Online Trail Blog

It’s thought in numerous businesses that, by supplying employees with training in occupational health & safety, they are well prepared to manage an incident. The truth of the matter is that, regardless of the industry you’re in, staff should have far more than just instruction in health & safety legislation. You must supply your staff with competent supervision, the appropriate equipment, and last but not least regular practice.

Each team needs an efficient supervisor to watch over the shop floor, but this individual must also perform another role. Whomever you select as the supervisor must see that health & safety training is essential and be able to encourage other employees to share their enthusiasm about it. In addition to encouraging compliance with health & safety legislation, a supervisory role includes overseeing employee performance too. This isn’t a easy job. The supervisor is expected to possess in depth understanding of both the industry and production in addition to a very high level of knowledge of the safety laws, risk assessment, and CPR. Providing health & safety training isn’t sufficient for your staff. To positively identify a risk they must get practise. They have to know the best way of eliminating safety hazards and also how to manage when anything unexpected happens. Only when these procedures have become routine are employees properly prepared.

Education is in fact useless without safety equipment. Without the appropriate apparatus or alternatively should staff find that items are damaged only after an emergency has occurred, then all the education they have already finished is basically of no benefit.

Servicing your equipment on a regular basis is a necessity. When piece of equipment does not meet the applicable criteria, ensure that it is remedied as promptly as you can and returned to the appropriate place.

Your workforce need to receive appropriate health and safety instruction, but they need quality gear, frequent practise drills, and a knowledgeable supervisor who can get everyone to feel enthusiastic about working safely. When you put this advice into practice you will find the various safety regulations before long become a normal component of working life instead of something that staff have to try to remember.

Succeeding in business depends on the competent management of staff. People management may be acquired and learned. It can be an advantage to have a natural affinity for getting along with people, but you can do many things to help the process. Relationship Development: Addressing staff by name will be a great start. Speak to employees; look employees in the eye as you’re talking. Have a respectful attitude, in addition be attentive to everything the other person has to say, even if you disagree or have another opinion. Paying attention to what staff have to offer is one of the best human resources management skills you can have. Show an interest in what people can offer the team.

Keep your promises: Don’t make promises you won’t fulfill. If a promise is not kept, it can damage trust, and if they can’t trust you your staff won’t give you their best. Each time you say something or make a promise about something, you are wasting your time unless you follow through. You will discover, when your people can’t depend on your word, they can’t be trusted on to be available if you actually need them.

Feedback is essential: It’s a two-way street. Talent management skills mean having an open mind to all feedback. If you can establish accessibility and receptiveness, you prove that you value your co-worker’s ideas, your opinions will be appreciated in the same fashion. Promoting discourse in addition encourages creative problem solving, ways of fulfilling goals, and strengthens the team. By giving the employees an input, each member takes an interest in the project’s outcome.

Communicating is important: Communication is fundamental to managing employees with skill. Be approachable, listen attentively to other people’s views, be open-minded, and give each of your staff a chance to express themselves. The team must be encouraged to communicate with each other not only with you. The creative process depends heavily on the open exchange of ideas, if the team members communicate openly, you can recognize problems at an early stage, and corrections may be implemented before things get out of hand. This will require some time, even so the rewards are worth it. Through building the bonds of a good team and demonstrating good listening techniques, a flourishing business can be yours.

Life change is unavoidable. The pace of change has increased to a record rate with the latest innovations and information technologies. Our body’s primitive response mechanism has not been able to keep pace and we are living with “overwhelm” as a daily companion. We do not have time to adapt at a genetic level, so we must learn to use behavioral adaptations to survive and thrive.

Each of us is a unique person with our unique habitual response to stress. Some of us respond to stress with anger, frustration, rage, or fear. Some of us get “uptight” and hold tension in our jaws, necks, shoulders, backs, or legs. Some of us want to run away as a response. Sometimes we tighten our stomachs, hold our breath, feel our heart racing, our blood pressure may rise, or our hands and feet may get cold. Sometimes we withdraw as if we could hide from the dangers of newness of our transitions.

