October 2009 Management Minute
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
Last month we discussed starting the training process of the new hire. Obviously that process will be dominated by day-to-day duties, responsibilities, specialized practices and the like. But we can’t lose sight of the fact that this is a critical first step in building a corporate culture. I hesitate to use the word “corporate” because of its implications of a disconnected, disembodied, sterile entity, but in reality, the word simply means “pertaining to a body.” You are training on the culture of your workplace community.
There are many facets of the culture which you can impart: integrity, quality, commitment to the customer, just to name a few. But in our agricultural work places, none is more important to the person in the workplace than that of Safety.
Without a pervasive culture of safety, safe practices (safety glasses, hard hats, helmets for ATV use, etc.) are perceived by everyone as simply a way for the “corporation” (in the business sense, not the community sense) to placate their insurance provider. Because these practices are not taken seriously by all parties, accidents continue to occur, and lives and livelihoods continue to be placed in jeopardy.
Conversely, sending the clear message of the Culture of Safety means that you, the employee, matter; your safety matters; your colleague’s safety matters; they matter more than saving a few seconds, minutes, or hours of production time. Safety comes first, before speed or short-term targets of productivity because a safe organization will have greater long-term productivity.
Train on safety first, before training on the proper procedure for expense reimbursement submission or vacation policy, or whatever, and keep on training—never stop training—and the Culture of Safety will become embedded throughout your workplace team.
For more information, contact Chris at 785-532-1672 or cdr3@ksu.edu.
