Quality never comes easy. Effectively safeguarding the workplace against all possible accidents embodies a lot of hard work that perhaps may not be feasibly accomplished by just one, single individual in some situations. In some cases, it represents a formidable job for even a group of dedicated individuals who must constantly train and remind (yearly at least) employees and maintain equipment, signs and notices.

  Safety in decision making entails having an alert and caring attitude. Where we may lack the resources or time to consider every minute detail prior to reaching a final decision, usually may we at least be able to recognize a good, safe, viable solution that can be improved upon in time, assuming that we will later have the means and motivation to do so.

  With every situation you encounter, upon exercising the appropriate compassion and addressing all pertinent safety concerns, remember to additionally recognize the cause for the situation. Is the problem a consequence of the means used to solve yet another problem? Is the problem a consequence of your own past decisions?

  If the problem is a consequence of your own past decisions, assuming responsibility for the matter is in order. This may seem apparent and common sense; yet, you would be surprised at how frequently I have personally witnessed others who have simply failed to recognize or otherwise blatantly attempted to avoid or sidestep assuming responsibility for the outcome(s) of their own past decisions. Many of us can recall doing this as children. In fact, we can frequently observe this behavior in children and teens who are attempting to avoid punishment. This behavior may seem humorous and perhaps natural, but not in the workplace.

  Fear of embarrassment or punishment is the reason for this awkward behavior. Learn to face it squarely and openly acknowledge your own responsibility. Lots of problems can be avoided when you do.

  A caring, empathetic, ethical and moral, deliberative, safe and responsible leader is righteous, but righteousness in the professional world encompasses more than just that. As a righteous professional you must be cognizant of all the laws that are applicable to your situation.

  Certainly, this could entail quite a bit of legal work and perhaps assumes that you have access to resources which you may not, but it is expected of our professional leaders, business owners and other decision makers whose decisions affect many individuals both within their organizations and without.

  If you feel that you lack the resources to adequately consider all the legal bounds surrounding your situation, it is then time to reflect on your own personal competence for holding your present position. You don't want to make a decision that you cannot competently defend, and you may need to hand the job over to another who isn't suffering from similar or other constraints.

  This is my own personal mindset when I am in a professional decision making position. I believe that many leaders could benefit by perusing this mental map and considering some of its aspects, for I have personally witnessed and encountered too many supposed “leaders” who seemed ignorant of some of these pointers.

  I would like to add that one shouldn't memorize this list verbatim, but instead memorize these pointers by imagining or recalling applicable images where the appropriate mental responses would apply. That way, your own internal emotional responses will be remembered as well, and the new attitude that you endeavor to incorporate into your own professional outlook will become less “self-disciplined” and more a part of your own natural responses, in fact, more a part of your own personality.