbus is uttered I immediately think of sailboats and the ocean blue. But, there is much more to this man born in Genoa, Portugal in 1451 than first meets the eye. For starters, Columbus was a visionary. He was able to see past the conventional ‘earth is flat’ thinking of the time. Through research and other ventures, he formed a new model, one that said that the earth is round. Not only is it round, he formulated that if one would sail west, away from the continental shoreline and directly into the unknown, you would not fall off the edge of the earth. Instead, you would find a better and faster shipping lane to India. Columbus held this truth and the next step was to prove it. He needed to find some venture capitalists to fund the expedition. In 1584 he talked to King John of Portugal and tried to convince him to buy stock in the "The Enterprise of the Indies." A polite ‘no’ was the answer. Columbus didn’t give up however, and he moved to Spain in 1485. There he began to learn the new language and the new culture. In the early 1490’s he was able to convince Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that his ideas had merit. They offered some financing, Columbus was ecstatic, he was sailing west, into the unknown. Columbus assembled an armada of three relatively small ships and a crew that totaled 120 men. On August 3, 1492 he bid farewell to Spain. He landed on the last known civilized port, the Canary Islands, in early September. There he made repairs to his ships and restocked for the journey into the unknown. They set sail into uncharted waters on the morning of September 6th, 1492. Can you imagine the mix of exhilaration and anxiety sailing with Columbus and his crew? Since no one had ever sailed this path, there was no way of knowing just how long it would actually take. After ten days, the crew began to get a little restless. After twenty days the exhilaration was gone and the nerves were in full throttle. Men held watch looking for the edge of the earth, just in case their fearless leader was wrong. After thirty days sailing into the unknown there was still no sign of land. Finally, after forty long days and dark nights in uncharted ocean, they spotted land. Think for a moment how hard it was for Columbus and his men…and remember that generally nothing in life worth doing is easy. Safety is hard work. It’s more effort to work safe, get out all of the PPE, follow all of the rules etc. But, it is worth it…it will allow you to be injury free. Sail my friend…know it’s worth the trip. ©2013-SafeStrat, LLC-All Rights Reserved

Page 3: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

3

Labor Safely Day - -Labor Day Extra

The Department of Labor defines Labor Day as; ‘the first Monday in September. It is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.’ I really like that definition because it is from our daily toil that you and I continue to help our country prosper. I would, however, propose one change. I am writing my congressman at this very moment to suggest that we rename this holiday to Labor Safely Day. You see, a lot has changed since that first Labor Day, sponsored by the Central Labor Union in New York on Monday, September 5, 1882, yet at the same time, much remains the same. Today, as I’m typing and as you are reading; a worker is hurt. In fact, we have approximately 12 personal injuries across our great country every minute (17,138 per day). And, on average, seventeen deaths per day due to traumatic incident on a job site or work location. The cost of these injuries is staggering, both to the U.S. economy and to the respective companies where the injured is employed. More importantly however are the true costs to the individual worker and his/her family. The Centers for Disease control recently released a study of the dollars associated with one year of personal injuries. They found that the occupational injuries that occurred in the year 2000 will cost a combined $505 billion. They factored in medical costs, these are expenses that each respective company must pay, but more importantly the study considered the loss of wages, fringe benefits and reduction in standard of living. These are costs that each individual person and his/her family will shoulder. These costs, as staggering as they are, don't talk about the little boy in the driveway wearing a baseball glove, with no one to play catch with. These costs don't talk about a woman in a white gown, at the back of a church, with no one to walk her down the isle...these are the true costs. Immeasurable. Pain filled. Unable to be reversed. So join me, not in writing your congressman, but in dedicating your resources, heart and passion to making each and every day a labor safely day. ©2013-SafeStrat, LLC-All Rights Reserved

Page 4: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

4

Safety Tidbits—the most information packed pages in safety!

Quote of the month:

Everything in life is easier when you don't concern yourself with what everybody else is doing. -- Coach K.

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. -- Bill Cosby

Safety, Leadership and Management Resources from September:

Safety and Management News from Safestrat’s Twitter Feed - - why wait for the end of the month Safety Meeting Starters when you can get near real time safety updates from my Twitter feed! Join today; https://twitter.com/Safestrat or @safestrat.

