How Leaders Can Elevate Employee Commitment to Work & Play Safe What are the opportunities? Brad Forwell | President, Director - Client & Program Development TEL: 1.519.576.6758 ex.23 | CEL: 1.519.588.7733 E-MAIL: brad@coreculture.ca | WEB: www.coreculture.ca www.stopthinkactsafely.com
• a Safety Management System in place • invested in technological and process improvements • created better standards and procedures • their employees have completed their training and are competent and even compliant
Employees that are convinced the only way to do a good job or to get to their next destination is to take risks and shortcuts .
Those that follow procedure when a manager, a supervisor or a peer observer is watching. But once that person leaves, they go back to taking risks & shortcuts.
Employees that follow safety and quality procedures in the moment of choice…
Typical Breakdown Non-compliant Compliant Committed 10% 10% 80%
Our Goal: The “Tipping Point” Ratio Non-compliant Compliant Committed 10% 50% 40%
To begin, Leaders need to... Elevate their own commitment to the safety and well being of those that fall under their duty of care. Develop a safety strategy and a plan that demonstrates that this commitment exists every minute, every hour of every day. Then they must ‘walk that talk’.
Opportunity Leaders evaluate their motivations. They identify what their commitment or pledge is. For example: what are they (the company) going to do more of, less of, better or not at all as you move forward?
Building Trust includes • Giving trust first • Setting clear goals • Communicating effectively - accessible, listening & acknowledging people’s concerns
Building Trust includes • Being genuine, honest & trustworthy • Following through & delivering on commitments • Giving credit – positive reinforcement
Opportunity By not compromising on these behaviours, Leaders fulfill employees’ expectations and reinforce employees’ sense of fairness and trust in them. This in turn helps employees feel/believe that they are valued.
Creating belief People don't do what they know; they do what they believe. If Leaders want to motivate or inspire people to do something, they can’t just create awareness and understanding. The have to create belief.
Opportunity Leaders make the goal of safety excellence believable. Leaders convey how serious they are about achieving safety excellence.
Opportunity Leaders humanize safety programs and put the caring back into safety. By putting a face on accident reports and tell the stories of how accidents impact people and their families, it emphasizes that increased effort or effectiveness is needed because of human need and not organizational greed.
Safety Culture... ...is simply the way safety is done in a company.
Safety Culture Tells us how to see & understand our world, which… Influences... Determines… Leads to the… PERCEPTION & COLLECTIVE RESULTS THINKING, BEHAVIOUR, ATTITUDES & ACTION we get... VALUES INTERACTION
Opportunity Leaders determine the results they are seeking (goals & objectives) and identify the behaviours that they believe will achieve these results.
Opportunity Leaders develop a strategy and a plan that is designed to influence the PERCEPTION & THINKING, ATTITUDES of the employees.
But first they need to ask... How is the way we do safety influencing the attitudes & decision-making of our employees? Do our employees feel that we care about their safety? Do our employees think that the company is committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure that they go home safe and sound at the end of the day?
Do they feel they have permission to work safe? Do we insist that they take the time to work safe? Do they have the tools/skills? Do our employees believe that they can make a difference?
Opportunity Leaders engage the employees in the discovery process and then with their help begin the process of re-shaping the safety culture.
The Case for...
Employee Engagement Engaged employees tend to follow safety procedures more diligently and don’t lose focus as often, thus leading to fewer safety incidents.
Engaged Employees • 5X less likely than non-engaged employees to have a safety incident • 7X less likely to have a lost-time safety incident. Whereas disengaged employees are: • 2X as likely to be injured on the job as engaged employees.
Support & own what they help create Providing employees with the opportunity to participate gives them a feeling of: 1. Belonging 2. Pride 3. Ownership 4. And a deep sense of fulfillment that motivates their creativity
Opportunity Leadership engages employees in the safety process. Doing so will also increase the level of employee motivation.
Self-motivation Science has shown that self-motivation is enhanced by conditions that support a belief that we: • Are of value (possess high self esteem) • Have the freedom to choose (self-determination)
Self-motivation • Can make a difference (optimistic & confident because they have been given permission, the time, and the tools to work safely) • Belong to a community (feel close to members of their work group)
Opportunity Leadership creates conditions that enhance these beliefs. Doing so will not only elevate employee commitment to work safe but will improve overall performance.
4 Step Framework 1. Where are we now? 2. Where do we want to go? 3. How will you get there? 4. How will you know you got there?
Commitment Continuum when I me, family company have to & team resistant reluctant existent compliant committed compelled when me & active passive resistance resistance convenient family obsessed
1. Where are we now? (Assess) What is our motivation (legal, moral, financial or a combination) How do we do safety around here? What are employee perceptions and thinking • What would success look like to them? • What would they like to see change? • What is important to them? • What do they see as your major issues or problems? • What are your major strengths & assets? etc.
1. Where are we now? (Assess) Build Consensus - Engage Employees • Recruit Brand Champions • Cross Functional Team • Survey • Interview • Focus Group
2. Where do we want to go? What does success look like? What is the safety vision/mission? What values & beliefs will support them? What are the goals & objectives When will you get there? What metrics/behaviours - leading and lagging indicators will we use to track performance? What could Leadership, Employees, Supervisors be doing more of, less of, better or not at all ?
Your safety vision is for the future you want to create for those you wish to impact. Answers the WHY are you doing what you are doing?
Turns your vision into practice. Is the statement that will do the work.
Ensure that the work that is done models the behaviours leadership want to see in the company. In all likelihood they are the same as the corporate values.
Teamwork in all things Quality of all products Integrity in all situations Innovation in all thinking – continuous improvement Responsibility in all actions Unconditional commitment to the Health, Safety & Wellbeing of employees
Core Or…
Safety as a Core Value Safety should not be a first priority, as priorities can change according to external factors. It should be a corporate value internalized and actively practiced by each employee.
Safety as a Core Value When safety is a core value, employees share the belief that all incidents and injuries are preventable and that safety should be embraced as the way we do things. Never questioned - never compromised
3. How will you get there? What is the strategy? Where will we focus? What engagement tactics will we deploy? How will you elevate knowledge and skill? Who will receive it? How will you recognize/discipline? What will it cost?
3. How will you get there? Clearly define ‘what’s in it for the employee. Continuously deliver relevant messaging - theme, design and layout, ensuring that it aligns with the objectives of the program and existing corporate communication guidelines Continuously promote and re-enforce the required behaviours Provides Managers and Supervisors with the necessary tools and training (soft skills)
Senior Management To enrol Supervisors: • Understand their needs and how they would like Supervisors to approach the challenge • Build their capacity • Provide toolbox Employees
4. How will you know you got there? Compare before and after metrics/behaviours (leading and lagging indicators) Are more employees committed to work ad play safely?
a promise to ourselves… Used as a beacon, or compass…
Recommend
More recommend
