Coaches observe

A key step in Coaching is to observe – looking for safe behavior you can encourage and risky behavior that should be corrected.

You can start by making a checklist of critical actions for the task the employee is doing. Critical actions are behaviors that can cause or prevent injury.

For someone climbing a ladder, critical actions include – the ladder should be set up with the base level on the ground; someone climbing a ladder should have hands free, so all tools should be in a belt; someone climbing a ladder shouldn’t lean too far left or right and should face the ladder climbing down.

If you observe an employee committing a risky action that could harm him or someone else, speak up right away. Be specific, keep your personal feelings out of it and simply note what you see happening. That way, the employee will understand exactly what he’s done and realize its risk.