How Soft Skills Can Engage Employees and Promote Safety
UG2 demonstrates our commitment to safety in all we do — and we have the safety record to prove it. From prioritizing safety at the executive level to holding monthly safety meetings with managers to inviting feedback on safety issues from employees in the field, we have woven safety into all of our programs and practices.
A key to our strategy involves modeling soft skills and encouraging the development of those skills among managers and supervisors charged with communicating about safety. Soft skills are important to success in the workplace generally, and they can have a real impact on how information about safety is received and acted upon by employees.
Soft skills that can help encourage the adoption of safety practices include:
Team building. When it comes to success generally and safety in particular, it is essential for employees to work collaboratively. We must teach and model the ways to step up and into a dynamic where helping one another becomes second nature. Our frontline team members are best positioned to identify and describe the workplace hazards they encounter daily. Therefore, it is crucial to foster a collaborative environment at all levels of the organization.
Problem solving. Thinking outside of the box to come up with solutions allows employees to respond better to unexpected situations and contributes to a safer environment for all.
Empathy. Managers who show understanding and concern for their team’s experiences can better address safety issues and create a culture of trust and openness.
Positive attitude. Negativity can be toxic to any work environment and can be particularly harmful to the collaborative dynamic that’s critical for keeping people and spaces safe.
Emotional Intelligence. Understanding and managing one’s own emotions, as well as recognizing and influencing the emotions of others, helps managers navigate stressful situations and maintain a positive workplace atmosphere.
Self-confidence. Employees with every level of experience must feel comfortable expressing concern, asking questions, and offering safety-related feedback.
Work ethic. Being reliable, consistent, and diligent every day is vital. There’s no slacking when it comes to safety!
Cultural sensitivity. We must resist the natural tendency to make assumptions and instead engage with an open mind and encourage the sharing of different opinions, perspectives, ideas, and experiences.
Leadership. Viewed through a safety lens, leadership looks like ownership. This means taking accountability and examining incidents and errors with transparency.
Listening. The intensity, demands, and rapid pace of our work in facility services can make it difficult to make time to listen, truly hear, process, and respond to others, but communication is a two-way street—especially when it comes to safety. Absolutely! First, listen to understand, not just to respond.
Failing safely. An often overlooked but essential soft skill involves a willingness to incorporate “how to fail safely” into everyday practice. Open-ended conversations about the human factor, the inevitability of missteps, and the empowerment of employees around these issues prepares them to respond better when something goes awry.
Engaging in open-ended conversations about human error, the inevitability of mistakes, and empowering employees to address these issues prepares them to respond more effectively when things don’t go to plan.
Working to hone these soft skills will allow any employee to stand out from their peers—in the best possible ways. They are the keys to communicating effectively, engaging others in the hard work of safety, building trust, learning from our mistakes, and reducing the factors that make our work and our space less safe.