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.

Among the many humorous episodes included in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” Mark Twain’s classic novel, is one that teaches a powerful lesson.

Tom convinces several boys to whitewash a fence. Not only do they take over Tom’s task – they pay him with various cherished items such as a dead rat and a string with which to swing it.

How did Tom do it? He acted as if the dreaded chore required great skill. One thing Tom told the lads: “Reckon there ain’t one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it’s got to be done.” Hearing that, no doubt, made each boy want to prove himself. They now perceived whitewashing the fence as a challenge instead of a chore.

Our perception of any activity or person (including ourselves) strongly influences how we feel and behave. If you “hate” emptying the dishwasher, you’ll likely put it off as long as you can or perhaps hurry through the process to “get it over with.” For something you perceive as fun, say, in my case, playing billiards, you’ll figure out all kinds of ways to engage in it (even if your spouse reminds you that you haven’t finished painting the steps).

This perception paradigm (i.e., “perception is reality”) may not apply to the physical world, but it does to our minds. What mental lens we use to focus on what’s happening or will happen molds our understanding and attitude.

Here’s how I purposely alter my perceptions every day. I hope you find these beneficial, or at least a helpful reminder.

Simple chores

Removing plates and cutlery from the dishwasher isn’t on my daily bucket list, but I’ve turned it into a mindfulness activity. I try to make as little noise as possible while handling each item. It works. I know it seems unusual, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t practical for improving my feelings about what I’m doing.

At work, meetings can be unwelcome, unless you approach them with positive perceptions. I pause before entering meetings, remind myself to give my full attention to each person speaking, and strive to learn something from what they say and do – even if it’s just practicing my active listening skills.

Whether doing a routine inspection, driving to work or counseling a co-worker violating a safety procedure, your perception can make each experience a positive one.

Perceiving people

Empathy can change how you perceive difficult people. Rather than focus on what annoys me, I look for and then think about the positive attributes of colleagues. I don’t know all that they’ve experienced, so I presume there’s a reason they act the way they do. Likewise, with first impressions, it takes concerted mental effort to see past how you feel about someone you just met if they act brashly.

For example, I had to work closely with a crane operator last year. When I first saw him, I thought, “Oh no!” That’s because he looked miserable and angry. He was also arguing with another operator. So, I gave myself a quick pep talk and remembered not to rush to judgment.

On my last day working with him, we hugged before I left. He had become a friend and one of my favorite co-workers. (The argument I witnessed was playful banter about a football game!)

Your perception becomes your reality

Many sage philosophers have concluded that our thoughts determine who we are and the emotions we experience. Because we can control what we think, we can control the perspective they present. If you purposely change your perspective to one that’s positive rather than negative, your reality will follow. Does that mean you’ll enjoy everything you do? Probably not, but it’ll give you a brighter outlook on life.

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