The Safety Culture Myth

The "Safety Culture" Myth

Every organization, regardless of size or industry has a culture.  It may be good, bad, mediocre, mature and well established, or just getting started and trying to find itself; but every organization has one.  Much has been written and discussed about safety culture and the various ways it affects business and people; but, in fact, the term “safety culture” is misleading.

When we think of safety culture, among the first things that pop into our heads is safety performance – is it good or bad?  Are people getting hurt, and how is the organization dealing with it?  Do they seek to prevent occurrences with meaningful and sustainable corrective actions and controls, or do they slap a band aid on it and wait for the next one? 

The truth is, “safety culture” is merely a component part of the overall culture for the organization.  Measures intended to improve safety performance cannot be sustained unless there is a concerted effort to implement them in the context of how they will impact the organization as a whole.  Safety ultimately affects every department and division of an organization, and the skills necessary to make meaningful changes in safety are generally the same one’s that lead a company to higher levels of market and financial performance.

Don’t think of safety culture as a stand-alone marker of your business that is somehow independent of everything else you do.  Rather, think of it as one of many components taking its rightful place in the overall makeup of your approach to success – however you define it.

Influence and the Safety Professional; Part 2

The successful application of influence in the safety world at its basic level is generally directed toward changing behavior.  At a higher level it is normally directed toward more strategic concerns in terms of policy and culture growth.  For some, the differences between the two may alter somewhat how they apply these principles, but the end result is essentially the same – we want to see a change.

Safety professionals must realize the limitations on their role in most organizations.  We are typically given tremendous responsibility, but very little authority.  This makes the prudent and well considered application of your influence all the more important since our “authority” is perceived – not actual. 

One of the first steps in utilizing the power of your influence is to realize that you are just as dependent on others as they are dependent on you.  You must have / or develop a collaborative attitude.  You must also seek the balance between your dependency on them vs. their dependency on you.  If this is out of whack, you will find yourself constantly chasing rabbit trails and squandering the value of your own influence.  Moreover, treating people with the respect, dignity and consideration they deserve as stakeholders and people is essential to not just the successful application of your influence, but also preserving your influence.  Sincerely helping others whenever you get the chance not only strengthens and solidifies the value of your influence, it also opens the door for people to reciprocate with their own help when you need it.

Also, when we treat people as equals, we are giving those people we are trying to influence an opportunity to increase their respect for our knowledge and skill, which is essential for the safety professional.  If the safety professional tries to “pull rank” using authority that is only perceived, he/she only serves to diminish that respect and dilutes their own influence.  Recognizing that people are unique and special in their own right is the path toward compatibility between what you need – change – and what they need – not to get hurt.

Seek to apply your influence in a principled and consistent way (even with the people who challenge you).  It will make your life as a safety professional infinitely easier.

Passion and the Safety Professional

Check Your Passion

Passion - everyone is passionate about something. Whether it's hobbies, a cause or other activity, it can be reasonably said that the luckiest people are those whose passion is also their work. 

My passion came to the surface when I became part of the safety community. Once I realized that the hundreds of occupational deaths that occur every year were often the result of avoidable errors in judgment, ignorance or bad decision-making,  I had my "light-bulb moment".  Furthermore, the damage done in human terms to businesses, and the costs in tangible and intangible losses can be staggering.

Being a safety professional gives me a sense of purpose and satisfaction that I have not found in other endeavors. Safety is noble. Safety is meaningful and necessary. The practice of Safety is about integrity, leadership, transparency, trust, accountability and relationships. Safety is about effective communication. Safety is about transformation from old to new. Safety is about continuous improvement and cycles of change that never stop. Safety never sleeps or takes a break. Safety is a mindset that, for those who embrace it, follows them home from the job and impacts everything else in their lives. 

In other words, safety is a lifestyle - not merely a rule to follow or something we do in the moment. People who are safe (those who understand risk and act to deal with it) lead fuller, more satisfying lives and effectively influence the people around them to follow their example.

I am passionate about Safety. Are you?