Communication Is The Key To The Prevention Of Issues

In a recent safety training I conducted with young girls, ages 9-12 years old, it was amazing how grown up they were; how much they knew about life. When asking them difficult questions about situations they have been in as young women, the information they provided, was to some shocking, but it was positive that in the right environment, these girls wanted to talk about what was going on in the world around them.

It is the reality that our young people are growing up much quicker today than years ago. One of the topics we discussed, are the dangers of chatrooms on the internet. Most of the girls had been told by their parents not to be on them, and are not allowed to be on them at home. However, most found their way into chatrooms, at a friend's house, etc. They all knew that it was wrong to be on them, but were curious as to what these chatrooms were all about. Some even got into dangerous situations, but didn't feel comfortable about going to their parents, because they were just told, "don't go into chatrooms"; there was no conversation about what they could do if they made a mistake.

I have found this same reality when I interview employees that have engaged in some level of misconduct in their work. Most knew what they were doing was wrong, and said they got into a situation that seemed too big to dig themselves out of. However, one of the main factors as to how they started on this path, was that management was not around and/or didn't have regular trainings or communication with them. Some employees felt that if they made a mistake, they were afraid as to how the manager would react, so they chose not to say anything at all.

Anyone that has worked with me, knows that I have extremely high expectations of people and that it's difficult for me to hear when people don't strive as high as they should in their work and personal life. I greatly feel that we need to hold people accountable/responsible for their actions. However, the world that we live in, is a different one from years ago. People appear to be more stressed than ever in their careers. The corporate culture is one of change. I don't know too many people that stay in one company for years, as they used to. Top managers we see today, are gone tomorrow. People are being replaced every day, so there is that fear of losing employment. Finances are tight with a lot of people and sometimes don't know where to turn.

Children are getting into situations that we did not see when we were kids. With the technology of the internet, cellphones and the influence of the media, our kids are exposed to much more than we were.

Although we must hold people accountable (make them responsible for their lives), we must have an environment for them to talk freely about what is going with them, and the mistakes they have made. Many of us will take immediate responsibility for mistakes we make. However, there is a culture today, that lots of people will not volunteer that information. For those people, we need to try to get them to talk about it, because if we don't, their small mistakes can lead into bigger, more serious problems for themselves and people around them.

Below are things that we need to be aware of regarding effective communication.

• Have Regular Check-In's: Have regular check-in's with the people around you. The more you communicate with the people around you, the more likely they will come to you if there is an issue. If you don't have regular check-in's, there might be the appearance you don't care, or are too busy to deal with an issue they are having. When having those regular check-in's, make sure you listen more than you talk. This is a time for people to feel encouraged to discuss their concerns with you.
  
  
• Encourage Talking about Mistakes: Do you have an atmosphere at home and/or at work that people can come to you regarding anything that has occurred? If someone makes a mistake / has done something wrong, do you go crazy and make people feel terrible about coming to you? Or do you have an "open door"; allow people to feel comfortable in expressing what they have done? You don't have to be happy about people making mistakes, but wouldn't you rather someone come in early in a situation, versus them not saying anything and potentially making a situation much worse?
  
  
• Understand That Each Person Communicates Differently: You must understand that even if you have an "open door" policy, allowing people to come to you and express concerns when they have done something wrong etc, there are still people that will not do so. Some people that I have interviewed, indicated that unless someone asks them a direct question, they would not have told their employer what they have done wrong. Get to know your people. Are they good communicators, in which they will talk on their own, or does it seem like they answer with very short answers and only will answer with prompting? We've got to keep on top of the game as much as possible. For employees, it is the organization in jeopardy. With children, it's potentially their lives at stake.
  
  
• Acceptance/Not Avoidance: Accept the fact that the world is a different place than it was 20 years ago. Don't avoid talking about difficult topics with your kids. Educate yourself as much as you can on these topics and have the ability to feel comfortable talking about them. Believe me, if you aren't talking with them about certain things, they will learn from someone else. We need to be communicating the right information to them and want them communicating back what is going on in their world, versus them just going on their own instinct. Don't just preach that you don't want your kids doing certain things; understand that they might make a mistake and give them the comfort and ability to come to you for anything, no matter how bad the situation is.

With effective communication, we are doing what it takes for the people around you to feel safe in talking about what is going on with them. It may make the difference between dealing with a minor mistake in the beginning, or dealing with a major problem down the road.