Rural Cannon Falls boy dies after fall from skid loader

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/rural-cannon-falls-boy-dies-after-fall-from-skid-

loader/article_ccacf7e2-2cc0-5229-b70e-443f412eea27.html#.UhvdCo5J-rV.twitter …

The music you listen to in the car could cause an accident. How song selection affects

driving: http://on.wsj.com/1c1bMPH

Utility incident; Worker Dies in Workplace Accident Near New Prague

http://www.keyc.com/story/23136665/worker-dies-in-workplace-accident-near-new-

prague#.Uhv0YBldxso.twitter …

A fatality leads to 22 violations for OH hazardous waste treatment facility. -

http://ow.ly/o1Xcj

Just For Friday, Utility Safety Message - - Always Take the Shark Training...

http://conta.cc/1f6JLFY

Share this with your leadership team, interesting perspectives; Develop a strong safety

culture in your workplace: http://bit.ly/16gL2VF

Page 5: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

5

Good safety rule reminders from this story! Capstone Contractors Fined Over Safety

Rules http://www.opb.org/news/article/capstone-contractors-fined-over-safety-rules/ …

Worker mixing chemicals in paint shop caused explosion, killing worker, OSHA to

investigate auto shop fire: http://bit.ly/16gJ4ET

Giving Safety Feedback, Is Today's Feedback All Wrong? http://fw.to/GjSJ8oe

Safety Comic of the Day - August 18, 2013

http://ehssafetynews.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/safety-comic-of-the-day-august-18-

2013/ …

Just For Friday Safety Blog Post; Always Take the Shark Training!

http://www.safestrat.com/2013/utility-safety-take-the-shark-training-2/ …

Dallas Food Company Cited After Employee’s Arm Amputated;

http://cbsloc.al/13mGLp1

Scaffolding collapse injures 8, OSHA investigating;

http://www.mcdowellnews.com/news/article_54870fee-045b-11e3-a532-

0019bb30f31a.html …

Late week safety awareness material, OSHA Still Investigating Death of Water Tower;

http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/OSHA-Still-Investigating-Death-of-Water-Tower-

Painter--218929631.html …

Did you call before you dig? http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/08/14/some-homes-

evacuated-after-chicago-lawn-gas-line-rupture/ …

OHSA cites Republic Steel with $1.1 million in fines for exposing workers to serious fall

& other hazards http://ow.ly/nTZ78

How are Navy SEALS like successful entrepreneurs? It turns out there are plenty of

Icebreakers and Games that Safety Trainers Play http://lnkd.in/Q8-Xsk

Talk about doing the small stuff like closing the gate! Airplane hits cow on landing

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/363518/lion-air-hits-cow …

Must read story but we can't rely on mysteries to keep us safe; crash victim's life saved

when...http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/mystery-priest-vanishes-anointing-crash-

victim-120045075.html?vp=1 …

Toddler's face mauled by Great Dane http://www.theindychannel.com/news/toddlers-

face-mauled-by-great-dane …

Page 6: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

6

MSHA releases mid year mine fatality update

http://www.coalguru.com/north_america/msha_releases_mid_year_mine_fatality_update/

11670 …

Name of worker killed in Merced County industrial accident released

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2013/07/31/3140230/name-of-worked-killed-in-

merced.html …

Wal-Mart Settles OSHA Case Over Cleaning Procedures

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/business/wal-mart-settles-osha-case-over-cleaning-

procedures.html …

Construction worker killed by fall; Death at Pinehills spurs probe http://shar.es/yqyFy

OSHA violations found at Franklin paper plant, worker crushed to death;

http://shar.es/yqyxJ

OSHA investigating workplace death in Fitzgerald

http://www.mysouthwestga.com/sports/story.aspx?id=927777 …

OSHA investigating fatal tree-trimming accident on Bethlehem's towpath- -

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2013/07/osha_investigating_fatal_t

ree.html …

Just because it is Monday! Mutilated Cows Found, Police Not Ruling Out the Possibility

of Aliens http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/07/30/mutilated-cows-missouri-aliens/ …

Driver Arrested for Deliberately Hitting Runner Twice

http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/driver-arrested-for-deliberately-hitting-

runner-twice …

Page 7: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

7

Do what leaders do…

What Safety Leaders Do The Insider’s Handbook for Safety Leadership Tips, Tactics, Secrets & Ideas

Today there is a procedure for everything that is important. Yet, more than 99% of groups fail to have a road map for safety leadership. The reason is that leadership is different. While most of those other procedures are ‘one size fits all,’ safety leadership is not. Each team, work group, and company has a different culture, history, exposures and corporate structure which means there isn’t a cookie cutter mold to safety leadership. To be successful, each organization must customize their program to fit their unique organization. To effectively ‘customize’ your company’s safety leadership program, you first need access to all of the cutting edge leadership tactics, tips and secrets – - which is exactly what this book provides! Then, you can pick the ideas that are right for your group; putting proven methods to work for you – - to get the results you have always aimed to achieve. 204 pages/Price $19.95

Use code GHDF4HQD and get $5.00 off per book, no

limits! To learn more and order: https://www.createspace.com/3761883

Page 8: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

8

SAI - - Safety Awareness Items (ideas to get raise your team’s awareness!

