All About You: Add fun and flair to routine tasks

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.

While working with a demolition team at a decommissioned nuclear power plant a couple of years ago, I was occasionally assigned to being a “gatekeeper.” As a senior radiation safety technician, I had to let people, equipment and materials enter and exit three gates. It wasn’t a prestigious assignment, but it was a necessary one.

My fellow senior techs took turns working the gates. (You had to be an experienced, senior tech because sometimes you had to verify that material leaving the site wasn’t contaminated or that it was sealed properly and below legal limits.) I liked doing it because I got to interact with so many people.

I put my heart into the job and did a bunch of extra things to make it fun for me and my co-workers. I’d give a curtain bow and flourish to the operators of cranes and forklifts. I made a “stern-face stop” and “smiling-face go” sign that I’d hold up.

Our regular workweek was Monday-Thursday, 10 hours a day. So, Thursday afternoons were a happy time. I’d do something special every Thursday afternoon like tie balloons to the gates or break out my ukulele and sing a funny song. I didn’t let these antics distract me from being diligent about my responsibilities, but they were a way to add some flair to a routine job.

It wasn’t long before my boss asked me if I wouldn’t mind being the permanent gatekeeper. “Sure,” I told him, “I’d be delighted.” Even though other senior techs considered the assignment menial, I enjoyed the position and gave it my all. I was still available for other assignments, but mostly I manned the gates. I still look back fondly on my gate days.

It was also a lesson: No matter what you’re doing, approach the task with an upbeat attitude and figure out ways to go beyond what’s typical. Here’s a question I ask myself when getting a new assignment (whether it’s a consulting project, keynote or full-time safety position) to help me enjoy the work and go the extra mile: What can I do to create a fun, dependable and memorable reputation?

Safety and health pros have a wide range of responsibilities. Some can be mundane, like filling out reports. But others, such as hosting safety meetings, are more exciting and provide opportunities to “shine.” It’s not selfish to want a superb reputation if your motive is to put in the work that will benefit others. Getting praise isn’t the objective – doing your best work is.

Even when sending out reports, you can add something special that will make them more impactful – and even fun. For example: I was hired to create a weekly flyer describing five positive things that happened at a plant I worked at several years ago. Although the flyers were mostly serious, I always included a short, humorous quote or story at the bottom. Recently, I bumped into a retired co-worker who told me the flyer was something he looked forward to each week!

Why not make a list of your tasks at work and then ask yourself, “What could I do to add some special features?”

If you send reports, what could you add to them to make them stand out? If you give morning briefings, could you include a quick contest now and then?

For several years, I published a “Safety Stuff” e-zine, which had thousands of subscribers. Each issue included an idea from a subscriber on how they and their company made their safety program fun and enticing. The variety of ideas I received was amazing. Whether it was inspections, meetings, campaigns or, yes, reports, it was uplifting to realize that so many people were making the effort to increase the impact of their work, even if it wasn’t glamorous.

Another year is ending and I find it to be a great time to reflect on what I’ve done this year both in my personal and professional life. But more important (for me anyhow), is to consider ways I can do better and enjoy my work more. I hope you’ll do the same.

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