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November 26, 2009

How to Implement Health and Safety Legislation in Your Company

Filed under: Great Management Tips @ 10:13 pm

It’s a popular misconception in numerous companies that, by supplying employees with training in safety in the workplace, they have got all the knowledge they might need to cope with an incident. The truth of the matter is that, irrespective of the industry you’re in, staff should have more than instruction in health and safety regulatory affairs. You must supply your employees with sufficient supervision, the proper equipment, and last but not least the chance to practice. Each team must have an efficient supervisor to observe the work area, but this individual also needs to take an even bigger purpose in the company. Your selection of supervisor must be a skilled communicator and additionally believe that safety training is essential.

As well as ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation, the supervisor must also check that each employee works efficiently. This is a challenging role. Extensive product knowledge is a necessity in a supervisory role not to mention a high standard of comprehension of the latest legislation involving safety, risk appraisal and CPR.

It’s just not enough to simply send any staff to a health and safety course. To successfully spot a safety risk they require to put their new-found knowledge to the test. Employees additionally must have insights into the steps necessary to remedy the situation and also understanding what to do when disaster strikes. Your staff are only properly prepared when their training and procedures have become routine.

Training is in reality not sufficient if you don’t have safety gear. Without the appropriate apparatus or should workers find out that equipment is broken when they are needed, then all the education they have already taken is essentially useless.

It’s a good idea to inspect regularly to ascertain if you have all the necessary gear and to check it’s working correctly too. If you find something is not in perfect order, have it fixed or call out a service professional as a matter of urgency.

Health and safety training is essential for the safety of your personnel, but they must have good quality equipment, the chance to practise, and a knowledgeable supervisor who can get everyone excited about being safe at work. If you follow this advice you will find that health and safety legislation will before long be ingrained in your business culture rather than an inconvenience that staff have to try to remember all the time.

October 28, 2009

The Best Recommendations in Regards to Occupational Safety

It’s a frequent misconception in more than a few businesses that, by supplying staff with some education in health & safety, they are sufficiently prepared for any situation. The truth is that, regardless of the industry you’re in, staff require more than simply the basics in health & safety regulatory affairs. You need to supply your employees with appropriate supervision, not to mention provide the right safety gear and give them the chance to practice.

An individual in a supervisory capacity has a larger function to play than just general management. Your selection of supervisor must understand the necessity of health & safety training and be able to get other people feeling enthusiastic about it. In addition to enforcing all of the rules and regulations, a supervisor’s role includes maintaining employee performance as well. Naturally it isn’t easy to do all this at once. A good standard product knowledge is an essential for a supervisory position not to mention a very high standard of understanding of safety regulations, the identification of risks, and emergency assistance techniques. Simply having basic training in health & safety isn’t sufficient for your workers. They have to acquire practical experience of risk assessment and the recognition of hazards. Employees also need a good of the steps necessary to remedy the situation and also knowing what to do when anything goes wrong. Your employees are only completely protected when everything they have learned has become a habit. Safety equipment is just as important to the well-being of your staff as any training. If they don’t have equipment they require, or find that items are not functioning correctly when they really need them, then all the education your staff have already completed will have been in vain. You must examine all your gear regularly to verify that all the required apparatus is where it should be as well as checking that all the supplies are being properly cared for. If you have a problem with your safety gear, get it mended or call out a service professional as soon as you can. Your workforce have to receive appropriate health & safety training, but in addition they also must have the right gear, the chance to practise, and an experienced supervisor who can get the workforce to be enthusiastic about working safely. If you implement these steps you should find all the safety regulations be a normal component of working life instead of an inconvenience for employees to remember.

September 15, 2009

My Two Cents on Fire Risk Assessment

It’s felt in a lot of companies that, if every last employee has the necessary level of health & safety instruction, they have all the skills they require to cope with a catastrophe. The truth is however, a basic education in health & safety legislation and risk asessment just isn’t sufficient. You must provide your staff with a capable supervisor, not to mention equip them adequately and give them the chance to practice.

Your employees must have an excellent supervisor to oversee the shop floor, but this individual also needs to perform another purpose in the company. A supervisor needs to be a skilled communicator and additionally consider training great. In addition to checking conformity with health & safety legislation, the individual supervising as well needs to make certain that employees perform every task to the best of their abilty. Naturally it’s difficult to do all this at once. An accomplished supervisor needs to have an extensive knowledge of the business and manufacturing procedures in addition to a very high standard of knowledge of current legislation involving safety, risk assessment and CPR.

It just is not enough to offer your staff health & safety education. They must get practical experience of risk assessment and the recognition of hazards. They additionally require a firm grasp of the steps necessary to remedy the situation and how to manage if disaster strikes. Employees are only really prepared when everything has become a habit.

Adequate safety equipment is every bit as important to the safety of your staff as training. When they don’t possess the right gear or if staff see that supplies are broken when they really need them, then all the training they have already completed will have been essentially of no benefit at all. Maintaining your equipment on a regular basis is essential. If you have a fault with your safety gear, have it mended or serviced as a matter of urgency. Your staff have to receive appropriate health and safety training, but they also require the right apparatus, regular practise excercises, and a supervisor with the sort of enthusiasm that is infectious. Then complying with the various safety regulations become established in your business culture rather than an inconvenience for employees to remember.

