ABSTRACT
Traditional safety approaches have sought to manage people via the imposition of rules, policies, procedures, rewards, and punishment, which inevitably requires a bureaucratic, hierarchical top-down management style hell-bent on forcing compliance. It is this very approach which has stymied development of the one thing organizations require the most in order to manage risk and foster a caring culture – trust. The next generation of safety leaders will still need to focus on risks and the mitigation. The next generation of safety leaders will recognize every meeting, every toolbox talk, and every conversation as an opportunity to build trust and demonstrate care – they will also possess the requisite knowledge and skills to achieve this. To reveal unseen opportunities and challenges by embracing uncertainty and vulnerability rather than attempting to engineer humanity out of work processes. To become masters of emotional and relational intelligence rather than of technical expertise.
