Not Just a Culture for Safety – Building Community at Work through Safety

When I’m speaking in front of various groups of workers, I often ask each person to scan the room.  I do this in order to let them know that they’re looking at their "families" – their “families at work.”  These are the individuals they spend most time with – sometimes even more than those who they go home to see at the end of their shifts!  I also let each worker know that when they look out for each others' safety in the workplace, they’re helping to ensure they’ll be able to go home to be with their families and friends.  This is their “WHY.”  This is the reason WHY they work so hard and the reason WHY they need to work as safely as possible! I make this statement and ask for their engagement because this is a part of building community in the workplace, in and through safety. 

Last month, I informed you that I would write more about building up
your safety culture by building a community, not just a culture for safety.  Here’s a few simple ways that you may want to start thinking about and acting upon in your own organizations.

l        1.  Celebrate Accomplishments and milestones that were difficult
to achieve by scheduling a dinner or lunch event and by having a motivational speaker to help you entertain, engage, and educate your workers with a different viewpoint and message.  I’m certain you understand that your own familiarity within your organization may be self-limiting and your perspective is not always readily accepted and embraced.  Your event can highlight milestones that may revolve around leading indicators that measure safe actions, levels of safety engagement, or a discussion of your path forward and plan for improving safety in 2013. 

   2.  Build up the Outside Community or community at-large by helping to support their specific needs that may focus on safety at home.  Many more organizations are educating youth within their communities by reaching out to young people with regard to first-aid and CPR, fire safety, or hazardous chemical use.  This is a win-win because a portion of these same workers will eventually become a part of your own workforce and will make it a safer one from what they have learned at a much earlier age.

        3.  Help Out in Hard Times.  Nearly everyone falls upon tough times.  Make sure that you and your co-workers reach out to the injured and ill, and even to those who have recently lost their jobs. Making hospital visits, sending cards, or even donations and monetary gifts shows that you care.  Making appropriate visitations when your co-workers lose a loved one will also show personal care and concern and will be remembered in ways that are not easily forgotten.  We appreciate and remember those who have made special efforts for our well-being in difficult times and it’s something that we should always find time to do.  All of this binds us together in ways that make our work groups and cultures much, much stronger. 

Building community in the workplace through safety is the platform and foundation that leads to greater trust, engagement, and so much more.  By building community through safety, and showing people that you want to care for their most basic needs, their personal safety – there is next to nothing that workers will not do to reciprocate.  And the reciprocation comes about by helping you meet your higher-level organizational goals and expectations that often relate to productivity and quality. 

Finally, as the late great Zig Ziglar has said, “You can have anything in
the world you want if you just help enough others get what they want.”  Taking care of each workers’ safety and helping them get home without injury or illness, ignites and embraces a form of reciprocity that can last for a very long time!

Susan Boyle and Your Safety Culture

It’s easy to write people off by their appearance.  Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t dress or speak like you.  Maybe they have different interests than you, your co-workers, or your friends.   Or as one of my business acquaintances often states, “they’re just special!”

These “special kinds of people” have a lot to do with making your culture for safety a very special one.  And your safety culture needs to take a better look at these special individuals if you want to turn your followers into everyday leaders, and your culture into a community, a family.

In my 30 years of safety work, I realized a long time ago that organizations that have outstanding safety cultures have built an exceptional community or family environment where people really care about each other.  It's not just about the culture - it's about much more!

So Much Talent

Remember Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent?  Yes, she’s the amazing mezzo-soprano who blew everyone away with her television performance in 2009.  When she took the stage, we saw that she was dressed a bit frumpy and didn’t fit the part.  She was somewhat unkempt and looked down upon by just about the entire viewing audience.  But we soon witnessed an amazing voice that brought people to their feet for a standing ovation that seemed to last forever!  Ms. Boyle was incredible and continues to impress!  In fact, her first week album sales were the best the USA had seen in more than 10 years!  Her voice helped her to gain immediate respect. 

Things aren’t much different at work or home.  There are individuals around us who we don’t give a chance because of their appearance or because there’s something different about them.  Some of these people remain quiet and seldom contribute in ways we would like for them to contribute to safety.  But why?  Have we ostracized them or embarrassed them?  Are they simply quiet and shy?  Or have we not sought out more effective ways to get them involved in our culture for safety?   Well, there are various reasons why they haven’t stepped up to be more involved in helping us improve our safety culture.  But one thing is certain – many times, these quiet followers are leaders with special talents who are just waiting to happen!  They simply need a little push and some support.  And it starts by not judging them and giving them a little respect.    

