Or how to clean up your lab, improve safety and advance your career.
When all things are held equal, a clean, safe lab will win your manager’s respect over a cluttered, messy area of confusion.
If you are one of the unfortunate people who have to work side-by-side with the original inventor of chaos you have my deepest sympathy. I’ve been there. I used to work next to a guy who was a good chemist but so messy, sloppy and cluttered it made me want to quit my job for fear of my own safety. As a radio organic synthesis chemist making designer carcinogens I knew what exposure to microscopic quantities of those babies could do to me. It wasn’t pretty.
Working next to him was a constant source of strain of my job and looking back on it, our managers failed by not addressing it directly. And yes, I went on to a safer environment and breathed a big sigh of relief. But is this the only answer? Is that what businesses who have safety hazards want? Their good employees to leave because of those who can’t follow safe work practices? Well, it’s an answer.
If you are working with people in the lab who are safety hazards because of their work habits it’s your duty, your responsibility, your right to help rectify the problem. After all, it’s YOUR safety at stake … probably not your managers. And who is responsible for your safety?
The good news is that you can influence those around you to clean up their act, improve work place politics and make your manager look good all at the same time. Yes that means taking a leadership role, yes that means really caring about people, and yes that means by offering solutions that make being safe, clean and neat as easy as possible. Here’s how:
1. Know this. No body wants to get hurt, injured, infected or contaminated. Not even the worst offender. They simply are lazy, preoccupied, not too bright, or suffer from poor leadership. Creating a clean, neat lab has simply not been made a priority to them by those who have leverage. Don’t be mad or emotional at them – it will only stress you out.
2. Set an example. This first step is of paramount importance. Make sure that the world you control is in control and it’s obvious when eyes are first laid upon your work area that you are the kind of person who values order, safety and discipline. Earn the respect of those around you by respecting those around you.
3. Take initiative. Improve the safety, neatness and cleanliness in common or public areas. Talk to your associates it in terms of “I feel safer when the weighing area is clean.” “Being safe is important to me – I like the way my face looks!” “The possibility of sample or personal contamination causes me stress.” These types of statements spoken to co-workers and managers consistently and repeatedly will have an effect. Maybe not the first time, but combined with your leadership and example it works. Keep the pressure pleasant, public and persistent.
Safety meetings, safety inspections and safety teams are awesome. Volunteer, get involved and offer helpful solutions and options. Reward improvement with things like a single flower at an improved work area. Send a thank you note or email. Make a public acknowledgement of someone’s effort. Share a story about how lab improvement changed the course of an event. Above all be sincere with your appreciation, appropriate for your position and make your boss look good. Your career and goodwill will grow.
I was lucky that when my career began my boss was extremely skilled and conscious of safety. Maybe that was the difference. Our labs and offices were always spotless and he taught me, and impressed upon me, how important it was. I really believed him. It stuck.
Susan Tripp is the President and CEO of TrippNT
Tags: achieving goals, career advancement, contamination, difficult coworkers, interaction with coworkers, job strain, lab clutter, lab safety, laboratory, Leading by example, messy coworkers, office politics, safety hazards, setting an example, taking initiative, TrippNT
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