Cracker Jacks There is a Hazard on Every Job,

Find it Now.

Crunch Candy

Bar

Watch the Crunch, Use Defensive

Driving Practices.

Crunch Cereal Crunch Cereal Not Body Parts or

Be Mindful of Line of Fire.

Crunch-n-Munch Line of Fire Means Crunch…Stay Clear.

Cutter Bug Spray Cut out Injuries-Work Safe.

The Untapped Secret To Selling Safety -And 401½ Tangible Items Guaranteed To Help Make That Sale! - - How well do you sell safety? The truth is that we are at the mercy of our ability to sell, no matter how “tight” the presentation. Regardless of our education or the facts surrounding an issue, we are still in a position where we have to make the sale in order for a positive change to take place. And, the better we are at selling, the greater our results. The fact of the matter is that there are secrets to selling…even selling safety. One such previously untapped secret is revealed here and your safety results will never be the same! “Matt’s passion for safety continues to shine through as he drives to inspire us to be the best we can be” wrote Bill Dampf, safety professional with three decades of experience. “Through this latest effort, he provides us with hundreds of ways to promote safety awareness to our employees. Although keeping our workers safe is always a challenge, this simple approach to helping us sell safety can be a tool that all of us can use.” Price: $11.99 - - AND use this discount code to save $2..00 per book, B9F5UNDN. Order from this link; https://www.createspace.com/3421798.

Page 9: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

9

ISMA-Involved Safety Meeting Activity Activity: Popcorn Estimated Time: 30 Minutes Materials Needed: Jar of popcorn, tape measure, measuring cups and other

items to help determine the number of kernels in the jar. Reference materials: See ISMA below: The ISMA: Count popcorn kernels and place them in a jar. Divide the group in teams with each team having two to four members. Ask each group to make an educated guess as to how many kernels are in the jar and tell how they came to their conclusion. You can give the jar dimensions as well as have measuring cups and kernels outside of the jar so teams can experiment and reason to their final guess. It sometimes adds to the fun if there is a prize for the winning team. After several minutes of deducting and calculating, ask for answers. After teams have given their answer, review how they came to their conclusion. Then ask this question, what would you bet on your answer? Some will say a dollar others $100 dollars but few if any will bet their house or car or retirement fund. The Take-a-ways: We don’t bet ‘big’ unless we are sure of the answer. Yet in our jobs we sometimes cut corners. When we do that it’s the same as betting big because without knowing ‘for sure,’ we are wagering our best asset, our health and life. Also, sometimes in our jobs we have to do a lot of prep work just to make sure we do our jobs safe. If we want to know exactly how many kernels are in the jar, we must take the time to count each one. If we want to work safe, we have to take that time to plan and ‘count’ each hazard, to control it or eliminate it.

Want 101 ISMAs?

Check out ISMA (Involved Safety Meeting Activities—101Ways to Get

Your People In Involved! at Matt’s website;

http://www.safestrat.com/review-and-order-safety-books/

Page 10: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

10

SPOT-M –(Safety Picture of the Month)

“One Step Away from Heaven!”

Will the red cloth tied to the end of the ladder stop the workers on the right from falling off? NO! Safety needs margins of error and systems of redundancy and there

are neither on this job!

Choose in favor of your safety! Send me your pics and if we use them in SMS you receive a free book! Send to [email protected].

