Safety Speaker Tip – Focus and Topic

As a safety speaker, I learned from one of my mentors the importance of Topic Focus. I want to discuss focus in relation to the topic of your safety presentation. Another way of putting this is, staying on topic.

When you are crafting a toolbox talk or safety message, first, begin by clearly writing down the desired outcome you would like your talk or presentation to achieve. Once you know this, you have your point of focus. Your outcome becomes the yardstick by which you measure all aspects of your message. You can check each story, illustration, or exercise to see if they are helping get the result you want.

If anything you come up with isn’t on point, leave it out or better yet, write it down on a list for future talks with an outcome it would fit. As a safety speaker, I have found many great ideas come to mind that do not fit the subject at hand. I record and use them later in a different article or special event. Be sure to write odd items down as it allows you to get back on focus and not dwell on the off-topic idea.

This approach helps you convey your message to your audience. I am sure you have heard safety presentations by some safety speakers that were rambling all over the place. You had to work hard to figure out what their point was. Typically, the problem is they didn’t have one key point but too many points.

For most audiences, you will find they just give up. If they have to work hard to figure out your message they probably will not pay attention.

After you have finished writing your notes or text for your presentation, go back and read each part to see if you remained focused on your desired outcome. As a safety speaker, I have found this vital to being effective. For a full-day training or longer safety talks you can have more than one outcome. Use the same technique; just be sure you stick to a reasonable number of outcomes.

Finally, have someone else read your work or do the presentation for them and ask them what they learned. Sometimes, because you know what you meant to say it is possible to think you got the point across when you really haven’t.

Have fun staying focused and effective when preparing your safety talks.