Safety and (No)Excuses
“It wasn’t my fault!”
How many times have you heard someone say that? Or you’ve said it yourself? If you’ve ever been involved in an “incident”, no doubt it was said in the mix of responses you’ve given or heard. Often, what comes next is an attempt to lessen the blame by attaching an external fault or reason – in other words, an excuse.
At one time or another everyone makes excuses. However, as professionals, we tend to want to be right all the time…. It can be frustrating because we feel like mistakes are a reflection of how good or professional we are…
Not following safety procedures and getting caught makes us feel less professional. And that’s when we tend to try to find excuses for what happened.
An accident is described as “an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally” Or “an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause”
No one plans to have an accident. You might say an excuse is created to make us feel better that we did not take the time to evaluate what could have happened to avoid the accident in the first place.
Reacting to and handling other people’s excuses can be tough for us as well. When confronted with excuses, try to consider three things:
- Even if the excuse isn’t true, the person may believe what he or she is telling you is a reason for the misdeed or for not doing something required.
- Try not taking it personally. That stance won’t help the situation.
- We all make excuses, often to our self. In fact, the excuses that hold most of us back are the ones that we make personally to ourselves to meet a standard or pursuing a goal.
It can be unpleasant to admit when we’re at fault, because it means we were responsible for what happened. That’s why the ancient German proverb “No one sees his own faults” is still true today.
It all boils down to the psychological phrase “locus of control,” which is how much you think you’re responsible for your performance and situations. If your locus of control is mostly external, you typically will blame other people first. This encourages excuses.
On the other hand, if your locus of control is mostly internal, you’ll tend to take responsibility for your behavior – whether it creates wins or losses.
Here are two mental techniques to help strengthen your internal locus of control.
Tell yourself, ‘I do have the time!’ ….to put on those safety glasses, …..to wear the proper hand protection… (you can fill in the blank how you want) It can be a safety procedure or a simple personal goal……. Thinking you don’t have the time to do something is a common excuse. So, turn it around and find the time. It’s there, even if it takes some sacrificing to get it. There is always time to think “SAFETY” no matter what the circumstances.
Realize it’s OK to make mistakes
Every once in a while, we need to remind ourselves it’s OK to make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up every time you make a mistake or try to blame it on something or someone else. Instead of casting blame outside, use your internal locus of control and ask, “What could I have done to improve what happened?”
However, if you take responsibility for them, they can help you grow.