Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
is.a.one-time.award.and.quickly.forgotten..Others.prefer.a.gift.certiicate.for.merchan-
dise.or.a.meal.that.can.be.used.at.their.discretion..When.workers.receive.a.reward,.
like.a.gift.certiicate,.and.then.use.it,.the.gift.certiicate.reinforces.twice.the.reason.
they. received. it.. If. the. certiicate. procures. merchandise,. then. every. time. they. use.
or.see.the.merchandise,.it.reinforces.why.it.was.received.and.hopefully.strengthens.
behavior.toward.continuing.to.work.in.a.safe.and.healthy.manner..Incentive.programs.
should.be.changed.when.they.lose.their.desired.effectiveness;.they.certainly.are.not.
the.end-all.answer.to.accident.prevention.or.motivation.of.workers.
The. components. of. a. motivational. program. must. be. planned,. evaluated,. imple-
mented,.reviewed,.and.revised.in.order.to.successfully.motivate.safe.work.performance..
How.you.use.these.principles.and.design.them.to.meet.your.needs.will.determine.your.
success.in.eliciting.safe.performance.from.your.workforce.
suPervIsors
The.basic.philosophy.espoused.in.this.topic.is.that.the.success.or.failure.of.a.safety.
and.health.program.lies.with.the.irst-line.supervisor,.who.is.the.key.person.in.the.
process.of.safety.communication,.safety.training,.safety.enforcement,.creating.and.
supporting.a.safety.culture,.and.in.the.commitment.to.safety.and.health.programs.at.
the.employee.level..All.safety.and.health.information.comes.to.employees.through.
that.person..Likewise,.all.the.motivation.is.applied.by.the.supervisor..If.the.super.visor.
is.not.trained.in.the.principles.of.motivation.and.how.to.present.such.a.factor.with.
positive.reinforcement,.safe.performance.recognition,.and.providing.feedback,.then.
surely.an.effort.to.motivate.safe.and.healthy.work.behaviors.will.fail..A.supervisor.
cannot.be.expected.to.fully.support.a.motivational.plan.without.the.full.support.and.
commitment.of.middle.and.top.management.
Managers. and. supervisors. achieve. results. through. the. efforts. of. other. people..
While.planning,.directing,.and.controlling.receive.most.of.their.attention,.motivating.
employees.is.a.critical.part.of.their.jobs..Employee.motivation.is.an.ongoing.process..
It.requires.a.continuing.commitment,.an.objective.view.of.the.supervisor's.manage-
ment.style,.and.an.understanding.of.the.effect.of.their.behavior.on.their.subordinates..
By. and. large,. employees. want. the. same. things. that. managers. want.. Among. other.
things,.they.want.respect,.a.sense.of.accomplishment,.and.personal.development.
In. today's. multi-ethnic. workplace,. managers. and. employees. bring. a. variety. of.
personal.experiences.to.the.job..Failure.to.show.sensitivity.to.the.feelings.of.subor-
dinates.can.result.in.misunderstanding,.resentment,.anxiety,.or.cause.communica-
tion.gaps,.wasted.time,.unnecessary.work,.lost.productivity,.poor.morale,.and.other.
negative.effects..Generally,.a.good.rule.for.guidance.is.the.Golden.Rule.(i.e.,.do.unto.
others.as.you.would.have.them.do.unto.you),.which.is.as.effective.in.the.workplace.
as.anywhere.else.
To.improve.the.chances.for.motivating.workers,.supervisors.must.keep.employees.
informed.about.what.is.going.on.in.the.organization:.People.like.to.feel.that.they.are.
trusted.with.information.as.it.becomes.available..Make.expectations.clear,.be.honest,.
and.stick.to.your.decisions.
Make.time.available.to.workers.so.you.can.meet,.unhurried,.and.without.inter-
ruptions;.and.actively.listen.to.what.people.say..It.is.imperative.to.know.the.workers.
