Safety Leadership

RoadTek Safety Leadership

Objectives: • Explore and share ideas about some basic concepts of Leadership and how they can be applied in WH&S • Begin development of your own safety leadership improvement strategy

Leadership – What is it?

Leadership is not: • Not Power - • Power derives from status, money, ability to harm, access to media or control materials • A Thug who sticks a gun in you back has “power” but not leadership

Leadership is not: • Not Status - • Status or position may enhance the opportunity for leadership • Some in a high status or position haven’t got a clue how to lead • Not Authority – • A person may have subordinates, but not followers • People will only follow if a person acts as a leader

Leadership is not: • Not Management - • Management is an organizational skill • Managers preside over procesesses, functions and program

The leadership role, more than any other function, shapes and influences the culture that produces performance outcomes

You do not lead by hitting people over the head… that’s assault, not leadership Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Impact of Leadership Excellent safety performance is about getting the right behaviour from people. • Although necessary, it is not about systems and procedures. As a leader, you have a tremendous impact in the field by what you: • Say • Do • Don’t say or don’t do

Visible Leadership Primary Key for achieving Safety Success: SAFETY LEADERSHIP = VISIBLE COMMITMENT

Your Role as a Leader • Excellent performance requires your leadership • As a leader you should know: • how our safety programs work and your role in them • the importance of leadership in getting the right behaviours

Fair Firm Be Consistent Leading in the Field • ‘Walk the talk’ • Demonstrate your commitment with visible actions • Follow-through with actions • Never turn a blind eye • Hold others accountable

Your Job as a Safety Leader is to… • Explain the HSE process to employees • Provide effective feedback • INTERVENE: NEVER walk past an unsafe act or condition. To do so is to approve or condone the activity or condition • Seek to understand WHY the situation or behaviour was that way • And so correct the problem, not treat the symptom

At-Risk Behaviour If you see someone taking a risk, you are authorised to: Stop the job Talk to them Explain the risk Explain the safe way If you are ignored & they continue to take the risk, Report it

Personalise your leadership… Use words like • I need you to… • My expectations are… • I want you to... Not • The Client want you to… • WHS Advisor requires… • My boss wants…

Actions Speak Louder Than Words • Lead by example • Employees will subconsciously follow your actions • They always pick up the bad habits first! • Show them the way • Nominate individuals and teams for awards and certificates

Recognition • Give plenty of verbal recognition to individuals and teams for jobs well done • Let individuals and team known when you observe their safe behaviour • Use pre-start safety talks to provide feedback • Catch your team doing the right thing!!

Safety Leadership Journey Inspire Others to Behave Safely Leadership Ongoing Journey Personal Approach Transformational (Consultation/Mutual Respect) Discover and share other ways of operating Why we are here today Raised Awareness Build Relationships (Conversation) System Procedures Policies Forms Compliance Licence to Operate Transactional - Tasks (Talk at and Tell)

Practical Tools To Apply Leadership

Understanding Peoples Behaviour ABC Model Activator Events that precede behaviour and prompt it. Have 20% impact impact on behaviour E.g. Training, personal beliefs, behaviour of others, past experience, requested to do something Behaviour Things people say and their actions Behaviour determines performance Consequences Events that follow behaviour Have 80% influence on whether behaviour occurs again

Understanding Peoples Behaviour Principles of ABC • Majority of all incidents are caused by people behaving in unsafe ways • Understanding employee behaviour is fundamental to the success of creating a safe workplace • Premise of model is that all Behaviour (B) is a function of its immediate environment. • Factors such as Activators (A) and Consequences (C) of each behaviour trigger and sustain it

ABC Model • Activator – Aspect of the environment, precedes and influences behaviour • Eg – Others are doing it or The right tool/plant not available • Behaviour – Something you can see, every day – every task – Its either safe or unsafe • Consequence – Every behaviour is followed by a series of consequences

ABC Model - Examples • Someone is speeding in the workplace • Why are they speeding? – Thrill, Late for work, emergency, attitude, nice road to speed • Ended up as – crash, caught by Police, someone else ran off the road • Activity - Work out the ABC! • Activity – Think of Some others • As a Leader – Ask the questions

How we reward Unsafe Behaviours How we punish safe behaviour indirectly Key Message ABC Model is a cultural change tool Moves culture from one that inadvertently encourages unsafe behaviour and punishes safe behaviour To one that increases positive behaviour through reinforcement

Psychology of Influencing Others Reticular Activating System (RAS) • The part of the brain that determines what we are going to pay attention to • You can program your RAS • You can program other peoples RAS • Influencing Positively with RAS questions

Influencing Positively RAS Questions - • What might happen if you fall? • What impact does it have for others if they see you doing it that way? • Have you thought about the consequences? • How can you improve on that? • Activity - Can you think of Others?

Consult and Communicate • Intent • Look & Observe • Engage • Ask Questions • Discuss Consequences iLEAD

Leading an Effective Toolbox Talk/Pre-Start Meeting • Target • Engage • Ask Questions • Mutually Agree TEAM

In Short… • You are the key to high performance. Your job as a Leader is as much about SAFETY as it as about productivity • Know and understand the expectations and systems • Ask for support whenever needed… demand it! • If in doubt, STOP THE WORK • Document your efforts

YOU are responsible forsafety YOU are the KEY tosafety REMEMBER

Safety Leadership Commitment Statement • What is it? • One page written statement • Personal commitment made to your health & safety • Commitment to what you will or will not do • Share your commitment with you collogues by posting in visible location i.e. office door, work station etc • Why? • Create a “total safety culture” • Next step towards achieving the our goal of “Zero Harm” At work – on the roads – in the home!

Any questions? Your turn…

Recognise and Reward Participate & Communicate Inspire & Motivate Safety Improvement Lead by Example Provide Resources Show Concern Role Model Build Trust Summary of Safety Leadership Attributes Safety Leaders

Your attention and participation was appreciated

Safety Leadership