Sometimes people show up at safety meetings just to make an appearance. Not too long ago, a human resource director came to a safety meeting that was also attended by employees and supervisors. This was all fine and good until the HR director sat down at a table near the back of the room, brought out a laptop and a pile of paperwork and proceeded to work during the meeting. The director seemed to be multi-tasking by working and listening to the speaker. Yet, it was disconcerting for others in the room to see this behavior. What kind of signal was being sent here? For most, it would seem that the HR director was only making an appearance. This leader set the example for others that it’s okay to not pay attention to a topic that could save lives. Believe it or not, it would have been better had this person simply not shown up at all.

Are You Just Showing Up?
While this is a very visible sign of just making an appearance, how many times do people attend a safety meeting without really showing up? How often do people show up because they think it’s the thing to do when in reality they are totally distracted?

Management gets distracted by deadlines, budgets, and technology. If you are a manager, how often have you shown up at a safety meeting and rather than focusing on the topic, you spent the time sitting in the chair thinking about the project that’s running late, the budget that’s overdue, or the emails waiting for you to open. Perhaps you even brought your technology with you: your PDA with its constant reminder of incoming mail or your cell phone with the annoying vibration to let you know someone is calling. How hard it is to concentrate with all these distractions!

Perhaps you’re a frontline worker. What distracts you when you show up at a safety meeting? You may feel the pressure to perform: to get back to work so you can finish the job before quitting time. You, too, may be distracted by technology, like your cell phone, or even by personal issues. It’s hard to absorb important safety information with so many things on your mind.

Be Fully Present
The next time you attend a safety meeting, job briefing, or training, work at being fully present. Try these techniques to get all you can out of what you are hearing:

1. Set aside mental distractions before you go to the meeting. Have a little talk with yourself as you enter the meeting room and remind yourself that the information you will hear may be just what you need to know to work safer.

2. Leave the technology behind. The best thing you can do is leave your cell phone or PDA at your office, in your locker, or in the truck. If you’re a leader, supervisor, or manager, set the expectation that cell phones, pagers, and PDAs are to be turned off because nothing is as important at the moment as hearing the information to be discussed.

3. Listen as if you will have to teach someone else what you just heard. One sure-fire way to stay focused in a safety meeting is to consider that you will need to go teach someone else the information you are learning. By putting yourself in the role of a teacher, you become a better learner.

Stay Actively Engaged, Stay Safe
Granted, not all meetings and training sessions are alike – some are presented better than others. Yet, the information could be life-saving to you. Remember to go to your next safety meeting with the attitude that you may learn something that can save your life or the lives of others.

© 2009 Potter and Associates International, Inc. Carl Potter, CSP, CMC and Deb Potter, PhD, CMC, work with organizations that want to create an environment where nobody gets hurt. As advocates of a zero-injury workplace, they are speakers, authors, and consultants to industry. For information about bringing their programs to your company or your next conference, contact them at Potter and Associates International, Inc., 800.259.6209, or carl@potterandassociates.com.