Why is Good Parenting Similar to Safety Leadership?

The website Peace Quarters posted this article Harvard Psychologists Say: Parents Who Raise ‘Good’ Kids, Do These 5 Things! I couldn’t help thinking that all of these parenting behaviours  also go into the mix if you want to demonstrate great Safety Leadership.

  1. SPEND QUALITY TIME

Management by walk about i.e. eyeballing your team and having a two-way conversation is a key safety management tool.

Silence Technology: Show up on site and be present without technology interrupting you. Turn your phone to silent, close the laptop and get face to face.

 

  1. BE A ROLE MODEL

Look the part: wear your PPE, obey safety signs and procedures

Respect has to be earned and making mistakes show that you are human. If you make a mistake own it, no one is above having an incident investigation.

Take care of yourself: Hypocrisy is ugly; leaders can’t expect their workers to take care of themselves if they don’t manage their own wellbeing.

 

  1. TEACHING VALUES

Set boundaries for behaviour and hold people accountable

Learn how to ‘share your toys’ (work trucks and other resources) is an important part of being a team

Weakest Link: the team is only as strong as its weakest link. Making sure that everyone is trained and included is important.

 

4 SAFETY LEADERSHIP & GRATITUDE 

Celebrate: Catch people doing that right thing and celebrate it. Train yourself to say “I noticed….” a.k.a “You Matter” at least once a day.

Reward: Reward people for going above and beyond. A sticky bun run/ pie run goes a long way (even if it’s probably not the healthiest reward)

Refer to History: Explain how things have improved, for example when the Manapouri Power Station was built it was expected that at least 17 people would die on the project. We have come a long way today; however, NZ has still got a long way to go before ‘Everyone Gets Home Safe.”

 

  1. SHOW THEM THE BIGGER PICTURE

What’s Your Why? Remind people of why they want to get home safe (to be with family, loved ones, pursue their hobbies etc)

What’s your value? Remind people of the true value of their work. It’s not just about dry cleaning sheets, it’s about making sure that a hotel guest feels like they were the first person to stay in a room.

 

Have a safe and productive week and as always if you have any thoughts or feedback send me an email or give me a call if you have any other ideas or how to demonstrate great safety leadership.

 

SB

 

 

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