EHS Today
  • Magazine Subscription
  • ENewsletters
  • EHS Education
  • Safety Leadership Conference
  • America's Safest Companies
    • Search
  • EHS Today Intelligence
  • Safety
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Standards
  • Safety Technology
  • Training & Engagement
  • Leadership
  • Topics
    EHS IntelligenceEnvironmentHealthSafetyLeadershipStandardsConstructionPPESafety TechnologyTraining & EngagementEmergency ManagementCOVID-19 CrisisIndustrial Hygiene
    Resources
    Member BenefitsSafety Leadership ConferenceEHS EducationAmerica's Safest Companies AwardsWebinarsWhite PapersWorkplace Safety AcademyMagazine SubscriptioneNewsletter SubscriptionLatest HeadlinesContact UsAdvertisePress ReleasesPrivacy & Cookie PolicyTerms of Service
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    1. Safety

    NSC 2011: Storytelling, Collaboration and Safety from the Heart

    Oct. 31, 2011
    According to National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expo keynote speaker Peter Sheahan, the key to making significant behavior changes in safety can be found not necessarily in overcoming our challenges, but in looking beyond our past successes.
    Laura Walter

    Sheahan, the founder and CEO of ChangeLabs, captivated the NSC audience in Philadelphia the morning of Oct. 31 with his high energy and down-under accent. He explained that roadblocks in our journey to continuous improvement result from not our failure to predict the future but rather from making the wrong assumptions about the present and the likely impact that will have on the future.

    This is what Sheahan calls "the gravity of success," the fact that we are compelled to return to the tried-and true, or "safe," option. In short, we will most likely simply stick with what has worked in the past – in the safety world, this can mean staying true to the same processes, methods and systems that already have yielded positive results. Unfortunately, if we can't look beyond these past successes, we may never make it to the next level in safety.

    "Suspend your preconceived beliefs about how you drive safety deep in an organization and open your mind to the possibility of a new way," Sheahan explained.

    Feeling Involved in Safety

    Sheahan also told NSC attendees that too many companies rely on incentives and consequences for behavior change when these elements are not what actually motivate people to change. The No. 1 thing that actually shifts people’s behavior, Sheahan said, is the narrative they have in their minds about why they should do what they do. That means EHS leaders must build a story that shows why workers should care about safety – not only at work, but also at home.

    The key to successfully "stitching a story," as Sheahan calls it, is leadership. "Leadership is the ultimate symbol of taking safety seriously," he said. "Your job is to architect one of the symbols to bring that narrative to life."

    Sheahan also stressed that collaboration is an essential ingredient in making positive change. Unless people feel involved in the process, they will not engage with it.

    "This concept of collaboration is not a fad," Sheahan said. "It’s going to be a deep, long-term requirement of any culture change and therefore any safety initiative."

    Sheahan left the NSC audience with his three key points: Elevate yourself out of your daily life and suspend belief in how success looks; explore the concept of narrative and story in your safety culture; and remember that collaborative engagement will be the crucial mechanism by which we engage. By sharing stories and working together, real behavior change may emerge.

    "Maybe the next frontier of the safety movement is the heart," Sheahan added.

    Continue Reading

    If You Think It Can’t Happen to You, Think Again: A Tornado Story

    Revolutionizing Standard Operating Procedures: Harnessing Best Practices for Safety and Efficiency

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Is Your Safety Program Effective? 10 Questions Every Safety Leader Should Ask

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Purposeful Presence: How Leaders Show Up to Amp Up Performance

    Nov. 7, 2023

    The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Autopsy of an Injury Uncovering 18 Million Exposures in One Activity

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!

    I already have an account

    New

    The ROI of Visual AI for HSE - Unlocking the Power of Data

    Clear Vision: Safeguarding Construction Workers' Eyes on the Job

    If You Think It Can’t Happen to You, Think Again: A Tornado Story

    Most Read

    So You Think You Know a Lot about OSHA? (Quiz)

    Not Many Leaders are Confident in Their Well-Being Programs

    How Can Flourishing Help Worker Well-Being?


    Sponsored

    How to Overcome Resistance to Organizational Change

    Leveraging behavioral science: The key to a superior behavior-based safety (BBS) program

    4 Causes of Safety Culture Problems

    EHS Today
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Do Not Sell or Share
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Endeavor Business Media Logo