When we do not have any “control” over the transition and it is an “important” issue, then our stress levels increase. Our body responds, in the only way that it can, as if we were in a life or death situation. We must learn that in life’s interactions, the only thing that we can control is our response to the event. If this situation is important to us, it is best if we can have some input in the change process. We must understand our role and importance of our contribution to the larger picture. And finally, we must be meticulous with our self-care.

If stress comes from an unclear picture of what the transition entails and what our role in this transition will be, then we can respond with fear and resistance which can hurt the project and often our credibility. Communication with higher ups, peers, and the personnel we must manage is critical. Make sure everyone really understands their value, their role, and their contribution to the success of the project. Honesty is essential. Open conversations about the fears of the new or the grieving of the things that have had to change to make way for the new policy or procedure. Dealing with these issues will enroll the participants more successfully.

In a perfect world, there would be time to honor all of these necessary steps for positive transitions, but often the reality is less complete. We must develop strong, uncompromising habits for personal survival and self-care. This might include non-negotiable time for exercise and stress management practice. It would include patterns during stressful transitions where there is enough time for sleep/rest and proper nutrition. Simplify your expectations and distractions. It may not be the best time to take on new projects that would add to the stress like: remodeling the house, moving, new relationships, or large family or social commitments. In other words, use your best common sense and do not over do non-essential activities.

Consider using the following checklist of eight tools for managing major transitions more gracefully.

Tips for Surviving Change

1. Self-Care Daily! See and Use the suggestions from the Ten Timely Tips page. Self-care is the single most important ingredient to maintaining balance as you go through transitions and change. Proper diet, exercise, and regular relaxations will allow you to be more productive with a higher quality of life!

2. Communicate. Keep yourself from falling into the pitfalls of life by giving and getting feedback about every major concern (change/transition) you are dealing with. Remember, listening is the most important part of communicating. Ask for clarification, so you can make good decisions.

3. Planning… Be Prepared. A productive journey through life’s transitions can not occur gracefully without a plan. Long range goals can keep short-term setbacks from defeating you in major ways. Focus on your long term goals regularly to keep you focused and moving ahead. Plan in every area of life: Finance, self-care, education, relationship, emotional growth, creativity/aesthetic, and spiritual development.

4. Develop Positive Support Mechanisms. If you want to survive, in good health, you need to have proper feedback and support. The “Family” is not always the best place. Friends and professional counselors can sometimes be the best venue for honesty and appropriate support.

5. Develop Positive Rewards. Small and large rewards along your way help make motivation easier, especially with large, long-term goals. A real heartfelt pat on your own back with achieving a reward makes the difficulties easier to bear.

6. Use and Develop Your Humor! Positive Attitudes Really Help! Difficulties, when viewed as opportunities for growth and proving your abilities, are less harmful. But do not bury your anger, fear or sadness.

7. Deal with the Dilemma of Diversity! Every change throws you into a position of dealing with new people, teams, attitudes, emotional “stretches” and more new obstacles. Learning acceptance (through self-care) can help you to make the necessary adjustments and get along faster toward productivity and higher performance. There will always be a contrary attitude around, accept that other opinions exist and you are entitled to your own.

8. Maintain Balance in Your Life! Prioritize, acknowledge, celebrate, and follow through on every area of life, including your emotional and spiritual needs.

© L. John Mason, Ph.D., 2002. Stress Education Center and Dstress.com

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the author of the best selling “Guide to Stress Reduction.” Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training.

Please visit the Stress Education Center’s website at http://www.dstress.com for articles, free ezine signup, and learn about the new telecourses that are available. If you would like information or a targeted proposal for training or coaching, please contact us at (707) 795-2228.

If you are looking to promote your training or coaching career, please investigate the Professional Stress Management Training and Certification Program for a secondary source of income or as career path.