In 2017, our roofing company created a tiered Safety Level Program (SLP) that inspires each member of our team to participate, build trust, and work safely. It began by identifying the things that employees really want and then incorporating this into our program. Our company has been roofing/remodeling injury-free since inception in 2004. The behavior of people is the predominant cause of accidents and the variable that is most easily changed. Although this article is based on our roofing experiences, the principles are easily applied to any industry, especially those that involve hard labor, high turnover, or dangerous conditions. Decades of observation has shown me that most employees want the same basic things:
Once, long ago, while working as a counselor for troubled kids, my mentor used a valuable phrase as his children promised to behave better. Many schoolteachers and parents probably use the same phrase today: “Show me. Don’t tell me.” Do you tell your team how special they are? How do you show them? Ask about their weekend. Learn about their family. Acknowledge the difficulty of the task you’ve given them. Tell them how thankful you are that they are taking time to prepare well and do it safely. Ask to hear their ideas for solving a work-related problem and give them the opportunity to implement their solution. There are countless ways to help someone feel valued, and it begins simply, with caring. Showing we care is the foundation of our SLP.