Abstract Safety Leadership

A senior VP asked me to write a safety training program for route drivers and asked what my first step would be.  I responded that I would get with a route driver and ride to better understand their safety issues.  He seemed astounded and asked me if my education was so incomplete that I could not imagine what they did and direct it to be more “perfect.”  This attitude tends to permeate some safety programs and it can do serious damage.  

Safety, for workers, is not abstract, it is situational!  It involves situational awareness and correct responses to specific dangers.  Those who do not understand this are and will continue to be outsiders who may be respected for their positions but not for their knowledge.  Such leaders are tolerated, not followed.

Safety cultures are best influenced from within.  Abstract leaders are always viewed as outsiders. Outside influences cause resistance, not acceptance.  If you want to lead safety and improve your safety culture, get in touch with the reality of your workers and workplace.  Talk like someone who has been there and done that and appreciates the challenges of the job.  Such actions are not lowering your standards or admitting the limitations of your education, they are living and succeeding in the real world.

-Terry L. Mathis

For more insights, visit www.ProActSafety.com

Terry L. Mathis is the founder and CEO of ProAct Safety, an international safety and performance excellence firm. He is known for his dynamic presentations in the fields of behavioral and cultural safety, leadership, and operational performance, and is a regular speaker at ASSE, NSC, and numerous company and industry conferences. EHS Today listed Terry as a Safety Guru in ‘The 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS in 2010, 2011 and 2012-2013. He has been a frequent contributor to industry magazines for over 15 years and is the coauthor of STEPS to Safety Culture Excellence, 2013, WILEY.