Last week, we introduced you to Art Fettig, a motivational humorist who has been involved with employee safety for more than 59 years, and invited you to send in your questions. Here are your questions and Art's answers.

*****

SAFETY'S NOT AS IMPORTANT AS PRODUCTIVITY

QUESTION

I've read several articles about getting employees to "buy into" the safety program. I believe that we can do this. My problem is that every article says that the commitment to safety has to start with management. What do I do when the majority of our site mangers (supervisors, managers) don't value safety rules/procedures/etc as highly as production?

Also, we are 1 plant out of 11 and our VP's come sometimes and even though they value safety, they don't hold the site managers accountable. Also, our CEO is almost non-existent to us at the plant even though the corporate office is right next door to us.

We also have a serious union mentality of "us vs. them" and that hinders the changes that our new plant manager is trying to get rolling. (Her other problem is the managers that I mentioned above.)

Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Devon A.

ANSWER

Devon, I feel your pain. What you have just described is what I witnessed for some twenty five years at the railroad where I worked; no management buy-in to safety; no site management accountability; a war going on between labor and management. I had never met a Vice President or a railroad President in that twenty five years. They remained in their ivory tower. It took a triple amputation to drive me to the wall and call the operations vice president and invite him to visit that amputee in the hospital. That visit won a total commitment to safety and it brought on a new era of safety in our organization.

I've said that it often takes a "significant emotional event" to turn an organization around and win that total commitment to safety that is require for a great safety program. At a bread company I worked with, it took a dramatic increase in their workers comp rate to get their attention. It cost them a year's profits to get interested and committed to safety. At another, following a worker's fatality, eight months later they had not regained their profitability dating from the moment of that unfortunate incident. Money talks. Compassion and responsibility also talks when it is really given the right chance.

Devon, it will take a real sales job and I believe you must sell management and I don't have a magic answer. Personally, I would concentrate on that new plant manager. Evidently you have someone who shares your commitment to safety. Begin to build on that. Work with the unions and help them to understand that regardless of the differences that exist between labor and management, nevertheless, safety is one issue that they can come together and work together because nobody wants to see an employee injured.

I sure wish you luck in your efforts. Hang in there and continue to believe that you can win that management support required.

*****

MY COLLEAGUES DON'T BUY-IN

How do you deal effectively with personnel with more authority then yourself? I can talk with, reason with and then, if the only avenue left, exercise discipline to enforce safety requirements or effect changes when dealing with workers; but find it very difficult to "change" some of the supervisory personnel! No matter what training the workers have had, there is a leader that, while not outright telling them not to follow the policy or procedure, shows them with words and deeds that he does not really believe in them!

I do not have any authority over this guy in our workplace to resort to the last desperate measure, but really wish I did!! His boss deals with the incident I bring to him regarding this supervisor but there does not seem to be a change in attitude!!

Thanks!

Carolyn Golar

ANSWER

Carolyn, When I was first trying to get my act together at our railroad company I started reading books on selling. No one else around me did any reading about self improvement, persuasion, leadership and such. I was a nut at trying to figure out what made people tick. The more I learned, the easier it became for me to do my job and that job was dealing with people at all levels. I always figured that nobody ever had any more authority than I did, in my little area of responsibility.

When I joined Toastmasters International I developed a lot more self confidence in dealing with others. Check it out.

It is so much easier to lead than to push. Perhaps you can sell this particular troublesome individual that he is really responsible for the safety of his people and if he gives them a bad example or tolerates unsafe conduct then he might have a resulting tragedy on his conscience for a long time. Remind him that "People don't do what you tell them to do, they do what they see you doing" and if your own behavior and attitude is indifferent or unsafe then they can expect the same from others.

It is so much easier to just sit here and pop off solutions but I know that you are the one who has to make it happen. The fact that you put these challenges down in writing is a great first step to finding your own solution. Remember that safety is a selling job and you have to keep on selling it at all levels and in all kinds of way.

*****

MY ROLE'S NOT VALUED

QUESTION

I have just been newly hired with a company that when I was interviewed for it, the supervisor was "eager to get the company on board with safety" I thought right on! Well it has proven to be a challenge, to say the least.

He has since made it very clear that "safety is a pain in his toosh" and well frankly I just don't know how to deal with it. I am used to working with supervisors that are wanting to work along side of the safety person and get the message out of "nobody gets hurt." This is a new one on me.