Page 11: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

11

Tools for Pros! How can Safety Leaders Sleep at Night? They Know these 7 Keys to Worker Engagement! Gallop defines engaged employees as “having 100% psychological commitment to their job.” Given that definition, one of my favorite one-liners about engagement reads, “He is about as engaged as a kamikaze pilot on his 18th mission!” The fact is that our team’s engagement will determine how quickly we achieve results (meet our deadline, hit that goal) and the quality of those results (completing the job safely). Results are directly proportional to the level of engagement. Given how important engagement is to results, knowing these 7 key points allows leaders to sleep at night…and get results. Engagement is a Big Deal - - When it comes to unengaged workers, the data is sometimes overwhelming. One report estimates that disengaged workers cost the U.S. economy $350 billion a year in lost productivity. Worker engagement can’t be easily gained or even ‘bought’ through improved benefits. New research by Harter and Sangeeta Agrawal, a Gallup research manager, shows that employee engagement has more of an affect on employee wellbeing than vacation or flextime policies do. Simply said, engaged workers are happier. But, just as unengaged workers hurt the bottom line, engaged workers make a dramatic improvement to that bottom line. A recent study in the health care industry found, “Those who are engaged are safer, more productive, more likely to stay with the organization, and more likely to provide outstanding patient care. For example, employee engagement and safety climate were inversely correlated.” Define and policy up - - “People play harder when they know the score,” anonymous. When it comes to engagement, knowing the score is having a firm definition of exactly what engagement means. To find the score, Jennifer Robinson in her insightful article; For Employee Wellbeing, Engagement Trumps Time Off defined the three types of employees. There are employees who are not engaged, “employees are essentially ‘checked out.’ They’re sleepwalking through their workday, putting time - - but not energy or passion -- into their work.” She defines actively disengaged employees as “employees that aren’t just unhappy at work; they’re busy acting out their unhappiness. Everyday these workers undermine what their engaged coworkers accomplish. Finally, she details engaged employee, “who work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. They drive innovation and move the organization forward.” There are complex ways to measure engagement, such as annual employee surveys or consultant studies. But, these definitions are easy, and can allow any supervisor or manager to take the score any time he/she needs to. Next, I’d bet that your organization has step by step procedures on all important safety sensitive tasks. I call these the hard skills. The reason they are ‘hard skill’s is that OSHA, your industry, engineering

Page 12: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

12

practices or other disciplines have set out hard facts and rules or step by step guides for these tasks. Yet, these hard skills are only half of the equation for safety results. There are a number of people skills, also called ‘soft skills,’ such as engagement, leadership, coaching and feedback, etc. Each of these soft skills also needs a step by step ‘how to’ outline, measurement tool and accountability element to ensure their success. Would you or one of your employees enter a confined space without a written procedure? Why is engagement any different?

The Goal is Peer to Peer Feedback - - A recent study entitled The Peer Principle by Bloomberg Businessweek published in May 2010 stated, “In the area of safety, our study found that 93% of employees say they see urgent risks to life and limb, and yet less than one-fourth of those who see concerns speak up about them. Rather, they wait for bosses or others to take action.” The ‘bosses can’t be everywhere, nor do we want him to be. Instead, one of the goals of engagement is to foster peer to peer feedback. Successful companies find that workers talk to workers, they don’t wait on the boss.

Remarkably, cultures where peer to peer feedback, also called accountability, was the standard practice found this, “Organizations with cultures of peers coaching peers found remarkable success - - and not just in safety. Those supervisors and managers with the strongest safety records were five times more likely to be ranked in the top 20% of their peers in every other area of performance. They were 500% more likely to be stars in productivity and efficiency and employee satisfaction and quality, etc.” Can you say, engaged workers! Give your workers the ‘why’ - - Jason Milton in his article Great Leaders Inspire Excellence Through Mission writes, “For years, a quiet orderly mopped floors, scrubbed patient rooms, and cleaned up bodily fluids. Never complaining, always smiling. At the end of one of his graveyard shifts, a cynical colleague asked him how he could be so happy about mopping the same floors every day. Puzzled, the orderly replied, ‘I’ve never mopped a floor a day in my life. I work here so I can stop deadly diseases from infecting others.’” The ever popular Mission and Vision statements have often failed to engage our workers in the greater purpose, the ‘why.’ For this orderly, his why was clear, he was engaged because he saved lives by stopping deadly disease. Your company might make a widget, but chances are that widget is part of a larger whole that greatly contributes to humanity…find your why and engage your people with it…even the most unengaged worker will raise an eyebrow about saving a life. Milton writes, “The best leaders make their company’s overall mission clear and help employees understand how their work contributes to a greater purpose.” Make Caring Personal - - Tony LaRusa, the third most winning major league baseball manager says that leadership must be personalized. Making leadership personal to each player leads to engagement, and results. When I was a safety supervisor for a major mid-west utility, I served over 400 line workers, substation technicians and heavy equipment operators. With so many people in over twenty locations, there was no way I could see each worker each week, or even each month. So I set up a number of ways to communicate, one way was the personal birthday note. For two straight years, I sent each worker a personal handwritten note on his or her birthday. Some years later, I was in a workgroup and saw one of my notes on the outside of a locker. I found the worker, he was a thirty year veteran who some would have labeled as ‘trouble’ and asked him why he taped his birthday note to the outside of his locker. He said, “In thirty years of working here, no one has ever taken the time to write me a note, and say something so kind. I taped it outside my locker so I can see it every day.”

