GETTING SAFE

PERFORMANCE:
Motivating Safety and Health
SETTING THE STAGE

• The aim is to provide a basis, which will allow you to motivate yourself
and your employees.

• The human aspect or safety and health is often brushed aside in

industrial settings. After all, each workplace is different and the
fundamental principles of motivating and dealing with construction
workers or office workers are, therefore, different also. Granted,
people arc unique, but all workers have basic needs to be addressed
and fulfilled in order for them to work effectively and productively.
• Obtaining good safety and health behavior and work practices can be
directly attributable to how effectively you apply good principles or
motivation.

• Motivation is a somewhat imprecise science and undertaking. No

guarantees for success exist.

• Although all the principles espoused here can apply to families,

relationships, friendship, co-workers, teams, or employees, most of the
successes discussed are those relevant to the workplace. This is, of
course, because the majority of our adult life is spent in the workplace.
DEFINING MOTIVATION

Motivation presumes valuing, and values are learned behaviors;

thus, motivation, at least in part, is learned and can be taught.
(Frymier, 1968)

This definition provides us with the encouragement we need in order to

go forward and achieve motivation for ourselves and others.
PRINCIPLES OF MOTIVATION

• Goals are an integral part of the motivational process and tend to

structure the environment in which motivation takes place.

• The changing of the environment may not affect all individuals in the
same way.

• What motivates one person may be de-motivating to another.

• If you are that person with the responsibility of trying to motivate an

individual or group, you will need to address their motivational needs.
•To be a successful motivational leader you must have some sort of plan
that will get you from point “A” to point ‘B.” This plan should include your
desired goals and objectives, levels or expectations, mechanisms for
communication, valuative procedures and techniques for reinforcement,
feedback, rewards, and incentives. Any motivational plan is a dynamic tool
that must be flexible enough to address changes, which may occur over a
period of time and take into consideration the universality of people and
situations. These plans can use a variety of techniques and gadgetry to
facilitate the final desired outcomes or performances, which lead to a
safer and healthier workplace.