Sometimes I'm guilty of wallowing in pessimism, courtesy in part to seeing the darker side of humanity through 20 plus years as a journalist. But at a recent safety conference, I had the opportunity to listen to author Kevin Burns share his 10 attitude adjustment pointers. Now I'd love to say this presentation completely changed me, but I can't; I'm too far gone. However, I am rethinking a few things and in keeping with strategy #9, I'm going to share with you what I learned.

1. You are responsible for your own happiness.

According to Burns, there is no happiness in safety. "If you expect happiness once you obtain a perfect safety record, you'll be disappointed."

I couldn't agree more. Your attitude should be neither dependant nor conditional on the achievement of a goal. You're the only pilot flying this plane, so you have to make a choice: be happy or be miserable.

2. Somebody loves who you are and what you're doing.

Burns says he will never forget when a firefighter reached into a hole at Ground Zero during 911 to grab a hand. When he pulled, just the hand came out, a hand that once nurtured a child, one of 15,000 children who were affected by the terrorist attack that day.

No matter how bad things go on the job, someone loves what you're doing. We have to think beyond work - to our families who depend on us and our children who wait for us to come home.

3. There's a big difference between logic and conviction.

People are swayed more by the convictions in your heart than the logic in your brain.

"We all need a level of conviction in our work in safety," says Burns. "If you don't have conviction in the work you do, there's the door; you need to quit before you hurt someone."

4. You will be tested.

Our convictions are constantly being tested. We know that safety is more than just a manual; it's an attitude. And our attitudes are reflected in our behaviors. Therefore it's important to set a good example.

"As safety managers, we have to be cautious about the examples we set for others," says Burns. "We need to intervene and speak up."

The moment we turn into robots on the job, we disconnect with safety and our convictions.

5. You are here for a purpose: To get better.

The more we serve people, the better service gets and the better life gets. Sound simple? It is.

6. You will never be given more than you can handle.

And you can handle everything you're given. You've made it this far, haven't you? What makes you think you can't handle what's coming?

According to Burns, "The moment you agree with someone else's (negative) assessment of you, you've been beaten."

7. You are on this earth for a specific time frame.

But we don't know how long that is. So take advantage of this gift and get on with what needs doing.

8. Your actions will determine your outcome.

Doing nothing gets you more of the same: nothing. If you want different results, you need to do something different.

9. You get what you give.

If you want a good day at work, give someone else a good day. "The more you give in safety, the more you will get back."

10. Become unreasonable.

Excuse me? Is this reverse psychology? No. Just a little common sense - I think. What Burns means is don't give more reasons or excuses for what you are in life. Remember, it's been your choice.

Conclusion

Life really comes down to attitude. If you have a negative attitude, you'll have a negative outlook on life. So why wouldn't we all choose to have a positive attitude? Go figure.

SAXCIES™ PROFILE

Laureen Bertling and Thomas E. Kramer, 2008 Safety Trainers of the Year.

Winners for Safety Trainer of the Year: Laureen Bertling and Thomas E. Kramer

Category: Safety Trainer of the Year

This category recognizes individual success and leadership in the field of safety training. When selecting the winner, judges were looking for one or more of the following qualities: Innovation, originality, outstanding communication skills, capacity to make maximum use of minimum resources, capacity to involve employees, humor, empathy, the ability to simplify technically challenging material, and any other quality that makes a person a great trainer.

The Winners: It's a tie between:

Profile: Thom Kramer has successfully educated hundreds of maintenance workers and safety personnel. According to the nominator, Thom is especially effective as a trainer by fostering the development of participants' insights and skills that will help them develop and implement their own comprehensive, cost-effective and attainable fall hazard control program.

The most impressive aspect of Thom's training ability is his aptitude for making a very complex and overwhelming subject understandable and practical.

While it seems that many training programs these days are highly focused on regulatory requirements, Thom provides customized, original information that is specific to identifying and abating the fall hazards presented to each participant. Throughout the training, key concepts are continually reinforced with relevant case studies, which makes all of the material more vivid and relatable.

* * * * *

Profile: Laureen has a devotion and commitment to a safe and effective program that works. According to the nominator's essay, she has created a solid safety culture that is reflected in numbers, but more importantly in the morale of our workers. And this morale is reflected in the second nomination that Laureen received:

"I want to talk about an incredibly kind person who made a difference in my life. She is our safety lady. I am an alcoholic. I am clean and sober and alive because Laureen took the time to help. She called my family back east and the detox center and had me in the same day. I am older than most and younger than a few. I have never met someone so dedicated to her belief in the safety, health and well being of her co-workers.

"I am not the only one she has helped, but I want to speak up for all of us whom she has gone beyond her duty to help. Sometimes you got to think outside the box with your safety program. Laureen looks at everything in a whole way and tries to make our job a better brighter workplace. Thank you Laureen from all of us. We love you.

Congratulations to two outstanding Safety Trainers!

THE POWER OF ATTITUDE

3 Quick Quotes

By Catherine Jones

The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.

~ Carlos Castaneda
Author

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.

~ Colleen C. Barrett
President and COO
Southwest Airlines Company

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

~ Charles Swindoll
Pastor, Author and Educator

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