I Know from Experience

Over the past 30 years, I’ve worked with many special people who have helped me produce incredible safety outcomes!  Some of these individuals were different, special, and avoided by others. 

Sometimes we avoid those who are different because their presence makes us a little uncomfortable.  You see, we are more comfortable with those who are most like us.  There is a psychological attraction to individuals who validate our similarities and values.  Special people don’t always help to validate us in those ways. 

Earlier in my career, I often avoided these kinds of individuals because
of the way they looked, acted, or spoke.  Maybe they made me a little uncomfortable and it was easier to go along with everyone else and just avoid them.  But it’s a process that we all have to work on.  For a start, the next time you’re in a coffee shop, evaluate who you attempt to avoid or spend time with – likely it’s those who validate you in some particular way.  And as you also know, with maturity and experience, most people really aren’t so different and don’t need to be avoided.

Signs and Signals for Change

If you’re trying to work on more engagement, creating greater on-the-floor
or in-the-field leadership, or want to build a greater sense of community, there will have to be visible signs of change.  These signs are visible actions that signal a new start and direction.  And these signals help to show respect for the worker at an individual level, on their turf, where change really needs to happen.  Here’s a few simple ways that you and your leaders can start to make change happen at a grass roots level:

1.  Be in a place and position to greet people before, after, or during a shift.  The same can be said for safety related meetings.  Offer them your hand so you can greet them or wish them a great day and a safe one too! These small gestures will also give you time to talk about a new direction or path forward.

2.  Learn the names of your workers, especially those quiet followers who can become some of your more effective leaders.  Knowing everyone’s name can seem daunting but you have to start somewhere.   Hearing one’s own name means a great deal to each worker.  And just don’t learn a name – get to know something unique about them.

3.  Walk through your operations regularly and be willing to simply listen to issues, some of which may or may not be safety-related.  Listening is a powerful skill that should never be overlooked.  You will be amazed at how much a few minutes can do for getting more engagement from others, especially those who have not been very involved in the past. 

Each of these small but significant acts shows that you want to establish a positive relationship with everyone.  It can also signal an entirely different start from the way other leaders have acted in the past.  And when you and other organizational leaders focus on building relationships with everyone through safety, especially with those who are quietly special, open communications and engagement with these workers will follow.  In addition, other co-workers who may have excluded these future contributors will also become more open and accepting in time. 

Thanksgiving is nearly here and it’s time to step out in new ways that signal a new path to safety excellence for everyone.   Everyone including those with special talents who seem to be different and may be less fortunate than others – those who need to be a part of your community for safety, if you want to make it a truly special one! 

Next month:  More about building a community rather than just a culture for safety.

About the Author.  David Sarkus, MS, CSP is an author, consultant, coach, and motivational speaker.  He has written five books and more than 50 empirically-based articles.  David is Chief Motivational Officer and President and Founder of David Sarkus International Inc.  His talks focus on teamwork, coaching, safety leadership, and safety culture change.  His firm also conducts safety culture assessments and interventions for some of the biggest and best run corporations in the world.  Please visit us at: www.davidsarkus.com.

Hugo's Frog & Fish House on Rush: What's That Got to Do with Safety Culture?

If you know Chicago, you’ve come to realize that it’s no ordinary place.  Chicago is a very special world-class city, with great people and wonderful hospitality.  And whenever I’m in Chicago for business, I often try to visit one of my favorite places, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House.  It’s a fun place with great food. 

Just recently, I walked from my hotel, The Drake on Michigan Avenue, and headed over to Hugo's.  I was excited about eating there, but the place was packed – standing room only!  After I surveyed the place, I looked for the manager to ask about the wait time.  He said, “oh, at least an hour.”  I couldn’t wait that long –   I was already too hungry, so I asked for a recommendation.  The manager didn’t simply give me one recommendation but provided several.  But first, he stopped what he was doing on a very busy night, introduced himself, and shook my hand.  He then took the time to walk me outside to the end of the street corner, pointed out the restaurants he recommended, handed me his card, and let me know that if there were problems, simply call him and he’d be glad to respond!  Finally, he shook my hand again and thanked me for stopping by.  I thought – “wow – that’s special” and I’ll certainly go back to Hugo’s even though I didn’t get to eat there, this time!

