Reinforcing Good Ideas

I stopped in at my local supermarket to pick up a few items the other day. Since it was a quick trip and I only needed four items (per the list given to me by my wife), I didn’t take my reusable shopping bags, thinking I could carry the groceries out to the car unbagged as I’d carried them around the store.

As I waited to pay by debit card, the cashier started bagging my groceries, and when I took my receipt and turned to leave, I saw four grocery bags waiting. To make matters worse, the cashier then asked if I wanted one of the items double-bagged!

This same store just a few months ago was pushing green programs, including the reusable grocery bags. My cashier obviously didn’t get the message or it hasn’t been reinforced to the ground-level employee.

Making a commitment – whether it’s being green or creating a food-safe environment – requires continuous reinforcement to the employees responsible for the final product or customer interaction. Handwashing, for example, is one of the most basic food safety measures, yet it’s a constant concern for foodservice establishment and processors. Employees should be reminded regularly about the importance of handwashing, as well as the proper amount of time to spend washing their hands.

Managers can post signs, install wash sinks in accessible areas and talk about hand washing at staff meetings, but they need to “own” the idea and lead by example. Nothing bugs me more than going to a fresh-cut industry meeting and seeing company and industry leaders failing to wash their hands after using the restroom. Even if they’re not about to handle food, an employee at their facility might get the impression that hand washing isn’t all that important if the boss doesn’t do it.

The same is true for green initiatives. If the company leaders don’t show their employees what is being done on a personal level, then employees won’t put the extra effort into turning off lights or eliminating waste.

I don’t think the cashier at my local grocery considered the waste of using four or five plastic sacks for four items – she was trying to provide a customer with good customer service by reducing the chance that food items get damaged. But a manager at that store should reinforce the company’s green message by training baggers and cashiers to pack efficiently – thereby reducing the amount of waste generated by plastic sacks and the added expense for the grocery store.



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