August 25, 2009

How to Improve Your People Management Skills

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Success in the modern business environment depends on the efficient management of people. With a little effort you can gain and develop these skills. It may be an advantage to have a natural affinity for dealing with people, but you can do some things that will simplify the process. Build relationships: Addressing people by name can be a great beginning. Engage in conversation; make eye contact during a conversation. Be respectful, also pay attention to the other person’s opinion, irrespective of whether you agree or not. Paying attention to everything others say is one of the most crucial human resource management skills you can develop. Exhibit interest in what everyone can offer the team. Live up to your word: Keeping your word is crucial. When a promise is broken, it will ruin trust, and people won’t give you their best if they can’t trust you. Each time you give a commitment or make a promise about something, do be sure that you can keep your promises or it would really be better not to give your word at all. The truth is, if you can’t be depended upon, they can’t be relied on to be committed if you really need them. Welcome any observations: It’s a two-way street. Talent management skills mean keeping an open mind to all feedback. If you are able to prove that you are approachable and receptive, you establish that you appreciate other people’s ideas, and they will respect yours. Frank discussion in addition promotes innovative ideas, new methods of accomplishing goals, and develops the team dynamic. When team members can express their ideas, every member of staff invests in the outcome of the project. Communicating is fundamental: Communication is fundamental to managing individuals skilfully. Maintaining an open door policy, listen intently to other people’s views, be open minded, and allow all your team to express their opinions. Employees must be encouraged to communicate with each other not only with you. The exchange of ideas is necessary in the creative process, and if the employees communicate effectively, it is much easier to find any issues before they present problems, permitting corrective action to be implemented to prevent further problems. Acquiring these skills can take some work, nevertheless the payoff is worthwhile. By establishing the bonds of a good team and by listening to what your team has to offer, a flourishing business can be yours.

December 6, 2008

Tell Me about Yourself…

Filed under: Doing Business, Great Management Tips @ 5:53 pm

This is usually the opening question and, as first impressions are key, arguably the most important.

Keep your answer to under five minutes, beginning with an overview of your highest qualification then running through the jobs you’ve held so far in your career. You could follow the same structure of your CV, giving examples of achievements and the skills you’ve picked up along the way. Don’t go into too much detail – your interviewer will probably take notes and ask for you to expand on any areas where they’d like more information. If you’re interviewing for your first job since leaving education, focus on the areas of your studies you most enjoyed and how that has led to you wanting this particular role.

You could also consider an alternative strategy, where you focus on the three major themes of your background. You need to keep the themes fairly broad and use the 60 seconds per theme to embellish a few of your skills.

In the medical field, I would advise medical interview candidates to pick one topic or theme out of three of the following four “buckets”

  1. Clinical
  2. Academic
  3. Generic
  4. Social

Using this structure, allows you to answer a variety of questions intelligently.

Watch this video for more help with ST interviews

July 16, 2008

Six Sigma Environment

Filed under: Great Management Tips @ 1:43 am

It is not easy to implant the concept of Six Sigma into the culture of a company. This is because Six Sigma hardly bears any comparison with other quality management tools, barring a few similarities with Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. But unlike the Baldridge Award, Six Sigma gets to the core of the business sphere with proven tools. But what really stands out as the major difference between Six Sigma and all other quality management tools is the whole army of highly trained employees coming from various professional and organizational backgrounds, not just from the quality assurance specialization. This is why they are called internal change agents.

It is irrelevant to say whether Six Sigma evolved as an alternative to other quality tools or management tools. However, some similarities can be seen between Six Sigma and other similar programs. Certain tools and concepts of continuity in improvement are shared across all quality programs. But it is the set of differences that make the Six Sigma environment a unique one.

Six Sigma Environment

At the core, the concepts of Six Sigma gels completely with the fundamentals of doing business. This is underlined in the basic emphasis that is given to total customer satisfaction, taking profitability to different sphere through maximization techniques. To quote an expert, “Six Sigma speaks the language of business”.

The success of Six Sigma depends a lot on the environment in which it is being implemented. The conduciveness of the environment for Six Sigma implementation is brought about when the vision of upper management is shared by everyone in an organization. This becomes clearer when seen against the backdrop of huge number of personnel working for it. It could be different in an ISO 9000 environment as the onus of implementation is relegated to the quality assurance department. Satisfied customers, a more realistic workload for employees, an improved work culture and finally a rising bottom line and profitability for the owners, are all contributors to the success of Six Sigma.

Linking Six Sigma to Financial Gains

Next, Six Sigma does not just focus on manufacturing or production-related activities alone, but the entire gamut of doing business. Cross-functional implementation coupled with recognizing opportunities for improvements in all key areas of business can be neglected but at the cost of relegating Six Sigma to the status of other traditional quality programs. The finance and planning departments are also included in Six Sigma implementation.

