I don’t know about you but I love economics. And I love thinking about the economy, probably because it has a psychology background to it. I definitely consider myself an economics junkie and that’s why I think it’s important to talk about the value of safety.
Value of Safety
Although the economy in the U.S. is currently strong, I still always wonder what will happen if the economy crashes again. And what I saw in 2007 and 2008 is that a lot of safety people were out of work. Because a lot of corporations see safety as a throwaway department.
If the product your company sells is more disposable or luxury, you might notice that your safety departments are starting to shrink. Just on account that businesses are anticipating a recession at some point in the future.
So, I don’t want you to think about this being all bad. But I do want to bring up a few things related to job security and the value you bring to your employer.
Ask yourself: what value do you as a
When times get tough the organization is going to make cuts and we don’t want them cutting you – for job security and safety purposes. In my case, I know the following are some of values I bring beyond my safety management position:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Marketing
- Graphic Arts
- Resourceful with a Limited Budget
- Technical Writing Skills
- Training
- Coaching Skills
- Website Development
- Information Technology
If hard times were to come, would that company cut someone who can benefit them in multiple areas beyond the typical role of a safety manager? It’s unlikely because once your management team sees how valuable you are, they are going to support you AND the projects you are working on.
Listen in to this episode for ways you can increase your skills and bring additional (and non-disposable) value to your organization.
Take Action
Look outside of your department and ask what you can do or learn so that you can become a more valuable member of the management team and gain skills that will help you in the future. When you focus on how you can serve others you become a valuable team member that outlives recessions and employee cutbacks.
Highlights From This Episode:
- Value as more than a safety manager
- Recession and the safety manager
Links Mentioned:
- Get on the list and get a FREE idea book: 5 Surprising Ways to Make Employees Crazy for Safety at http://www.thesafetygeek.com/5ways
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
How will you create value for your organization above and beyond your current safety management role? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Also – do you have a BSF (best safety friend)? If so, pass along this episode so they can listen, too!
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Hi, I'm Brye (rhymes with sky)! I am a self-proclaimed safety geek with two decades of general industry safety experience. Specializing in bringing safety programs to a world-class level and building a safety culture, I have trained and coached many safety managers, just like you, on how to effectively manage workplace safety in the real world. I would love to help you too.
