 IN THIS ISSUE: Communication Corner: Preventing interruptions Employees Matter: Boosting morale with Maslow News You Can Use: Safe lifting campaigns Just for Fun: You know you’re having a bad day when… Are Interruptions Driving You Bonkers?!! Interruptions
can be very irritating. Certainly, nothing may seem more annoying than a
pointless interruption right when you’re in the middle of an important task. And
while some interruptions are harmless, others can throw you way off track and
cause you to miss a major deadline. Here are
three ideas that will help you protect your time at work: Choose wisely. When office chatter starts up, you
may be tempted to join the fun. But take a deep breath and think twice before you
do. You may become involved in an ever-growing and time-consuming conversation.
So, it may be best to engage in these conversations when you have more
time—perhaps during your lunch break or before or after your shift begins. You
don’t want to be anti-social, but you have work to do, so you will need to
decide on a case-by-case basis what conversations you will join. Wrap it up. If you’re involved in a conversation
with a co-worker that you need to end, you can wrap it up by mirroring what the
person has just said, and then change the subject. For example, if someone is
talking about their favorite TV show, you can say, “Yes, that show is great. By
the way, I’m updating the Smith chart—do you have anything you need to add?”
This tactic will guide the conversation back to work and clue the person that
you need to move on. Set up a system. Practically every workplace has an employee
who consistently interrupts others at work just to “shoot the breeze.” If you
encounter such a person, set up a special system with another co-worker. When
that co-worker sees the offender taking up your time, he/she can approach you
with a diversion that will send the interrupter on their way. For example, your co-worker could say
something like, “Sorry for interrupting, but I really need your help right now.
Could you come with me for a second?”
—Baltasar Gracian Boost Morale with Maslow Every
manager wants to boost employee morale. After all, happier and more satisfied
employees often equal more productive and efficient employees. So, now comes
the $64,000 question: how exactly can a manager boost morale? There are
several ways to improve employee morale and motivation. Rewarding employees for
a job well done, giving employees more control over their job, or occasionally
bringing in treats to the office are just a few things managers can do. However, what may work for one employee, may
not work for another—and that’s where it gets tricky. It’s difficult, if not
impossible, to cater to every employee’s specific wish. But, before you run yourself ragged, you
should first look at your workers’ basic psychological needs. Renowned
psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a hierarchy of five basic human needs. According
to Maslow’s theory, every human being has these needs, and will not “graduate”
to the next need until the prior one has been met. As a manager, you can apply
Maslow’s theory at the workplace. By ensuring employees’ basic needs are met, you
can dramatically increase employee satisfaction. Maslow’s
hierarchy consists of the following needs: 1. Physiological. These are the most basic and
fundamental needs. Physiological needs must be met before an employee can focus
on any of the other needs discussed below. An organization is meeting
employees’ physiological needs if pay levels provide employees with enough
money for food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, etc. If your company can’t
provide these things, it’s unrealistic to think that employees are happy and motivated
to come to work every day. 2. Safety. Employees need a structured,
stable, and safe place to work. When it comes to this need, employees need to
feel both mentally and physically safe. On an emotional level, employees need a
workplace that offers adequate job security, and is organized and run fairly.
Employees also need to feel physically safe. This is especially relevant in
healthcare, as patients and visitors can become extremely volatile. Make sure
your organization has well-defined disaster recovery plans, and that all
employees know what to do in the event of an emergency/crisis. 3. Social acceptance and belonging. Although most people don’t expect to
meet their new best friend at work, employees do want to get along and feel a
sense of belonging with their co-workers. Research has shown that promoting
social interaction among employees will increase morale and productivity.
However, many organizations continue to underestimate the value of friendship
within the workplace. 4. Esteem. Everyone has the desire to feel
adequate, competent, and appreciated. People need to feel that they are recognized
for what they do. This recognition will then motivate them to continue working
hard for the company. However, if the praise is lacking, employees will begin
to think that doing quality work is unnecessary, asking "What does it
matter? No one will notice anyway." Remember, praise and recognition
doesn’t always have to be over-the-top. A few words of gratitude in the
presence of an employee’s peers will go a long way. 5. Self-actualization. Self-actualization is all about
reaching goals. Some employees may want to become managers, while others may be
satisfied with attaining top seniority on their unit. Regardless of the goal, you want to help each
and every employee reach their maximum potential. Such potential, when achieved
by all employees, allows the organization to achieve heights beyond
expectations. Remember, ensuring
employees’ needs are met is not a simple way of managing, as it takes a lot of
time and effort. But, if you’re dedicated and persistent, you will likely
achieve the results you desire. “I told my
psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous—everyone
hasn’t met me yet” —Rodney Dangerfield Safe Lifting: Safe
patient handling is a key component of injury prevention. Indeed, safe handling
and lifting techniques can help reduce injuries, improve patient outcomes, and
reduce workers’ compensation claims. Yet, injuries
continue to happen. So, what gives? Why do intelligent, highly trained healthcare
professionals fall victim to the epidemic of injuries caused by lifting or
transferring patients when safe techniques are widely known and contemporary
lifting equipment is readily available? Make Your Program More
Successful with Reinforcement While
there are several approaches and programs for safe lifting, one thing is
certain: To be successful, you must consistently reinforce the techniques to
employees. Constant reinforcement via visual and verbal reminders is absolutely
key for injury prevention programs. Subtle and obvious reminders help engrain a
“safety first” mantra into healthcare professionals’ minds. Posting numerous visual
cues, (e.g., on your Website, on entrance doors, in bathrooms, etc.) indicates
that injury prevention is a top priority at your healthcare organization. Furthermore,
surrounding your facility with visual cues signifies that the entire facility values
a safe-lifting environment. If
your facility currently mandates a safe-lifting environment, or if you are
contemplating such a program, you should seriously consider incorporating Liko
Inc.’s “Safe Lifting Environment” campaign. This awareness campaign places a
sharp focus on continuous reinforcement. The campaign can help promote safe
lifting in your facility with free
educational material, including decals and posters featuring a universal
safe-lifting symbol. The
Safe Lifting Environment campaign and symbol are being provided to healthcare
facilities free of charge by Liko for use on Websites, within workplace
environments, and for use in recruitment, advertising, newsletters, and other related
activities.
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