Page 13: Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Sept 2013

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!

13

Eric Jackson writes, “Sure, people come to work for a paycheck, but that’s not the only reason. In fact, many studies show it’s not even the most important reason. If you fail to care about people at a human level, at an emotional level, they’ll eventually leave you regardless of how much you pay them. Many people assume that it's possible for a person to be an effective leader without being likable. That is technically true, but you may not like the odds. In a study of 51,836 leaders, we found just 27 who were rated at the bottom quartile in terms of likability but in the top quartile in terms of overall leadership effectiveness — that's approximately one out of 2,000.”

When the veteran line worker talked, I heard, no one had ever tried to engage me on a personal level in three decades. And given how he responded to just one simple note, I believe that consistent engagement would have easily moved him from ‘trouble’ to contributor. Make engagement personal, and your personal challenge.

Leaders need to know their stuff…and for today’s leaders, their people need to know they personally care.

Engagement is Money! Captain Mike Abrashoff took command of USS Benfold, of one of the worst performing ships in the Pacific fleet, and led it to the top of all measurable categories in less than two years. He retells a number of powerful stories in his best-selling book entailed Its Your Ship, Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy. One of my favorite ones, which really showed the power of engagement, is when his ship needed to be recertified for battle readiness. At that time, certification was based on passing a week-long series of written and skills based exam. To prepare, the Navy ordered all ships to six months of battle ready training at sea. Due to his crew’s engagement, they had revamped the training practices, found ways to foster lower preforming sailors, challenged high performers and spent time on realistic battle scenarios versus mindless training. They tested before launching for the six month sea-based training and passed the test…okay, they aced the test. They achieved the highest test score ever recorded, including ships that had tested for six months at sea! Abrashoff called his commanding officer, delivered the news and explained how they would not have to go to sea for six months. There was a long pause on the line, and his Commanding officer replied, “We’re not set up to do that, you have to go to sea for six months.” Abrashoff then explained how much money could be saved by not going to sea and it was agreed, the crew of Benfold could make other training and educational arrangements. When I read, ‘we’re not set up to do that,’…I read, ‘we are not set up for success.’ Engagement can lead to success…and also can save you a lot of money! The Buck Stops at the First Line’s Desk - - The complaint from most first line supervisors is that everything, and I mean everything, gets dumped on them. Having sat in that chair for two years, supervising electrical linemen, early in my career, I agree that every good and not so good initiative lands on the first line’s desk. But, when it comes to engagement the data seems clear. Gallup, from decades of research, reports that employee engagement, which is highly correlated with productivity and the company’s market value, will soar or plummet depending on the employee’s relationship with their manager. Eric Jackson in an article entitled Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail To Keep Their Best Talent writes, “So, for all those employers who have everything under control, you better start re-evaluating. There is an old saying that goes; “Employees don’t quit working for companies, they quit working for their bosses.” Regardless of tenure, position, title, etc., employees who voluntarily leave, generally do so out of some type of perceived disconnect with leadership.

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Here’s the thing – employees who are challenged, engaged, valued, and rewarded (emotionally, intellectually & financially) rarely leave, and more importantly, they perform at very high levels.”

Sure, first lines have a lot to do, but engagement and the tactics and leadership needed to build upon it is not just something else for a first line to do, it is what a first line needs to do before all else. The buck stops with engagement, and with the first lines to engage.

Matt Forck, CSP and JLW, is a keynote speaker supporting clients in over ten countries; assisting in key areas of worker safety, leadership, accountability and cultural improvement. You can learn more about Matt and sign up for his free safety materials through his website, www.safestrat.com. You can follow Matt on Twitter @safestrat. References:

D. Steve Roberts, & E. Scott Geller, An Actively Caring Model for Occupational Safety: A Field Test, 1995 Jonathon Thorp, MD, MBA,* Waheed Baqai, MPH,Þ Dan Witters, MS,þ Jim Harter, PhD, Workplace Engagement and Workers’ Compensation Claims as Predictors for Patient Safety Culture, December 2012 Marco Nink, German Workers Equally Satisfied With Male and Female Managers, The Gallup Blog, September 2012 Jason Milton, Great Leaders Inspire Excellence Through Mission, Gallup, July 2012 Jennifer Robison, For Employee Wellbeing, Engagement Trumps Time Off, Gallup Business Journal, December 2012

Lydia Dishman, Secrets Of America's Happiest Companies, Fast Company Magazine, January 2013

Eric Jackson Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail To Keep Their Best Talent, Forbes Magazine, December 2011

The Peer Principle, Bloomberg Businessweek - -The Influential Leader May 2010