Safety 2008 - ASSE - American Society of Safety Engineers

BackPage“Silent gratitudeisn’tmuch use toanyone.”—G.B. SternRemarkableRecognitionPeople who feel appreciated are more positiveabout themselves and their ability to contribute.Creating goals and action plans that recognize thebehaviors and accomplishments that warrantrewards within the organization will lead to a successfulorganization. Establish criteriafor what makes anemployee eligible forrecognition, then recognizeanyone who meetsit. Be consistently fair,but make sure effortsdo not become expectedor viewed as entitlements.Employeerecognition is one of themost powerful forms offeedback, so be specific andtimely when providing it. Thesetips will help create positive feelings that will inturn affect employee performance.www.about.com“Don’t worry when you are notrecognized, but strive to be worthyof recognition.”—Abraham LincolnAlternative AccoladesHere are some different ideas for employeerecognition.Written words: Recognize an employee inthe company newsletter or give the individual a letterof appreciation.Employee development: Send an employeeto a seminar or work with him/her to create careerdevelopment commitments.Positive attention: Provide public praise at astaff meeting or stop by an employee’s workstationto personally recognize his/her work.Prestigious PrizesOlympic MedalsThe host country is responsible for the design andproduction of these famous medals. Each must beat least 60 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick.Nobel MedalsIn his will, Alfred Nobel left most of his wealth tothe establishment of these awards (Physics, Chemistry,Physiology and Medicine, Literature and Peace)in 1895. The Prize in Economics was later establishedin 1968.OscarThe Academy Award of Merit, or the Oscar, depictsa knight holding a crusader’s sword standing onfilm reel with five spokes, each representing the originalbranches of the academy (actors, writers, directors,producers and technicians).AugustSAFETYPHOTOOF THEMONTHAvoid ExcusesThese are popular reasons for not givingrecognition. With a little research,work and creativity, there is no excuse forusing one of these.●1 “I don’t know how.”●2 “I don’t have time.”●3 “It’s not my job!”●4 “I’m very limited in what I can do.”●5 “Sometimes it’s awkward anduncomfortable.”www.walkthetalk.comIf you have a cartoon, anecdote, joke or interestingsafety item you’d like to submit for publicationon this page, send yourcontribution toprofessionalsafety@asse.org. All submissionsbecome the sole property of ASSE and will not bereturned. While there is no guarantee of publication,ASSE will pay $25 for each submission thatappears in print.Loose ends.Steve Graham, Houston, TX56 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY AUGUST 2008 www.asse.org