Your Culture for Safety 

This story about Hugo’s is a great example of outstanding customer service but it also highlights various aspects of engaged leadership and exceptional cultures for safety.

Leaders in outstanding cultures for safety realize that they have to set a great example, even in small ways, like being involved in housekeeping, helping to orientate a new worker, or stopping and showing
a worker a few necessary details in order to avoid injury.
 

Exceptional leaders realize that when they take the time to go out of their way to help others, their example can motivate those around them to do the same.  And when leaders show personal care for someone, they understand that those individuals are more willing to open up and communicate important aspects of safety that are not always openly addressed.

Showing care and concern for an individual’s safety helps to establish a foundation for everyone to go out of their way to help everyone else work even more safely.  It’s a natural part of reciprocity and a key dimension of cultures where safety is truly special.
 

It’s Really Kind of Easy

In order to get your leaders to go the extra mile; you have to let them know what you’re asking of them.  What specific actions are you looking for?  How often should these actions or activities be performed?  And how will you follow up to hold them accountable?

Many organizations struggle with safety leadership but it’s really pretty easy. To start, acquire the appropriate support and get your leaders to buy-into the necessary activities that will improve safety performance – even the small ways that detail how to show care and concern for workers. Create an outline of your plan and provide details of the kinds of actions you want to see.  Develop a few tools and appropriate metrics to measure individual performance and help your leaders meet their safety-related goals.  Some organizations use upward feedback from the workers that let’s their leaders know how well their doing with respect to the plan.  Well, I know, I know, it’s not always that easy but those are the general steps that you have to sell, set, and deliver.  
 

Don’t Stop with Your Formal Leaders

With the general workforce the idea is similar.  Let your workers know what you want to see from them when it comes to safety related actions, activities, and ongoing performance.  Spell it out – give them some details regarding the actions you are seeking.  Support their actions through praise and recognition as a means to reinforce particular actions.  Finally, make it a deeply engrained part of your culture – make it a ritual to show, recognize, and reinforce safety related actions that make your culture for safety a special one.  

And the next time your in Chicago, check out Hugo's Frog - it's a special place and a special culture that you'll want to experience all on your own!

As a speaker, consultant, and coach, I’m very fortunate to be able to provide motivational safety talks and consultative support that highlights what great leadership activities look like and what safety culture excellence looks like though stories, the spoken word, and with various models and work tools.  If you need help in giving your leaders a nudge or the tools to create and sustain a world-class culture for safety, give me a call or shoot me an email – I want to help you!


About the Author.  David Sarkus, MS, CSP is an author, consultant, coach, and motivational speaker.  He has written five books and more than 50 empirically-based articles.  David is Chief Motivational Officer and President and Founder of David Sarkus International Inc.  His talks focus on teamwork, coaching, safety leadership, and safety culture change.  His firm also conducts safety culture assessments and interventions for some of the biggest and best run corporations in the world.  Please visit us at: www.davidsarkus.com.

 

Fear: A Major Barrier to Precursor Management and Serious Accident Prevention Within Your Culture for Safety

In January of 1986, along with my coworkers outside of the Kennedy Space Center Headquarters Building, I watched the Space Shuttle Challenger catastrophe and was brought to tears.  It was an event that I will never forget! 

Cues to this national disaster have become increasingly evident with regard to the faulty O-ring design.  Initially, O-ring concerns were not highlighted, but once reported and analyzed, the issues remained largely unabated.  At one point, engineers pushed back with their concerns but senior leaders pushed back as well – “let’s launch,” seemed to be what really mattered!   Eventually, an O-ring “burn through” occurred and an unforgettable tragedy erupted.  At various stages and levels, open communications and relevant actions were constrained by fear.
  

Precursors - Observable Cues

For more than 15 years, there has been a growing body of knowledge regarding serious accidents and their precursors.  Largely, precursors provide observable cues and manageable signals that something very bad might be about to happen.    

In similar ways, precursors seemingly coexist with almost every serious accident.   Often times, precursors are more readily apparent when dealing with high hazard concerns inherent to kinetic, nuclear, thermal, electrical, explosive energies, and the like.  And in nearly every case, when analyzed, various precursors signaled an eventual gloomy outcome. 

The Evolution of a Serious Event

There is rarely one pathway or root cause associated with serious accidents or fatalities.   Often times, a significant event has multiple hazards or activities that are poorly controlled within a complex organizational framework and support systems. 

