T.H.A.N.K.S. for protecting me: Reinforcing mask use from behind the mask
Read full blog
As many of us go back to work in the midst of a pandemic, we will be in closer proximity to others than we have been in months. We will be closer to the companionship and collegiality we once took for granted. We will be closer to the occupation that allows us to contribute to society, and we will be closer to a steady paycheck deprived of so many.
We will also be closer to the hidden virus that has traveled the world to find the opportunity to attack our workforce.
Now is the time to put all our behavioral skills to work. There are critical life-saving behaviors that we can all do to protect ourselves (e.g., hand washing) and to exponentially protect others. Indeed, putting on face masks keep infected people — many of whom are unaware and exhibit little symptoms — from transmitting the virus to others. In real ways, we are protecting our colleagues by wearing masks.
For this reason, many companies out there are adding face masks to the lists of required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Perhaps we should have a new name for face masks. I think calling them Community Protective Equipment (CPE) may be more appropriate. An important and impactful way to prevent the virus from rampaging through our workforce is to ensure the use of CPE!
Many life-critical behaviors — such as putting on a fall protection harness and clipping in — have become the Cardinal Rules of the safety world. Many occupational justice programs require compliance to Cardinal Rules or workers find themselves coming into contact with discipline and possible removal. I’ve always argued that these were necessary but not sufficient. Discipline works (but probably not).
It will be very tempting to include face-mask-wearing as a Cardinal Rule. I think I would probably agree with the inclusion of CPE procedures in the near term that would save lives and keep our companies open.
Now, as simple as putting on a mask looks, wearing the mask comes with discomfort (we have to smell our own breath!), awkwardness (what? You don’t trust me?), and it’s yet another thing to keep up with. We may have to shape up the behaviors to begin with. Workers have to know what to do, when, and how, so that they are fluent enough to master the behavior every time.
We cannot depend on the negative reinforcement associated with discipline. It will not assure the CPE behavior will occur when the supervisor is not watching. Therefore, mask use must be positively reinforced just like any other behavior that we want sustained when no-one is watching.
Enter the T.H.A.N.K.S. CONVERSATION (again).
In my January 2020 blog/podcast “THANKS for the Feedback,” I introduced the T.H.A.N.K.S. conversation by telling the story of how my friend Sam verbally interacted with a group of electricians that were struggling to put on and properly use fall protection. T.H.A.N.K.S. is based on behavioral science and uses the practical utility of the simple conversation to reinforce difficult behaviors and shape them to fluency over time. It can be done by peers in behavioral safety observations, by supervisors as they roam the floor, and even upward as you discuss the implications of leadership decisions with the big bosses.
To remind you, the T.H.A.N.K.S. conversation is a bit of a script to follow when giving feedback. It is an interactive discussion that uses questioning as the most effective behavioral tool. It goes something like this:
T - Ask them about the TASK they are doing
H - Ask them about the HAZARDS associated with the task
A - Ask what ACTIONS they are doing to keep themselves safe
N - Tell them you NOTICED their safe actions but also some risk
K - Talk about how risks KONCERN you
S - SOLVE the problem
I’ve shared the T.H.A.N.K.S. Conversation over the years and have gotten a ton of positive feedback on its effectiveness. Um… THANKS for that!
Avoiding the Nuclear Option
This morning I got an email from a long-time colleague who mentioned that his plant was “fully implementing” masks for all employees. He wanted to use positive reinforcement and peer pressure to make this happen. However, when mask wearing was voluntary for the workforce they got very few users. Thus, the discussion among supervisors and leaders turned toward the use of discipline for non-compliance.
I understand the impulse to go directly to the “nuclear option” for something as important as this. But I also know that discipline is hard to apply consistently and it only gets compliance when the discipliner is present (see my blog “Discipline Works, But Probably Not”).
Culture is talking. The T.H.A.N.K.S. Conversation creates talking. A workforce who talks about and socially reinforces mask use will get much more compliance in the end. They also will begin to use their discretion to come up with other effective behaviors to protect themselves and others beyond CPEs.
So, let’s apply the T.H.A.N.K.S. Conversation to putting on Masks. Here are some instructions:
Go up to a worker (6 feet away) who is not wearing a mask and ask for a short conversation:
TASK
Ask… “What are we trying to do here in our workspace to keep ourselves healthy and secure during the COVID crisis”?
They will probably say “wear masks” – cool, you got right to the point without dictating anything
HAZARD
Ask… “What can cause COVID infections here at work”?
This provides a good chance to teach how infections are passed from worker to worker.
ACTION
Ask… “What actions are you doing to keep yourself and others healthy and secure at work”?
You will probably get responses like “wash hands” or “go directly home after work”
I bet maybe they come up with a great idea to share with others!
REINFORCE them for these actions - “good job, everyone should do these things!”
NOTICE
Ask permission… “Can I tell you what I noticed”?
(They will have probably already mentioned the mask.)
You can say “yeah, I noticed you were not wearing one, I wondered why.”
Koncern
Tell them why you’re concerned (as a human not a boss).
Use an “If _______ Then ______ statement”
For example: “If some of us work without masks then infected folks who are not experiencing symptoms can infect others without knowing it.”
You can also say you’re concerned that they may get disciplined for continued noncompliance (hint, hint)
SOLUTION
Ask….. “What can we do to make it likely that everyone can wear their masks but still be comfortable working (or similar)?”
Share the solution across the plant!
Then… MOST IMPORTANTLY – REINFORCE
When you see someone with a mask on”
Yell their name.
Point at your mask.
Send your thumb up into the air.
