Safety leadership habits and influence
Leadership is influence. If you are a manager or executive, you want to be a leader who can influence your team to strive for excellence in safety performance and culture.
Safety performance and culture are essentially a product of the attitudes and behaviors your team exhibits in complying with rules and managing risks and hazards. Your ability as a leader to influence the attitudes and behaviors of your team is therefore very important.
You may question whether you have any influence on your team's safety excellence, but be assured you do. Your team members see you as a leader and pay attention to what you do and say in regard to safety. Because of this, it is vital you exhibit good safety leadership habits on a daily basis. Below are a few safety leadership habits you can adopt to promote safety excellence:
- Ask questions about safety first. When you arrive at a location or begin a meeting, talk about safety first. Do some research ahead of time and ask about a recent incident, compliance issue or safety success. Making safety first sends the right message on how important safety is to you personally and to the collective corporation.
- Hand out safety awards and attend safety celebrations. Keep track of team and individual safety milestones, and make a point to participate in the celebrations associated with them. The impact of a leader personally handing someone an award influences not only the individual but also the team.
- Follow the rules conspicuously. Know the rules and follow them at all times. As a leader, you have to set an example. Often a team member may try to make exceptions for you because of your position in the company. Do not allow yourself to take exception to a rule.
- Recognize good safety behavior immediately. As a leader, recognizing desired behavior immediately and openly has a strong influence on your teams. When you are "managing by walking around," look for something good to recognize. Send an email or handwritten note to an employee or team leader who does the right thing in regard to safety.
- Show up in out-of-the-way places to reinforce safety's importance. Examples of this include visiting remote sites to address safety concerns, showing up on the night shift of a turnaround or visiting a small project that has high levels of risk.
- Hold your direct reports accountable for safety responsibilities. If one of your direct reports fails to meet any safety responsibilities, address the issue immediately to make sure expectations are understood and met. If you do not hold your direct reports accountable for safety deficiencies, you may reinforce the notion they are acceptable.
- Make safety personal. When talking with individuals or teams, share stories about things you have experienced that made you understand the importance of safety. Sharing stories of safety incidents and injuries that occurred under your leadership can be impactful.
- Conduct an audit or inspect equipment. When planning a location visit, allow some time to audit compliance issues. Note deficiencies and follow up afterward to make sure items are addressed.
- Always take time to meet with the safety coordinator/manager. When at a location or branch, meet with the safety coordinator/ manager to discuss concerns and needs. The safety coordinator/manager is a key person in driving safety excellence, so it is important you know them personally and make it clear they have your support and attention.
- Be open and honest in all discussions. When you have a safety issue or deficiency, do not minimize it or "sweep it under the rug." Encourage your team leaders to approach you with safety concerns. Recognizing deficiencies and then working to correct them is essential to improving and maintaining safety performance and culture.
- Encourage innovation and learning. Encourage your team to look at safer ways to perform a task. Support training that improves your team's knowledge of hazards and best available control measures.
Remember, you are a leader and do influence the attitudes and behaviors of your team. Make the activities presented in this article part of your daily leadership habits, and you will see an improvement in the safety culture and performance of your team. Remember, it is often the little things done consistently that have the biggest influence.
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