The EHS Department has initiated an ‘EHS reward’ for personnel who consistently comply with EHS requirements; who promote and demonstrate the awareness of EHS at-work (e.g. safe work operations, participation in EHS promotion, etc) as well as to those who are motivated to work towards better EHS performance (e.g. by giving feedback/suggestion and communicating the EHS messages within their team). Those personnel spotted/observed by EHS team during their regular inspection would be (potentially) interviewed and ‘straight-away’ get rewarded.
In this initiative, we aim to recognise and acknowledge each individual involvement in EHS matters regardless of their roles in hierarchy (from workers to managers). Everyone is entitled for this EHS reward opportunities. And similarly, we would also motivate and encourage our people to simply ‘have fun’ in their work towards safety a.k.a “Safety-at-the-Heart” of everyone. Yeah… Safety, after all, shall be a by-product of our day-to-day activities. Everyone has a chance to lead-by-example towards a better SAFETY. Thus, as a result we could definitely shift our SAFETY mindset from conscious to involuntary efforts.
Below is a brief extract of a book that I think is relevant to enforce our initiative towards better SAFETY culture. It talks about ‘RESPECT’ (for sharing). Read on below to find out more.
Have a good Happy Holiday weekend and Happy 45th Anniversary Birthday of Singapore…. Majulah Singapura … Oh Yeah.. Oh Yeah.. Oh Yeah… YEAH !!!
The Power of Respect (by Deborah Norville)
One key way to encourage people to treat us well is to give them something that we all want — RESPECT.
When people feel respected, their sense of self-worth rises, a sensation so pleasant that they become predisposed to like and trust the respect giver. Often they will do everything in their power to aid whoever showed them respect in hopes that they will receive respect again.
Showing respect can make family members feel closer to us… employees and colleagues work harder for us… and increase the odds that our customers/clients will come into our favour.
As a bonus, showing other people respect elevates our own outlook on life — it feels good to make others feel good. Improving our mood doesn’t just brighten our day. It actually makes us smarter. Our brains release dopamine when we experience positive feelings. Dopamine receptors are located in the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that handles strategic thinking and problem solving. When you “feel good,” you have excited the decision-making part of your brain. Thus, you could make better decision along the way.
Perhaps the best part is that respect is free and limitless. We can spread it around liberally, and it doesn’t cost us a cent.
RESPECT IN THE WORKPLACE
Showing respect to people you work with makes good business sense whether you’re an employer or an employee.
Employers who don’t show respect risk losing their best motivated employees. A recent survey found that workers who feel disrespected are three times more likely to quit while people who feel respected are more likely to be loyal to their companies and motivated to contribute significantly.
Example: Medical-equipment-parts supplier Parts Source has a policy that each manager must compliment someone every day to foster a culture of respect. The company has a 94% employee-retention rate.
Employees who don’t show respect to colleagues cede a golden opportunity to create professional alliances. In many times of our working life, we could have put our ego or self-predominant towards others. We seldom want to listen to others’ opinion, let alone consider their notions effectively. Study has discovered that in working life, we mostly disrespect others due to structural hierarchy roles and personal perception of individual background. We should remember this… It’s easier to build a successful career when those you work with are pulling for your success.
Thus, be humble and respect your employer, employees and fellow colleagues.
To show respect in the workplace…
Acknowledge the efforts of others with specificity and with an audience. Saying “nice job” or “keep up the good work” is not enough. These clichés might be considered offhanded or insincere. Instead, praise one or two specific things that an individual has done well to show that you are paying attention.
Example: “I really appreciate that you check in every afternoon to make sure everything is under control before you leave for the day.”
For greatest effect, voice your respect while other co-workers are around to hear. The person receiving the praise will feel elevated not just in your eyes, but in the eyes of everyone present.
Give a voice to those who feel voiceless. Employees tend to feel disrespected when it seems that no one listens to their ideas or complaints.
If you’re the boss, solicit input and ideas from everyone in your organization. Ask follow-up questions to show that you’re listening.
If you’re not the boss and your co-workers feel that upper management doesn’t listen, try to build a reputation as the colleague who does listen.
Help your colleagues and employees picture a positive future career. Make comments that suggest a co-worker or employee has a bright future with the company… or, better yet, that he is on track for a specific promotion (assuming this is true).
Example: “Keep this up, and you may be the next manager.”
This tells the employee that his hard work has been noticed and reinforces the idea that tangible rewards are on the way.
