Keeping Your Team Alive

You need food. About 30 days without it and you’re going to be at death’s door or already inside his quiet abode. You need water. Three or four days without it and another visit by Mr. Reaper. Air. Moments without it and you’re singing an angel’s note. Like the basic needs you and I must have to stay alive there are some basic needs that every safety team needs to avoid becoming stagnant and fading into a boring worthless time stealer.

I was a member and chairperson of a few safety teams as a safety engineer. I’ve also helped dozens of companies keep their safety teams alive. Here’s how you can do the same for yours:

Encourage Them To Experiment

Noting dulls a team like repetition. If your team does the same thing month after month call for the funeral director. You’ve got to do new things. Try stuff. Brainstorm at some of your meetings. Brainstorm with no limits. One of my favorite ways to invigorate a team is to get them to design a marketing plan. The type that the marketers Budwiser hires design. One that’s fun and unusual. 

Cut Down On the Rehash

Alright already! You’ve discussed hazard number 7 on your list of outstanding items during the last 56 meetings. Drop it. Put it somewhere where your team won’t have to see (or talk about it) for a while. I’ve held superb safety team meetings where we were forbidden to talk about anything we’ve discussed at previous meetings. They were fun too because I picked someone to be our re-hash facilitator. I gave them a bell which they joyfully hit whenever a “previous meeting topic” was mentioned.

You should include previous meeting minutes and other long-term items in your meeting agenda, just don’t re-hash stuff that isn’t changing. It’s tedious and boring.

Publicize Accomplishments and Give The Team All The  Credit You Can

“Look what your safety team is doing!” That cry should be heard far and wide thorough out your company. Posters, e-mail, table tents, personal contacts, signs, at meetings of every sort, or any other avenue you can think of to get attention—use it. You should constantly keep your mind’s eye open for opportunities to flaunt the team’s deeds and milestones. (Yes, flaunt, remember the team is doing positive things for ever one’s safety and health.)

“But Rich, won’t it seem like we’re bragging?” No. Not if you publicize your accomplishments and avoid advertising the team’s finer qualities. If you declare that the team is wonderful, then yes, it will turn people off. Most people do not think a football team is “bragging” when it proclaims “we are this year’s Super Bowl champions!”  If they say “we are wonderfull” well that’s a different kind of crowing.

Besides getting and keeping the support of the guys and gals with big offices, you’ll also stimulate pride in the team—a woderful thing.

Do Not Let Conflicts and Problems Simmer

When I was the “Safety Department Representative” for a safety team at Hope Creek Generating Station (a nuclear power plant). There was a fellow on team. I’ll call him Brian because I can’t remember his name. Every time the team met he arrived with and held tightly to his chest a nasty negative attitude. It sucked the energy and joy out of every meeting. Eventually I talked to him about it. He quit the team. Hurray!! I was 15 years less experienced then. Today, I would talk to him about his attitude after the first meeting. I might even tactfully say something about attitudes durning the first meeting that someone acted like Brian did.

From one to ten our meetings with Brian were a four at best. Without him we soared to a seven or higher. If there is a problem that’s bringing the team down, whatever it is, address it. Don’t let it simmer.

Play Now and Again

Do something together just for the fun of it. I believe it was Aristotle or someone else much more insightful than I am, who said you can learn more about a person in one hour of play than during a month of work. How true. Do you want your team to mesh? To like each other? Of course you do. Than play a game. Go somewhere that’ll turn your team on.

Hold a meeting at a local “fun place” like a park or museum. Don’t even tell me you can’t because the “boss” whomever he, she, or they are will think it’s not “work.”  Let them know that you want the team to be more productive and work harder, faster and better; that’s why you want the outing. You’re not lying or trying to pull one over on the boss because it’s true, you’re team will work harder, faster and better if they get a chance to gel by playing together now and again.

Keep The Team’sGoals and Progress In Front of Them

This one is your classical “easy-to-do no brainer” that like common sense, isn’t as common as you’d think. I’ve been brought in to help many teams that had no goals. Oh sure, they had a purpose “We’re trying to make it safer here.” But they didn’t have any specific measurable goals. Goals such as having X amount of advertising throughout the plant, or having X amount of hazard reports from employees, or one of my favorites having a specific goal for an increase in the ever-evasive near-miss reports.

Once the team has go they’ve got to keep in the open and review and revise them regularly. Teams should also have a mission statement. (I like to call them team mottos.)

Provide Ways For The Team To Learn and Improve Their Skills

People join safety committees for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they are volunteered, other times it’s to get out of work and often it’s to make a difference and improve the workplace. Whatever the reason they joined, guranteed they will be a happier  team member once they realize that besides making a difference and being fun, this endeavor is going to improve their life skills.

Include brief learning sessions during your meetings. Assign a different team member to bring in some tidbit that is interesting and helpful. There are thousands of self-help books, articles and videos out there bring some of it in to your team. Keep it light and upbeat. Start each session together with a brief insight from a famous mind and you’ll see it’s a great way to start your meetings.

Recognize Individual Accomplishments

You’ll have members on every team who work harder, have better ideas then the team as a whole. Even though every starter on a professional basketball team may be an excellent player. Some like Michael Jordan are starts. They stand out as a special talent. Because of that they at times get more recognition than other players or the team as a whole. And they should.  So should someone on a “safety team” who goes out of his or her way and makes an exceptional performance.

By recognizing individual accomplishments you’ll stir on everyone to perform better, including the person who is getting an accolade.

Make “Having Fun” One of The Team’s Priorities

“Fun as a priority?!” You got to be kidding, especially a safety team. Safety is a serious business.” Because it’s so important is all the more reason why having fun should be a team main concern. People (and teams) who have fun perform better, get along more and make less mistakes. Realize this, fun and play are not the same word. To have fun doing something means to enjoy the process, to play means to engage yourself in an activity strictly for enjoyment. I’ve had fun learning deep intricate ideas and processes. Some of the most “fun” meetings I’ve attended have been the most productive. (Some were accident investigations!)

Make Sure YOU Show Enthusiasm

Just as Brian was able to bring the safety committee I was part of back in 1988, one enthusiastically optimistic person can rev a team up.  It’s contagious when you smile, laugh and show you’re having a grand time. Try it. It’s perhaps one of the fastest and easiest ways as a team member and especially as the team leader that you can keep your safety team alive!