Changing business realities – from globalization to changing risks and organizational structures – present safety professionals with a new opportunity: partnering with leadership in enhancing organizational culture and performance. Safety is one business function that allows an organization to demonstrate genuine concern for the well being of the individual, and give life to the ethics that are becoming more important to employee satisfaction. Safety professionals have the skills and ability to help implement processes and technology with reliability and sustainability. In this way, safety professionals position themselves as consultants to the organization and trusted advisers to the line organization and its leaders.
Realizing this level of personal and professional growth means moving beyond the role of the technician toward that of a change agent. While the change agent role involves different skills and knowledge, the process begins with recognizing how the safety professional is currently adding — or undermining — his or her core value to the organization and personal credibility. There are several traps we have seen safety professionals fall into that are illustrative of the safety professional’s role and value and what happens when people fail to realize their influence. The vast majority of people caught in these traps are not doing these things because they lack concern for employees. Instead they get caught up in the organizational situation and in many cases make decisions under pressure to appear as a “team player.”
- Independently deciding resources are unavailable: One of the tough questions that needs to be considered by safety professionals and line leadership, is to what extent safety professionals should be concerned about, and influenced by, production and profitability targets. For example, not recommending a new initiative to encourage workers to submit safety suggestions because people are “too busy already”, compromises the safety professional’s personal value and worth to the organization. Effective safety professionals must make risk evaluations and safety strategy recommendations independently of business considerations. It is the professional’s job to be proactive in anticipating safety needs and to prepare solutions that fit those needs as they arise. Clearly, safety professionals need to have a strong case for change, give consideration and thought to the process or system they are recommending, plus have an accurate assessment of the resource requirements. But that is where the obligation needs to end. It is then up to line management to determine if the organization has the capacity to absorb the change.
- Adding layers of complexity: The second issue is almost an antithesis of the first. This is the situation where the safety professional gives little or no consideration to the organizational structure or its capacity for change. The mindset is that every situation needs to be handled by a new and complex program. The effect becomes more severe in organizations with an increasing employee–to-leader ratio, or where employee engagement in safety prevention activities is not possible or is ineffective. A good example of this mindset is treating every exposure type with a similar level of programmatic development, complexity, and detail. The reality is that not all exposures deserve the same level of intervention; while all are important, their potential outcomes differ. An organization that spends as much time and effort dealing with a situation where the most likely result is a minor injury as it does with exposures that can lead to life-altering injuries or fatalities, has the beginnings of a problem. Left unchecked, complicated procedures and systems force line leaders to pick and chose what to focus on, compromising the effectiveness and consistency of safety activities.
- Insertion into the disciplining process: Another easy trap for the safety professional to fall into is seeing themselves as the person who should decide whether discipline should be administered to a person who violates the rules or procedures. While everyone at the site has an obligation to assure that the rules and policies are followed it doesn’t mean that it is appropriate for the safety professional to be in the middle of a discipline process. When a safety professional becomes the person in the organization who administers discipline, two things can and often do happen. First, it gives management permission to abdicate their responsibility to enforce the safety policies and rule. Next this situation strongly positions the safety professional as an advocate for management, versus an advocate and resource for safety.
- Failure to investigate and analyze new initiatives and approaches: The final trap has to do with how safety professionals think about change. The worst thing that can happen to a safety professional is to become known as the person who only thinks tactically, or who presents solutions that he has not fully investigated. Just because something worked in one location, or in one particular situation does not mean that the approach is valid or appropriate given your organization’s situation, configuration, or desired direction. Leaders serious about improvement will want long term, proven solutions — and will look to your safety expertise for answers. Thinking strategically about how to improve results helps you get a seat at the leadership table.
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Photo by iboy_daniel, available under a Creative Commons License
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