At King of Pops, we take fun very seriously and safety even more so! At institutions big and small it's important that everyone be on the same page. In the event of an emergency, it's paramount for everyone that confusion be minimized. In addition to posted written materials and email updates, it's often necessary to get all parties together, in person. We need all associates and tenants to participate and not just send the representatives. Perhaps there is no greater example of this than with the Fire Drill.
Oh, the Fire Drill: a necessary disrupter to the efficacy of business! From the city and county, to the property manager, this is a Big Day and one that needs to be adhered to by all tenants. Getting the tenants involved and observant can be the biggest challenge. Of course, it is for the betterment of the businesses and the families of all employees and occupants to know how to safely exit the building.
But this can place a strain on the relationship between the property manager and those who occupy their building. After years of Fire Drills and no real fire, many folks are nonplussed, to say the least. To get up from the very important work and leave it behind in the wake of deadlines can be quite a turnoff. Perhaps in grade school it was a great distraction from the bore of reading, writing and arithmetic. While this distraction may still be a positive for some, it can irk many more.
Surprise is the nature of the Fire Drill. It is important to catch folks off guard so that they can feel what it may feel like in a real case scenario. However, we all know that these Fire Drills are heavily planned out between the local fire department, property management team and safety volunteers from the various tenants housed inside. A collective effort to make it seem totally spontaneous.
In order to keep up Good Vibes Only around the building campus between the folks who helped execute the Fire Drill and the hundreds of folks being pulled away from their important tasks, I suggest changing the sudden shock of the Fire Drill into prime Unexpected Moments of Happiness!!! Let's use this mandatory event to bring folks together from different floors, departments and entities to get some sunshine and some great conversation going. Easier said than done, I'm sure. Often, it's helpful to offer a carrot to encourage participation.
These carrots can be local handmade treats, fun swag, a karaoke set up or all of the above. While it should be in everyone's best interest to be as knowledgeable about all things safety, sometimes it takes a little something extra to coax someone from actually leaving their office and sometimes a little spontaneous treat can be just the thing. In the end, everyone is safe and your tenants are very happy to work and thrive in such a cool building. The property management team gets high fives from the fire department and the tenants give each other high fives and in turn those safety volunteers get high fives from everyone!!