Craig Gauvreau CRSP

Stay on top of what you may need to use in your representation. Don't unpack and live there always on the hunt for the latest and greatest gadget. Practice Practice Practice Practice some more

While reviewing a mistake on a construction site with a worker who was really beating himself up over it, I asked what he would do differently. That's a very different tone than asking something like, " do you understand what you did wrong?" I went on to say, "The only people who don't make mistakes are either liars or lazy and don't do anything. You are neither one of those types, and we don't want those types on the team. Let's go make things right, shall we." It's a good way to mold supportive and encouraging with accountability.

Know your subject, Know your subject, and Know your subject. Practice, practice, practice, then practice some more. practice one more time. Record yourself on those practice sessions.

Imagine how it would feel to receive an email or, better yet, a handwritten thank you note from you, for their time and insight. Not only would they feel they had their say but they will also feel heard. We have thousands of ways to communicate these days, but yet, we don't have a lot of conversations. A thank you email or note indicates you had a conversation because you had your say and were heard. Yes, this sounds like crazy talk, but it works. If you interact with workers and they don't have their say, you were just going for a walk. Ask questions, be curious then be thankful.

This is where being curious can reap rewards. The further up the organization you are, the less technical your knowledge and skill will be from the trenches. Be curious and ask them to show you how something works. Ask what works and what can be improved from their perspective.

Using the letters BSI as a guide. B is Behaviour: acknowledge something that you observed them do. S is Specific: mention what was specific about their behaviour that you want to acknowledge. I is for Impact: talk about how that specific behaviour impacts the team, the company, the work site, their workmates or any combination of these. BSI