Sleeping on the job can get you fired in many industries. I worked in the nuclear industry for several years and a nap was an easy way for you to wind up applying for unemployment. I understand that if your job requires diligence, (i.e. a control room operator) that even a few “zzzs” could spell trouble. But that doesn’t mean you should ban naps all together. Naps are good for you and help keep you alert.   

Check out this article from the Boston Globe www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/naps and you’ll see that the data shows that naps help us perform better. (The article also gives advice on how to take a nap—something I definitely don’t need, but you might.)  I think banning naps all together at a work site is silly.  

I like the idea of allowing (or even encouraging) naps during lunch or breaks when you don’t have to be conscious. Not because I’m a nice guy, but because naps improve performance and reduce mistakes.  

What do you think? Are naps at work a good thing? ’till next time.  

Richard  

www.makesafetyfun.com 

Great leaders make safety fun! 

Stress can kill. It’s as simple as that. It can kill your joy of life and your ability to function on even the most basic level. Stress also distorts your decisions and is often a root cause of dangerous behavior that results in accidents. And as you’ll see from this article that was on CNN.com yesterday http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/06/work.death/index.html it can cause you to kill yourself —literally. 

In the article, Patricia Pegg Jones, health and well-being program leader at the Work Foundation, explains that “employers can help workers in times of uncertainty by being open and communicating effectively with them, explaining what changes are in store.” It may not seem that important to consistently keep employees informed of what’s going on at their workplace but it is.

During the seminars I host to help leaders reduce stress in the workplace I make sure the leaders understand how vital it is to communicate as openly as they can and as often as is reasonable. In all of our relationships, how well we share our thoughts, feelings and “what’s going on” will determine their quality and the amount of stress they do or don’t cause us to experience.

‘till next time.

Richard

www.attackstress.com

www.makesafetyfun.com

I own a tee-shirt with this saying on it: “Doesn’t expecting the unexpected make the unexpected the expected?” A silly thought for sure but it does hold a lesson. Over the years, I’ve had dozens of crazy surprises before, during and after a talk. Like what happened Saturday.

I was speaking for a piping company, Enbridge, in Morris, Il. It was an employee appreciation dinner/safety stand up. Chris, the fellow who was my contact and a pleasure to work with mentioned to me during one of our planning phone meetings that there would be some family members there too. I’m figuring a few wives/husbands.

Well, while hanging out and clowning around with folks as they arrived it soon became evident that there would be several children of all different ages in the audience. A bunch of kids in the audience? Yikes! Thankfully, I had my guitar with me and know several funny children songs. So instead of starting the talk with the adults, the children and I had a blast making noises and singing a song about a box I found on the beach.

You may not play and sing but you will do well to prepare yourself for the unexpected and be ready to improvise when you are going to give a presentation/talk. Actually, isn’t that helpful in all aspects of living—to expect the unexpected?

‘till next time,

Richard

PS: The picture above shows my niece Megan biting into what she thought was something sweet and got an unexpected lemon surprise.

www.makesafetyfun.com

Hello Again,  

One of my favorite magazines is National Geographic www.nationalgeographic.com. Not just because of the amazing photography, but because I get a bunch of ideas and insights that I can use to improve my business (talks, blog, products, articles, etc) and personal life. This month’s issue includes a listing of safety advances since the first U.S. automobile accident resulting in a pedestrian fatality to Volvo’s prediction it will have an “injury free” automobile by 2020. Now, that’s not the part of the magazine this month that gave me a cool idea. In fact, it didn’t do much for me at all. It was the article on orchids and how deceptive they can be in luring insects to spread their pollen that stirred my imagination. 

I gave a talk last week to a group of safety and health leaders at Imperial Oil.  I used the Orchids ability to manipulate insects as examples of ways we can encourage our employees to improve their safety and health behavior. Orchids are masters at getting insects (and other creatures with brains) to do what they want.  (Spread their pollen.) They do it by “knowing” what insects want and using that to their advantage. We can do the same. What do people want–attention, recognition, and a sense of purpose. 

