Sample Clip: Safety Is a Team Sport

by Carl Potter copyright 2002

Chapter 1

Winning Teams

Winning teams have one thing in common. They all have a specific goal and each player is focused on that goal. Winning safety teams also have one goal: Everyone goes home, every day without injury. Is this the kind of team you want to join? To join, you must be committed to the goal. Additionally, to be an effective player on the team you must know how your style impacts the team and the importance of your position on the team. A successful team member is committed to becoming a better player.

When people come together to solve a problem or to reach a common goal, we call them a team. In this case, the safety team's goal is to have zero injuries on the job.

Zero injuries can be accomplished. If you are thinking, "I don't know about that," let me ask you this, "Will the next member injured be you?" To help accomplish this goal, each person must learn more about how he or she reacts to different situations and the surrounding environment. Each person must also understand how their team reacts.

In the following chapters you will learn about behaviors and identify your own personal style. You will also learn how each person's team position affects the team's ability to meet a zero injury goal. Once you understand yourself better, we will cover team dynamics and their importance to having a winning team. I challenge you to become a committed safety team member. Imagine being part of a team that plays well together and can adapt to roster changes quickly. The first step to becoming a member of such a team is making the commitment to learn about becoming a team player. If you do this, you will see all your team members and yourself go home every day without injury.