I have tried to get the training on track. I talk with the crews as a group and individually and have a very favorable response out of all of them. The younger ones are more aware and the older ones are willing to pass on their experience in a positive way, and catching themselves at "bad" work habits and trying to be a better example to the younger ones.

I've since discovered the only reason the position became available was due to the injuries growing and head office said it was time. but he is making my job very difficult. I wish I had the option of saying "I quit" but at this moment I don't. Any suggestions?

Name withheld

ANSWER

If your boss feels that safety is a pain then what about "unsafety" Unsafety can kill and maim and destroy an entire organization. I guess your biggest challenge is getting him on your team. The fact is that he has a problem and you are there to help solve his problem. Some bosses get fired for that problem if they don't solve it. I'd sit down with him and ask his advice on how the two of you might do a better job at solving that problem. I'd get some kind of a commitment from him that he really wants to eliminate those injuries.

Tell him that you really need his backing to do a good job. You might explain that when it comes to safety, there is a pattern that generally follows and that is when you have a number of minor injuries that you usually had a serious injury that follows and if you have a few serious injuries that a fatality is on its way. Tell him that the two of you have to turn the tide or you are in for some serious tragedy ahead and you know that he doesn't want anything like to happen on his watch.

Sometimes I know I sound like a broken record or a fussed up CD but safety calls for an extraordinary selling job and that job goes on day after day without let up. I sure hope you can get him on board because they really need you.

*****

HUMOR IN SAFETY TRAINING

QUESTION

Dear Art,

I like the idea of starting my safety meetings with a joke, but I've run out. Do you have any good ones you could share?

Peter

ANSWER

Peter, my philosophy is not to just tell jokes but to do whatever it takes to keep people interested and listening and I have found that humor is a powerful tool to keep meetings interesting. I think it is great that you are using that tool to do a better job.

I have my own newsletter available at www.artfettig.com I send it out weekly and we put a joke in every issue. You can pull up a number of back issues if you like. I also have a load of jokes in my book Winning the Safety Commitment Book and if you send me your address I'd be happy to send just you a complimentary copy. It can be purchased at this same website. For you, Peter, it is a gift for asking.

Here is one for you anyway:

This fellow comes up to me and asks me, "Art, what is the difference between working for my boss and working for the Pope?" I thought about it and replied, "I don't know. What is the difference between working for your boss and working for the Pope?" This guy smiles and says, "The Pope expects you to kiss his hand."

Maybe some of our readers can relate to that.

Thanks for all the questions.

Positively, Art Fettig.

WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A SALE

The 6 Traits of Top Salespeople

Catherine Jones

We ran this bit a few weeks ago with Michael Topf's article on Selling Management on Training & Continual Improvement. Given Art's advice today, it seems relevant to run it again.

Professional speaker and author Zig Ziglar notes that "every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust." Michael's article explains how you can overcome these obstacles by presenting your case for safety in terms that meet the differing listening styles of the decision-makers - individuals you likely know. But what about salespeople who sell to strangers every day? How do they overcome these obstacles? According to Sogistics Corporation, top salespeople rely on these 6 traits:

1. Concept astuteness: The ability to use logic, rational thinking and numbers to present a product in a way that suggests its role in a customer's profits;
2. Interpersonal intelligence: The ability to be personally detached from the outcome; in other words, to not take 'no' personally nor as a final answer.
3. Word inventory: The ability to learn and speak the language of the customer;
4. Idea generation: The ability to quickly think "outside the box" and creatively problem-solve;
5. Expressive spontaneity: The ability to speak on-the-spot;
6. Motivation: A strong drive to produce results.

TRUE TALES FROM SAFETY TRAINERS

Safety's a Blast

Back in the 70s the Southern California Water Agency District was in a major construction mode and often used blasters to clear rock and debris in order to run water mains.

The Safety Manager - we will call him Fred - at that time had made a field trip and drove too close to the blast site. The head blaster told him to move, as his new Ford truck and camper shell was too close to the area. Being a (Know it All) Safety Professional (with little background with blasting) he decided that he was far enough away. He was warned again and decided to remain in that location.

Shortly thereafter the dynamite was ignited and a big rock flew through the air going clear through the roof of the new camper shell! It probably took 10 minutes for the employees to get themselves off the ground. (They fell down laughing.) Fred quietly slipped back to his office in his newly ventilated truck and camper.

Name withheld by request

What's your story? Do you have a training blooper or other incident that has you shaking your head? Send them to catherinej@bongarde.com and let us know if we can use your name/company name.

Story Tools:  E-mail this to a friend  Print This Post Top