A USPS district where managers use creative approaches to promote safety is the subject of the latest “Engage” episode.
Sierra Coastal District Manager Greg Wolny regularly invites employees to attend his management meetings so they can see for themselves how much time the district devotes to safety.
“You want the employee to want to work safely. They need to understand from the leadership on down how important safety is,” Wolny says.
Safety is also an area of focus at the ground level, according to Caroline Rivera, a station manager in San Roque, CA.
For example, the station has a “caught in the act” program in which employees are recognized for working safely on the job.
“Normally … if you do it wrong, [managers] say, ‘Here’s the way you’re supposed to do it right.’ So this program is based on being positive and recognizing positive behavior,” Rivera says.
Michael Martino, Post Office operations manager for the district, which is part of Pacific Area, also discusses his efforts to seek — and implement — employees’ ideas.
“When you ask a person for their opinion and you actually use that opinion, that’s got to be one of the ultimate forms of demonstrating respect for the individual,” Martino says.