Whats the max number of times you need to remind someone to do something?
There are these barrels filled with foam dust outside of the facility I work at. I have reminded them countless times and they keep failing to meet our safety standards. No one is doing their job and this waste is building up. My safety manager asked me why im always trying to get people in trouble and just to remind them again to clean it up. How many times should I remind them before it becomes a problem and needs stricter actions.
Comments (9)
This is an all to often occurrence for a lot of us here. Unless you are supported from the top down to effect corrective actions and not have them treated as mere suggestions then it is time to escalate from asking, to asking and putting it in writing with key players involved.
More or less in a survival mode CYA
Honestly some departments need more hand holding (as bad as it is to say) - agreed it should be their responsibility to call in a waste pickup. Maybe give them some instructions - 1) call this person/hauler, 2) set up time to pick up, 3) make sure everything is staged for pickup. If that still doesn't work: time for a new job?
What is the expectation and who sets the expectation? Start there.
If you haven't done so, I would try to turn the reminder into a small learning session with feedback explaining why they need to be cleaned up and the standard that must be met. It isn't formal, just a quick 5-minute discussion. This allows you to reference the discussion and it takes away the 'getting in trouble' scenario. Plus it allows the employee to open up to you if there are roadblocks in their way that prevents them from getting it done.
I grew up in a ferrous foundry as a supervisor. Very early on I was taught the word, “imminent” and what it meant. If a concern was of “imminent danger” I was to take immediate corrective action! That meant there was NO asking or reasoning! I demanded then and swung a big stick! Free molten iron was one example. 3000 degree iron does nasty things, and only sand and lots of it can contain it! Anything less than imminent meant I asked once with maybe some reasoning. But if that didn’t get it done I went to demanding up to and including Termination! With peers and upper management if I had to, I went to the Plant Manager. If I took that step I needed to be prepared.
Anything over 3 times is begging. Stop begging. Ask them why they are breaking federal/state law and why they are OK with it?