The powerful tools available with Six Sigma help to improve functioning of key departments. For example, marketing and sales can collect customer input. Feedback in the form of customer satisfaction levels can help the finance department adjust the accounting method to focus on predominantly costs and benefits. Human Resource can concentrate on rewards and recognition based on universal criteria, tracking employee satisfaction etc.

Business becomes “as usual” with Six Sigma once the project selection does not remain the sole jurisdiction of the quality team. When individual department heads begin to own responsibilities for business goals, the environment can be said to have arrived where it was expected. It is “business as usual” from here onwards within the Six Sigma environment.

Tony Jacowski is a certified Master Black Belt for Aveta Solutions – Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ). Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

June 20, 2008

The Top 10 Steps to Set and Achieve Your Goals – Every Time!

Filed under: Great Management Tips @ 12:58 am

It’s been said that everyone has goals, whether we know it or not. We have goals to keep our current job, or to get a different one. We have goals to save for the future, or to travel, take a vacation, or purchase the things we need and want to make our lives more enjoyable. An important distinction, however, is that top achievers are very intentional and focused on their goals, while many of the rest of us are not.

Top achievers know that the wording, structure, timing and format of a goal can make it’s achievement much easier – or far more difficult. Top achievers understand the basic skills for setting and reaching their goals, every time! They know how to design goals that create success. Here are the 10 most important steps to set and achieve your goals:

1. Reachable goals are SPECIFIC. Top achievers know that to reach their goals, the brain must know exactly, precisely, what they are trying to accomplish. Never word a goal with vague terms like “some” or “a little bit”, or “more”. Be specific! If you want to lose 8 pounds and reach a weight of 175, specify those exact numbers. If you want to save $200 this month, be exact. Your brain can help you accomplish almost anything if it knows precisely what you are aiming for.

2. Reachable goals are SIMPLE. Many people describe their goals in complex terms of retiring on the beach in Hawaii, with nice cars and lots of money, and…. Their list goes on and on. Any ONE of those things is a great goal, but the combination becomes over whelming and the brain gets confused. If you want to retire in Hawaii, just say so! If you want to increase your sales by 10% this month, say so! Keep your goals simple, clear, and focused.

3. Reachable goals are SIGNIFICANT. No one can muster the enthusiasm, hard work and courage to reach a goal they don’t really care about. A reachable goal is one you really, really, REALLY want! It’s something that will change your life, enhance your health or wealth, and make you proud. It gets your juices flowing, gets you up in the morning, and keeps you going all day long, because it is important! Set goals that are worth achieving!

4. Reachable goals are STRATEGIC. High achievers know that the best goals accomplish many great outcomes, all at one time. Running a 10K race will almost certainly: 1) feel great! 2) help you lose weight. 3) lower your cholesterol level 4) strengthen your heart 5) lower you risk of heart disease 6) increase your energy and stamina, and 7) improve your outlook. Design your goals to strategically impact as many areas of your life as possible. You’ll have more reasons to reach your goal and more excitement when you do!

5. Reachable goals are MEASURABLE. A goal without a measurable outcome is just a pipe-dream. You can’t achieve a pound of “happiness” or 6 inches of “self-esteem”, but you CAN get a new job. You CAN run a mile in under 7 minutes, or do 100 sit-ups. Someone has wisely observed that, “What gets measured, gets done.” Define your goals in terms of height, weight, dollars, inches, or hours. Then measure your progress until you achieve your desired outcome.

6. Reachable goals are RATIONAL. To reach your goal, you will need a plan, a path, and a vehicle for getting there. Your goals must make sense! When you explain them to friends and family, your goals should create excitement, draw support, and encouragement. Your goals should be just out of reach, but not out of sight! You want to stretch to be your best, not strain after impossible dreams. Set goals you CAN and WILL achieve!

7. Reachable goals are TANGIBLE. Choose goals that you can see, hear, smell or touch. Go for things you will enjoy and that you can clearly visualize. The brain has hard time going for “financial security”, but it can visualize a bank statement with nice, large numbers on it! Define your goals in terms that excite the senses, then go for it with all your heart!

8. Reachable goals are WRITTEN. High achievers always know precisely what they want, because they’ve written it down. Often, they write a short description of their goals every single morning, as a personal reminder of their priorities and their objectives. The act of writing your goals down vastly increases your chance of success. Write it down! Then, keep your notes where you can see and read them every day.

9. Reachable goals are SHARED. We are far more likely to stick to our plan and reach our goals if we know our friends and family support us. Being part of a team increases our determination, our stamina, and our courage. Caution: Never share your goals with anyone who may ridicule, tease or discourage you! The world is full of doubters and you have no time for them. But, find a support team, a group of cheerleaders, and a coach who will encourage you every step of the way. High achievers count on and work with other winners!

10. Reachable goals are CONSISTENT WITH YOUR VALUES. One of the biggest reasons people fail to achieve their goals is that they have conflict between their behavior and their values. However, when your values and your goals are in agreement, there is no stopping you! Clarify your values first, then set simple, specific, measurable, tangible, written goals that are consistent with those values. You will achieve them, every single time!

© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: “Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It’s all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com