Skip to content
montHly manager update

August

field of daisy flowers

"L E A D E R S H I P  is not an expertise, L E A D E R S H I P  is a constant education"-unknown.

LEADERSHIP
 

MANAGEMENT SKILLS COURSE

ELEVEN Management tips to help you become a confident / impactful leader:

1. Set your standards and expectations high:

Your reputation as a leader is based on your performance. Weak managers do not set high standards, and they don’t hold their team members accountable; they are inconsistent, and try to be popular with everyone, which never works. REMEMBER: it is far easier to lower your standards slightly if you want to, than to raise them later on.

2. Always be honest, transparent, & consistent as a manager / leader:

  • Be HONEST. Even if you make a mistake or bad decision, own it! You will gain instant respect by being honest.
  • Be TRANSPARENT. Share the reasons for the difficult decision you make with your team whenever possible.
  • Be CONSISTANT. If you are consistent in your actions, standards, and communication, you will quickly gain trust amongst your team.

3. Communicate regularly with your team:

Managers and leaders who communicate with their team re 10x more likely to succeed. One of the biggest demotivators for employees is lack of communication.

4. Implement the following 8 workplace values:      

You should lay ground rules for the people in your team to follow—called VALUES:            

  • RESPECT: We will respect others’ backgrounds, opinions, views, and suggestions.
  • HONESTY: If we make misstates, we will own up to them without fear of being judged.
  • LOYALTY: We will be good role models for the business, and never talk disrespectfully about our co-workers, or the organization.
  • COMMUNICATION: We will communicate with each other and our customers regularly, and be clear and professional in our message.
  • CREATIVITY: We will be creative in the decisions we make and put forward ideas and suggestions that help us achieve our goals.
  • FRUGALITY: We will take care of company supplies and resources to save money, and seek ways to reduce expenditure and waste.
  • PROGRESSION: We will seek ways to learn, grow, and develop and take the opportunity of the training courses that come our way.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We will be accountable for our actions, and complete everything to the best of our abilities.

5. Conduct performance reviews with all team members:

Sit down privately with each team member and discuss their performance for the previous few months, career aspirations and goals, training needs, and objectives for the following few months. Performance reviews give you the opportunity to really get to know each team member’s strengths and weaknesses, what they want to achieve, and what motivates them. They also give the you the opportunity to say “THANK YOU” to you team members!

6. Delegate tasks to the right team members based on their strengths, motivations, and aspirations.

7. Always PRAISE good work performance:

RECOGNIZE your employees for good work, and eventually they will repeat it, helping you out in times of need.

8. Make decisions based on the strategic goals of the organization:

As a manager, you will need to make decisions during your career. Sometimes, those decisions will be unpopular, but providing your decisions are made with the organization’s goals as the focus, you will do no wrong. Always make decisions that are focused on the strategic objectives of the organization and be on the side of the SLT.

9. Remember, when making decisions, doing “NOTHING” is an option!

10. Have a plan of action ready for the first 90 days of starting the season!

11. Tackle conflict and underperformance quickly:

Managers who ignore conflict or poor work performance quickly lose respect. If you become aware of a conflict between team members, tell them you are aware of it, and encourage them to resolve it themselves quickly and amicably. IF they can’t resolve it, step in an direct them.
 SAFETY
 

SUBSTANCE ABUSE:

 
slugs

 

Alcohol

Alcohol is the number one abused substance in the US. With its ‘socially-acceptable’ and recreational effects, it can be easy to become alcohol-dependent. When broaching the topic of alcoholism or abuse, remember that this affects your workers’ private lives as well as their behavior in the workspaces. 

By sharing some key facts about the health effects and symptoms of alcohol, you can help workers to identify their own issues. You can also educate your team on what to look out for in each other. Some symptoms of increased alcohol use include:

  • Difficulty with mental processes
  • A lack of coordination
  • Slowed reaction rates
  • Slurred speech and unbalanced movement
  • Potential smells of alcohol on breath or clothing.