I then explained how, we can increase our influence as safety leaders by tapping into these basic desires by listening better, displaying more unique appreciation and being a living example of an energetic and optimistic person.  This Orchid metaphor was captivating, unusual and fun. I thought of it only because I kept my mind open to new talk ideas while reading National Geographic. 

My tip for you: Don’t just read “Safety and Health” magazines to get ideas. Spread out. Read all kinds of stuff. Pick up a magazine you’ve never read before. Randomly check out web sites on topics starting with the letter P or go to a book store and go to a section you’ve never looked through before.  

Not only will you come up with interesting ideas for your meetings and who know what else, but you’ll also expand your mental horizon and have something to talk about besides recent OSHA regs. 

Let me know some of the ways you come up with imaginative ideas. I’d love to hear from you. 

’till next time. 

Richard 

www.makesafetyfun.com 

A few months ago I bought a Flip UltraHD Video Camera. It was under $200. It’s simple to use and I’ve been having a blast with it. The quality of the video is excellent. (There are other brands of video cameras that I’m sure are similar in price and ease of use. I just happen to buy a Flip Camera due to a friend’s recommendation www.theflip.com .)

Well, I thought of an easy, fun and inexpensive way for you to liven up your next safety and health meeting (or any meeting for that matter) using the camera. Walk around your site and interview employees. Then show the video at your meeting. (Loading the videos onto a computer is a breeze.) Put together a list of serious and humorous questions to ask your “stars.”  Of course you’ll have to get the interviewees buy in. But that shouldn’t be a problem. And the topics or types of questions are limitless–just use your imagination.

I spoke at a Clorox facility during their “Town Hall” meeting and I watched a hilarious video staring one of their Directors. He went around interviewing employees asking them how they felt about safety, etc. It was an in-house production but it was still awesome.

Also, when it comes to editing, there are all kinds of inexpensive (some are free) video editing software available that don’t take long at all to learn. In fact, the Flip camera comes with a simple editing program. You won’t have to do much, if any, editing though because the fact that it’s a home made video adds some charm. (Look at how popular You Tube has become.)

Let me know if you give this a try (or already have). I’d love to see the video.

‘till next time. Richard

Hello Again,

Here’s a picture of yours truly concluding my keynote talk at the Tennessee Safety & Health Congress in Nashville last month.

As you can see I’m rather shy on the stage. One thing I’ve learned over the years as a speaker and trainer is to give it your all. Don’t hold back. Sure on occasions I embarrass myself. But I figure the overall effect is much stronger when you let your audience see your emotions and energy.

Plus it’s fun!

‘till next time.

Richard

www.richardhawkinc.com

 

Did you know you can “remap” parts of your brain? At least that’s what recent research in brain science is finding out. Even people with serious brain injuries or “bad wiring” have been able to fix their problem with concentrated effort. If you want to read more about this check out The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge, M.D.
http://www.librarything.com/work/2608086

What that means for all of us is that science is proving that many of the traits we sometimes think are a permanent part of our personality such as a bad temper, or low self esteem or being frightened about a common situation such as public speaking can be changed. It also means we can develop new traits that are harmful such as a constant urge to rush. Now, this truth has been proclaimed by many wise humans throughout the centuries and can be found in thousands of books such as the Bible, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Secret, Harmonic Wealth, etc. It’s just that now we’re proving scientifically that how we think determines who we are. 

So think better. I check myself throughout the day and monitor the type of thoughts I have. It’s making a difference in how I feel, act and react, especially during trying situations. It will do the same for you. (As for accidents and “safety.” Here’s a little excerpt from an article in the March 2009 issue of Readers’ Digest based on the book Why We Make Mistakes by Joseph T. Hallinan http://www.whywemakemistakes.com/ 

“Good feeling increase the tendency to combine material in new ways and see relatedness between things. Happy people tend to be more creative and less prone to errors.”

So helping employees improve their happiness factor by including stress-handling programs and fun-related events are not just a silly waste of time but a way to reduce mistakes (which, of course, are a common cause of accidents) based on recent science.

’till next time.

Richard

http://www.attackstress.com

http://www.makesafetyfun.com