bonus feature

I was nominated to become the new "Safety Leader" at work several months ago. It's a challenge because, as a corporate office, there just aren't as many daily hazards as there are at our branches and plants where industrial safety is an every moment concern.

So instead of technical details and industry standards, we talk have been talking about things that help keep us safe enough to be able to come in to work every day.

I've talked about lightning safety, heat-related illnesses, food poisoning, holiday decorating safety and I have invited in guest speakers to address the flu (the Health Department), general everyday safety (a police lieutenant), and now I have asked a psychotherapist to address STRESS.

I thought about taking on the topic myself but I know that I am probably more affected by stress than anyone else I work with in that office. Or maybe it is that I am more likely to visibly vent it and react to it than other people. Whatever the case, I could have done the research and come up with a passable presentation but I didn't think that anything I could learn in less than a month's time would really make me more able to cope with the squeeze I feel on a daily basis.

But here's what this entry is really all about:
The company has a database of brief slide shows and in the past the presenter has read the slides to us. It was truly boring. I know secrets that set me apart from previous presenters:

1. If you engage people, they will learn something.

2. People love to talk. If you want a guest speaker who will talk for free, all you have to do is find someone who deals with the topic for a living and ask them to come visit. It really is that simple.

3. People love free stuff. Whenever possible, get them handouts and freebies. (I scored sunscreen samples for the heat talk and hand sanitizer for the flu talk.)

4. Reputable websites have almost everything you need (dot gov, dot org.)

5. I ask what people want to hear about and give them a chance to suggest something different.

The difference is that it takes about 24 to 72 hours to research and plan a good 30 to 60 minute talk. Nobody gave that before. They just read the slides. ((Snooze))

Finding the topic is going to be more of a challenge as months go by. I will eventually run out of topics from the company line on safety. That's where my co-workers have to do their part. They have to tell me what they want for a topic unless the suggested monthly topic is apropos.

Post script: There was a lapse in communication and I thought the speaker wasn't coming so I was studying to be able to present the topic myself, but he confirmed yesterday. So I have spent all of my free time for the past six days on it because I wasn't sure that he would come... It's all good. Bring him on!