EDITOR’S NOTE: Motivating employees to work safely is part of the safety professional’s job. But who motivates the motivator? In this monthly column, veteran safety pro and professional speaker Richard Hawk offers his entertaining brand of wisdom to inspire safety pros to perform at their best.
Like everyone, I complain at times – both internally and aloud. It can feel good to complain. But with age and wisdom, I’ve come to realize that complaining is often a waste of time – and saps positive feelings. And as a safety pro working on various jobsites and in corporate office positions, I’ve noticed that people who complain a lot aren’t as well-liked as those who don’t.
The weather is a great example. If a rainstorm ruins your outdoor event, cursing at the clouds won’t change the situation. I’ve had flights canceled because of bad weather when I was scheduled as a keynote speaker the next day. Although it was upsetting, I learned not to complain about it, especially to the airline service attendees. There’s no need to spread negativity.
Still, complaining can have its merits: Sometimes situations need to change, and complaints can help them be brought to light and corrected. Here’s advice for turning complaints into productive, situation-changing actions.
Look inward
Before I complain about something, I ask myself, “Is this worth being annoyed about?” Complaining changes your emotions and brings your spirits down. We’ve all seen people waiting in line at a store get angry because they had to wait a few extra minutes to check out. Why do that to yourself for something trivial?
No matter what your life situation is, things won’t always be the way you hoped. So, why complain about it?
Complaining can become a habit. I regularly notice how much I complain, which has helped me do it less. You can feel justified about your complaint, but realizing it won’t make a difference (in most cases) can strengthen your self-awareness and mindfulness. You’ll also find that by not complaining about trivial matters, you’ll be calmer.
Ask if you can do something about it
If you’ve ever attended or chaired a safety committee meeting, you know how easily they can turn into complaint-fests. The theme of the meeting becomes: “Management doesn’t do anything,” “We never have enough tools for our jobs,” etc. The way to control this and make it into something productive is to ask, “What can we do about it?”
This works for most complaints, even if it’s about the weather. You may not be able to change the weather, but you can do things to save your outdoor event, including getting a canopy. Likewise, with a safety committee-related complaint, do what you can to make changes instead of spending your energy griping about the situation.
Preplanning is another way to avoid situations that annoy you. At one site I worked at, the access road would get jammed up just before 7 a.m. and it would take at least 30 minutes to travel a few miles to the plant. Everyone complained about it. I took a different route: I left two hours earlier than I needed to, then took a nap in my car before starting work. Many things you complain about can be fixed or reduced with preplanning and a bit of ingenuity.
Listen and evaluate
As a safety pro, fielding complaints is a common part of our job. I evaluate the intent and reason behind each complaint. Sometimes it’s just a steam-venting statement. If “never” or “always” is included in the complaint, there’s a good chance it doesn’t hold much merit or is just an emotional response to an incident.
But other times it’s a valid description of something that should be dealt with. I had a carpenter complain about the comfort of the safety glasses he’d been given. I got the same pair and wore them for a day. He was right – they were uncomfortable! That led me to talk with the department manager to purchase a new type for the employees. In this case, the complaint mattered.
Always listen intently to a person’s complaint, give honest feedback and – if needed – take action.
This article represents the views of the author and should not be considered a National Safety Council endorsement.
Richard Hawk helps leaders inspire employees to care more about their safety and health so “nobody gets hurt.” He also has a long history of success getting safety leaders to increase their influence and make safety fun. For more than 35 years, Richard’s safety keynotes, training sessions and books have made a positive difference in the safety and health field. Learn more about how Richard can improve your employees’ safety performance at makesafetyfun.com.
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