Coaching Up Safer Workplaces

The Expanded Role of the Team Leader

Most traditional responsibilities of team leaders are still as important as ever. Still, today’s challenges demand that people who oversee others develop and use situation-appropriate soft skills.

Traditionally, effective supervisors have the responsibility to:

• Get results primarily by directing people and getting their cooperation

• Develop good followers

• Get people to comply with company policy

• Implement directives from above

• Help people change when directed and help them make the best of their circumstances

Today, in addition, they must also be able to:

• Involve people and help them invest their personal commitment

• Coach and develop good initiators

• Enable people to generate good ideas

• Develop strength with their team, other teams, and supervision

• Initiate new ideas and directions themselves at their own level

• Generate positive innovations with their people without those changes being imposed from above

Traits of Effective Leaders

The most effective leaders use the following techniques to lead, motivate and improve the performance of their teams

• They build and maintain a cooperative, results-oriented work climate

• They manage adverse situations as constructively as possible

• They stay balanced and objective in their approach to people and problems

• They remove barriers to understanding and cooperation

• They help team members maximize their motivation

• They keep relationships in the cycle of continuous improvement

Addressing At-Risk Behavior

Focus on the behavior, issue, or situation, not on the person

A leader's role is to assess situations and let workers know when things are going well or when improvements are needed.

Generally, people can accept questioning, even criticism, as long as they don’t feel they are being attacked personally.

When a person feels they are being personally attacked, they typically fight back or withdraw. They focus on defending themselves, not on the problem.

No matter the reaction to personal criticism, the issue can remain unresolved.

It is crucial to focus on the facts of a situation and not on a person’s character or personality traits.

Personal Judgments (focused on the person):

• ‘You have a lot to learn before you’ll be a good technician’.

• ‘You're lazy at logging problems with your equipment.’

Factual Observations (focused on the situation):

• ‘The quality of this project is not up to standard. Let’s talk about what needs to improve.’

• ‘The standard is to complete the logbook each morning. That hasn’t been done for three shifts. Let’s review the requirements.’

Build the Confidence and Esteem of Others

Your opinion of your team is important to them. You are in a leadership position, and the people around you want to feel that you value and respect them as individuals.

Building the confidence and self-esteem of others is critical to getting good results and consistently meeting or exceeding standards. People with high levels of self-confidence regularly attempt to do their best to produce top-end results.

Personal Judgments (focused on the person):

• ‘That’s just what I expected from you - another near-miss!’

• ‘I’m not sure you can handle this job without someone more experienced to look after you. But I have no one else.’

Factual Observations (focused on the situation):

• ‘We value safe work around here. This could have been worse, so let’s identify the causes of this incident.’

• ‘This job might be a little tricky. Let’s go over the risk assessment together to make sure we’ve covered all the bases.’

Maintain Constructive Relationships with Your Team, Peers, and Other Stakeholders

Poor relationships make every job more difficult. Healthy relationships can reduce stress, build trust, and enable you to focus your energies on getting the job done.

Maintaining constructive relationships means treating people as you’d like to be treated.

This doesn’t mean you must be everyone's BFF, but everyone appreciates common courtesy and thoughtfulness.

Deal with today’s problems to make working with people in the future easier, not harder.

Personal Judgments (focused on the person):

• ‘Your guys are getting in our way. We are barricading this area. Find somewhere else to work!’

Factual Observations (focused on the situation):

• ‘It looks like a problem is brewing between some of your people and mine. Let’s talk this over and see if we can head it off.’

Take the Initiative to Improve Situations

Taking the initiative to head off problems avoids the costly results of crisis management. Rather than waiting until minor situations to flare into major wars, the effective supervisor deals with issues as they arise - while the damage is contained and the solutions are easiest to implement.

Taking the initiative is more than just avoiding crises. It also means continually looking for ways to improve all aspects of the work. Watch for ways to improve safety, quality, morale, and work coordination. Encourage action whenever you or your people see an opportunity for improvement or a potential problem.

Lead by Example

Your actions greatly influence people - even the so-called ‘little things’ you do. People notice the little things because we communicate mostly non-verbally.

People draw conclusions from what you do more than what you say. Ignoring a safety issue or shrugging off a request from your team leader sends a louder, clearer negative message to them than any speech about cooperation.

Similarly, well-intentioned words about building trust can be easily discounted by one sarcastic comment from you about someone else. Actions indeed speak louder than words.

Your leadership example, in action, is vitally needed to give your workers a positive model of how to:

• Choose the right priorities

• Make fair decisions based on the goals and objectives of the organization

• Deal constructively with peers, managers, and other employees

• Deal with change and foster innovation

Almost everything you do sets an example for others. The lessons you teach through your observable behavior need to be chosen wisely. Your actions on the job lead others, even when you are not thinking about it.