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Creating Buy-in for Safety
Naz Dardashti, CEO and senior managing consultant at ErgoNaz Inc. in Los Angeles, has been examining the critical link between employee buy-in and effective health, safety and ergonomics programs for years. "As an ergonomics consultant working in a call-center environment, I began noticing how employee behaviors were all different," says Dardashti, who uses her background in social psychology to better understand human behaviors in the workplace and how they intersect with safety and ergonomic initiatives. "Some people would get on board with the program, while others would throw it out the door," she says. "It was the same program and training. The only thing different was the people. So I started using the principles of psychology to get employees involved and to motivate them to participate in the program." Dardashti says she found many reasons why employers sometimes have difficulty getting buy-in from workers. Corporate culture, she says, has a lot to do with the problem. "If you work for an employer and you know that the company cares for you, you will most likely accept any programs that they put in place," she says. "However, if I'm working in an environment where I don't feel appreciated and [it is] trying to get me to change my behaviors, I'm likely to reject it." Additional stress can also lead employees to reject a new program, she says. "When you are introducing a safety or ergonomics program, you want to make sure that it doesn't create a lot of stress for employees," Dardashti says. "If employees find themselves in an environment that creates stress, they are naturally going to try to remove themselves from that stress." Stress is reduced when employees perceive they have control over their work environment, she says. Teamwork and credibility are critical for the success of any program, she says. To improve employee involvement and encourage buy-in, Dardashti recommends these strategies: * Focus on communication. "Employees are more likely to get involved if you explain ergonomics, let them know what the program is all about, tell them why you are creating the program, and explain what is expected from them," she says. * Implement a team approach. "Get people or teams of people involved," Dardashti says. "The more employees invest, the more the program becomes their own. The team approach is very successful." If too few staffers are charged with implementing an ergonomics program, it can be overwhelming. "The next thing you know, complaints of discomfort or requests for workstation evaluations begin to pile up," she says. "People will become frustrated with the program when they don't see something done quickly. With a team approach, employees will see a more immediate return." * Training is essential. Supervisors must be able to take some of the pressure off the health and safety professionals or ergonomists, she says. A "train the trainer" approach will allow supervisors to perform risk assessments, look for potential hazards, and recommend minor adjustments for employees. Dardashti says employees will also feel more confident in the program if they know the employer is committed to providing training and someone will be there to assist them if and when they need it. * Establish credibility. "Changing corporate culture doesn't come easy," Dardashti says. Many programs fail to achieve buy-in when employees don't see the results. When introducing a program, Dardashti says, it is important to illustrate the immediate returns and communicate the results throughout the company. "For example, if you want to focus on your chairs, tell employees the first phase of the program will be to purchase 20 new chairs by the end of the month," she says. "After that has been completed, let employees know that you will be having daily training sessions on how to use and adjust the new chairs. "Take small steps, set a timeline, and it will build credibility," she says.
March 18, 2009 Copyright 2009© LRP Publications |
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© Copyright 2010 LRP Publications. All rights reserved.
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