To keep it relevant to your workers’ lives as well as the impact of alcoholism at work, share some of the key health effects, too:

  • Decreased sexual function
  • Alcohol dependency
  • Fatal liver disease
  • Increased risk of cancer (in particular, mouth, throat, rectum, breast, and skin cancer)
  • Kidney disease

Opioid abuse at work

In the same vein as alcohol abuse, opioid abuse is another key topic to cover. Similarly to alcohol, (prescribed) opiates are legal, and their effects can be addictive. Opioids are medications used to treat pain. The trouble is they also boost feelings of pleasure. Common opioids include Morphine, Fentanyl, Heroin, Percocet (Oxycodone) and Codeine. 

Misuse of prescribed medication or obtaining it by other methods constitutes opioid abuse. Employees using opioids could face the following effects:

  • Slow reactions
  • Bad coordination
  • Fatigue and tiredness
  • Issues with concentration, learning and memory
  • Low mood including depression and/or anxiety
  • Confusion and delayed reactions
  • Difficulties operating heavy machinery

This can cause all sorts of issues for the worker themselves, as well as those around them. So, keeping everyone on top of the signs and symptoms of alcohol and opioid abuse is key to a safe working environment and a healthy workforce.

Drug overdose in the workplace

August also brings to light International Overdose Awareness Day by the Penington Institute. With opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine use so high, drug overdoses are a sad reality to face. The National Institute on Drug Abuse suggested that nearly 50,000 people in the US died from opioid-related overdoses in 2019. That’s around 136 people a day.

Sadly, these statistics also include intentional as well as unintentional drug overdose deaths. OSHA has public records of 91 events of drug overdoses at work. These include drug use on work breaks, combinations of drug abuse with hot temperatures, drug-induced heart attacks and even slips and falls. While mortality rates of drug overdoses vary from 1.9-57.8%, it’s important that everyone is up-to-speed with the signs and symptoms of a drug overdose, to prevent fatalities and workplace hazards.

Symptoms of drug overdose may include:

  • Severe chest pain
  • Seizures
  • Headaches
  • Difficulty breathing

They may also include:

  • Very cold or very warm body temperatures
  • Passing out or loss of consciousness
  • Skin color changes
  • Abnormal breathing
  • Changes in pulse: faster, slower or irregular pulse.

If anyone suspects another colleague may be suffering from a drug or alcohol overdose, it’s critical that they call 911 immediately. Then they should place the person on their side (so they don’t choke on any potential vomit) and stay with them until medical help arrives. Below is a workplace safety talk for the construction industry where, unfortunately, drug misuse is prevalent.

 

OSHA data shows that a person who is legally intoxicated to a .08 level is 6x more likely to have an accident at work than a sober person. Alcohol abuse is also likely to lead to slower reactions, poor communication and a lack of coordination at work. This not only affects the alcohol user, but also creates unsafe surroundings for those who work with them.

Reference: https://safetystage.com/safety-topics/august-safety-topics/#google_vignette

 

Click HERE to download the 5 minute safety toolbox talk

Alcohol-and-the-Workplace1-2.jpg
human-resources-word-cloud-260nw-1165788328
HR UPDATES
 
Follow up items for AUGUST: Employee Opinion Survey 
  • TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT: APS Learn will be available this month - online courses available to all employees! More info to come!
    REMINDER: ANY New Hire that will be operating a fork lift MUST be certified by the site trainer BEFORE operating a fork lift. 
  • COMMUNICATION: People Are Everything - Be sure all employee have access and have logged on.  Any issues or challenges -- contact HR!

WORKERS COMP CERTIFICATES were sent and should be posted at EACH location.

 

EAP:

What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)? An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems.

 

Our EAP is through WorkLifeMatters: 

 

WorkLifeMatters is a confidential Employee Assistance Program that helps employees find balance between work and home life.  They provide guidance for personal issues that you might be facing and information about other concerns that affect your life, whether its a life event or on a day-to-day basis.

  • Unlimited free telephonic consultation with an EAP counselor available 24/7 at 800-386-7055
  • Referrals to local counselors-- up to 3 sessions free of charge
  • State-of-the-art website featuring over 3,400 helpful articles on topics like wellness, training courses, and a legal and financial center

    https://worklife.uprisehealth.com/  User Name: Matters; Password: wlm70101