Supervisors Safety Brief

Teach Your Workers How To Be Safe Every Day

Coaching Your Team

There are many ways we, as a company, can communicate with employees: training classes, new employee orientation, booklets, videos, posters. But one of the most effective means is the

one-on-one talk or informal small group talks you have with your

workers.

During these sessions you have the opportunity to communicate team values, goals and safety concerns in a non-formal, friendly setting.

Whether during breaks or on the job, your opinions and attitudes will

shape your worker’s behaviors.

You may be surprised how many times during the day you talk to those on your team. They are your team and you are the coach.

A good coach will

·  encourage

·  listen

·  train

·  set standards

·  evaluate

·  improve

Encouraging: Everyone has a tough day now and then. Your workers want to know that you understand this and are willing to help them get to the end of these occasional difficult days. Encourage even those that seem to be having no problems on the job. A pat on

the back goes a long way in


Listen: The best way to understand what is really happening to your people is to listen to them not only when they talk to you but also when they talk to others.

Train: Just as a General ensures that his troops have the best preparation before going into battle, you as a supervisor must be satisfied that every worker has the knowledge and skills to successfully complete assigned jobs – take time to provide immediate instruction if you see one of your team members having task-related problems.

Set Standards: Your actions and words must match. Realize that you are being watched every minute by your team. If you communicate a rule and then do not enforce it or correct violations, you are setting up your team to fail.

Evaluate: Only you, as a supervisor can provide the “oil” to keep you team running smoothly. Watch how your team works both as individuals and as a team. Ask yourself, “What can be done to make their jobs easier and more efficient?” Improve: Look for small changes that you can make to improve your team’s performance. Avoid major changes, these tend to cause confusion and a long re-adjustment period. Discuss proposed changes with your team so they know the

establishing a good

employee-supervisor relationship.


purpose and expectations… and listen to their views.