To ensure effective results, an HSE Specialist must understand all of the company's business processes and possess the necessary data, knowing exactly who to get it from and how. It is essential to find the right "keys" to every employee — from cleaning staff to the CEO.
Can we, as professionals, use a one-size-fits-all approach? Absolutely not. Do we always have the time to tailor our speaking style to every worker in the moment? Not always!
I believe we must consider a whole spectrum of factors, especially with key colleagues, specialists, and managers — such as temperament, hobbies, age, education, experience, status, physical attributes, workload, and sense of humor.
There are moody people whom it's better not to approach at certain times, something that can be sensed beforehand through emotional intelligence. There are those who prefer plain, down-to-earth language, and sometimes it's worth being on the same wavelength to understand each other. Some appreciate a new joke or a local quip. With others, you can discuss football or other sports. Someone might have just returned from an unforgettable vacation and is feeling inspired, while another might have had something happen and wants to share it.
A real-life example: How to start an important business dialogue using context.
Imagine a situation: you need to discuss an important matter with a colleague who is a die-hard football fan. Yesterday, his favorite team lost or performed poorly on the field. You also know football well, but your temperament is more reserved.
Wait, think about the best way to start an important business dialogue. For example:
– "That team deserved the win, and there were reasons for it...";
– "If we had changed the game... we would have won";
– "Let them enjoy it for now, we'll see who wins the championship in the end."
Then, seeing the shift in emotions, we can proceed in the interest of work. Should we always take this into account? I believe that at work, everyone should be able to maintain self-control and not show personal difficulties, but as we know, this is a very difficult task. To achieve your goals, it is important to consider details about the person while keeping the desired result in mind!
Should we make friends at work and get close to people? It's a complex question. In my opinion, generally no, as it can be dangerous when resolving sensitive and high-responsibility professional issues. Exceptions might be long-time, trusted colleagues with whom there are no direct conflicts of interest. But there should be no "discounts," no pats on the back, no "well, it's okay for you" thoughts — otherwise, our entire authority, built grain by grain over years, risks being undermined. How much it is damaged may depend on the "grapevine" within the company.
We need to stay sharp every day, coming up with new approaches and practices, and managing our strength, time, and energy.
Personally, I have found that even unconventional approaches, such as observing birth dates (without delving into numerology or astrology, but noting general behavioral trends sometimes associated with them), can give me extra food for thought regarding a colleague's character. This is certainly not a scientific method, but each of us seeks our own keys to understanding people, and for me, this has become one of the tools in my arsenal.
You can't achieve this right after university or in a year; you need to learn from experience, develop observational experience regarding how people behave and carry themselves, observe, take the best, and draw conclusions from negative behavior and actions. And I believe that under no circumstances does anyone have the right to shout at each other — it is a sign of weakness, and such behavior must be nipped in the bud once and for all.
An HSE manager's position must be firm, strong, and authoritative; otherwise, all our goals and plans will either be unattainable or take much longer to achieve.