Guest Blogger: Erika Winning, CSP, CIT, CHMM
I started my career as a safety engineer with a large multinational corporation. On my first day, I was optimistic. This was the beginning of my adult life, the payoff of four and a half grueling years in engineering school. I was the lone safety person at my site. After completing my new-hire paperwork and signing up for benefits, I was unceremoniously dropped off at an office and told to “do safety stuff.” What is “safety stuff?” I worked through college in a diverse group of internships, spanning several industries and in EHS departments of various maturity. While I didn’t know what “safety stuff” was being asked of me in my new job, I did know that it would have to begin with building relationships.
One of the first relationships I tried to build was with the union steward, Larry. Larry was a towering man who looked especially imposing in his welding helmet. I knocked on the curtain of his work stall and asked if he had a minute. He rolled his eyes and asked what I needed. I said, “I couldn’t help but notice that you’re not using your crane, but there’s still a set of chains hanging from the crane. Could you please take them off for me?” Larry sighed and took his welding helmet off. “Look kid,” he said, “I’ve been here for 35 years, and I’ve seen 35 of you come and go. Why don’t you save your breath and just move on and hide in the office like the rest did.”
I realized then I had a choice. I could get angry, I could get argumentative, or I could be candid with Larry. I opted for the third choice. “Larry, look, I know you don’t respect me, like me, or think I have anything important to say. I hope I have the opportunity to earn your trust. However, right now, I can’t walk away with the chains left on the crane. In fact, if the only reason you take them off your crane is so you don’t have to talk to me, I don’t care.” Larry smiled and stuck his gigantic hand out “Okay kid,” he said, “I think we can work together.” This interaction was the first of many that demonstrated the importance of building relationships as part of managing workplace safety and working to improve safety culture.
As I’ve met other safety professionals throughout the course of my career, I tend to think a lot of us have lost our way, forgetting the importance of building trust and relationships in our work. So often I hear safety professionals quote regulations and rules like they’re reading from a sacred text. Not that knowing the rules is unimportant, but I can confidently say I’ve never been thanked for citing them to someone as part of making my case as to why a condition or behavior needed to change. I have, however, been thanked when I’ve successfully applied the regulations in a way that makes someone’s work easier and safer.
A mentor shared something with me as I was learning how to manage safety in the workplace. Successfully managing safety comes down to questions of aim, reason, and incentive.
- Aim – What do you need me to do?
- Reason – Why do you need me to do it?
- Incentive – What’s in it for me? (This is perhaps the most elusive)
In safety, I’ve seen so many of us walk away from these basics in favor of gimmicks or “flavors of the day.” I think it’s time for us to return to the basics and focus on addressing our co-workers’ essential questions.
Returning to my story about Larry.
What did I need Larry to do? Remove the chains from the crane while they were not being used.
Why did I need him to do it? Now, before you jump to an answer citing chapter and verse of 1910.179, I needed him to do it because having the chains hanging down in the travel path of other pieces of equipment presented the potential for the chains to get tangled. It’s easy to give a regulatory answer; it’s difficult to take the time to explain the reason the policy exists. I can’t think of many people who like the answer “because I said so (or the rules say so).” I challenge you to dig deeper than the regulations when assessing the “why” as you look to improve safety culture.
This leaves us with the last question, “What’s in it for them?” This is where relationship-building is the secret sauce. The “what’s it in for them” is different for each and every person. I wish I could tell you exactly what was in it for Larry. In truth, I just guessed based on what I knew about him in that moment. I figured he needed to see I respected him and I could see the situation for what it was. I heard him, and I wasn’t going to challenge his feelings, but instead validate them. In the end, it worked out and he removed the chains from the crane. As time went on, we were able to build a strong relationship.
I share this story because improving safety culture all comes down to relationships and understanding the psychology of people. Each interaction with an employee influences a relationship positively or negatively. It’s our job as safety professionals to try to make more of a positive influence when we’re trying to build our safety culture. So next time you’re rolling out a new program, I challenge you to ask yourself these three questions:
- What am I trying to get others to do?
- Why do I need them to do it?
- And most importantly, what’s in it for them that they should listen?
If you can answer these questions, you have a head start on building a strong safety initiative and, in turn, improving safety culture.
To learn more, download BCSP’s free eBook on how to improve safety culture.