In most industrial operations, front line supervisors and workers are closest to the hazards and the catastrophic events.  And it’s here, where lateral communications between co-workers may first reveal “certain cues” that signal - something’s wrong!

Cues may come in the form of an electrical arc, a flash volatile solvent vapors, a noisy piece of equipment that previously failed, inappropriate or at-risk behaviors – the list is nearly endless.  The bottom line, precursors have to be communicated, recorded, and analyzed so that hazardous conditions or activities can be controlled and mitigated. 

Organizational Defenses and Precursors

Well known psychologist Chris Argyris and others have realized that certain workplace discussions are “not discussable” and become part of various defense routines that limit organizational efficiencies.  I will argue that many organizational defense routines are driven by fear.  There’s fear of individual embarrassment, fear regarding the perceived value of individuals or groups, or fear that future work may be lost if it is not completed on time.  Ultimately, fear helps to produce certain defensive mechanisms and routines that impede critical forms of communications. Think about the various defense routines and behaviors in your own organization that are often created by fear?

When it comes to safety, precursors may not be reported outside of one’s immediate work area or amongst coworkers because of fear.  Serious events and near misses often go under, or unreported to management.  If the concern is reported to management, it may not reach an appropriate level from which abatement can be initiated.  When a concern is “fed back,” communications may become filtered, fractured, and misun-derstood in ways that leads management to believe that a serious event is unlikely to occur, or that it’s being appropriately abated.  Within these same filtered communications, management may manipulate what has been discussed or rationalizes the risk as acceptable.  Management may even take part in self-serving communications, viewed as bullying.  As a result, event precursors are not accurately communicated, analyzed, managed, and controlled. 

A Culture of Fear

In every organization, cultural elements of fear produce organizational defenses that can impede the abatement of serious incidents.  Even with the recent Penn State debacle, fear was a formidable barrier to appropriate reporting and action. 

I’m certain that many of us recognize the effects of fear in the workplace and its impact on productivity, quality, morale, and of course, safety performance.  At times, fear can strongly influence finger pointing, blaming, mistakes and miscues, job stress and overload, under-reporting of near-misses and accidents; and in turn, the evolution of various forms of serious accidents, even fatalities.  All of this is especially true in times of economic frailty, when there is fear of job security, and potential job loss.  Fear immobilizes, impairs important communications, and limits critical decision-making.

What Good Leaders Do

In some cultures, fear may be a prominent dimension that will never become well managed. In other organizations, leaders may be encouraged to diminish fear and build trust.  It’s trust that leads to openness, engagement, creativity, and a desire for safety excellence. 

I’ve highlighted three essential, fear-diminishing and trust-building tactics that will help you in your own quest for limiting the risk for serious incidents and building a culture of safety excellence.

1.  Lead by Listening.  Listening and being open to what is heard is required for serious accident abatement.   Listening well without interrupting, manipulating, swaying, or bullying a discussion is a learned skill that must be well monitored and managed.

2.  Honesty is Essential.  When it comes to safety-related communications, be open and honest.  Honesty and openness, helps lead to a reciprocal candidness that is a key ingredient to near miss reporting and hazard abatement.

3.   Be Fair.  At times, discipline, dismissal, and other difficult organizational decisions in the workplace are required, but always strive to be fair.   A lack of fairness leads to a loss of respect, resistance, and limited communications that will not help to uncover accident precursors, at any level.

Your Early Warning System

Wherever fear exists, there’s always a lack of engagement, energy, excitement, creativity, openness, and willingness to change. 

Right now, you just might be thinking, “Sure, everything is clearer after it happens.  Hindsight is always, 20-20.  There’s a certain ‘after-the-fact-bias’ to all of this!”

In return, I must say – yes, there may be a particular “precursor bias,”
but you have a built-in early warning system, wherever you work.  And fear just could be a major barrier to communicating, tracking, analyzing, managing and abating the hazards, conditions, and at-risk actions that
need to be resolved. 

History is on your side – and it’s an awesome warning system.   
Please take heed!

About the Author.  David Sarkus, MS, CSP is an author, consultant, coach, and motivational speaker.  He has written five books and more than 50 empirically-based articles.  David is Chief Motivational Officer and President and Founder of David Sarkus International Inc.  His talks focus on teamwork, coaching, safety leadership, and safety culture change.  His firm also conducts safety culture assessments and interventions for some of the biggest and best run corporations in the world.  Please visit us at: www.davidsarkus.com.