Multi-level Safety Leadership: A Core Function of Every Proactive Organization
Successful organizations have embraced a philosophy of multi-level management for decades; it is embedded within all their processes. Have you ever considered how those leading organizations have applied the same concept to Safety?
Within the corporate community, it’s a known fact that the more effectively processes and procedures are implemented throughout that organization, the better the opportunities are for success. Regardless of that organization’s function, the more informed its personnel are regarding ‘how things are done,’ the less likely it is that incidents of confusion, misinformation and low productivity will occur. It’s a simple, yet effective concept.
As an example, a company builds a centrifugal pump and has spent years developing a market for that pump. Over time, it is considered one of the best pumps available. Recent feedback though, indicates an increase in bearing failures. You can imagine the concern that would generate. The company implements a process check and eventually, they determine one of the production lines has switched to a supplier who is providing a bearing with lesser qualities and consequently, one more susceptible to failure. Ignoring the opportunity for finger-pointing (and there would be plenty of potential for it) the company further assesses the situation. They find that over a period of time, due to normal attrition, there has been a drop in average years of experience in their production, procurement and QA/QC personnel. The general, yet inaccurate, assumption had become “everyone knows which bearing supplier we’re supposed to use.” That mindset was not addressed and the end result was a notable drop in that company’s portion of the centrifugal pump market. So, would you tend to say it was a motivational issue, a communications issue, a training issue, a systemic gap or simple complacence? Granted, all those and more might apply. However, all the potential reasons mentioned are directly related to Leadership. If we apply a similar scenario to a Safety Leadership issue, the repercussions could become quite ominous. A Safety Leader has to ensure that the same mindset, the same vision, the same attitude and passion for Safety exists at all levels within their organization. If it does, chances are that organization will have a healthy Safety Culture.
As we’ve previously discussed, a Leader uses a three-pronged approach relative to how they lead. Often referred to as the Leadership Trilogy, Leaders must master this concept or they will be less than effective in their endeavors. First, a Leader leads by example (obviously, the right example), in other words, this is the ‘how we do what we do’. Secondly, a Leader builds, develops and trains other Leaders. This would be the ‘why we do what we do’. Third, a Leader will follow other Leaders. This is the continuous improvement aspect of Leadership. Good Leaders will learn from the best, and pattern themselves accordingly. A great analogy for this would be golfers seeking to improve their game. Would they prefer to take lessons from Tiger Woods or a fellow like me, who has a double-digit handicap? I think the answer is obvious.
Duplicate and Replicate
Let’s discuss a simple approach to Multi-Level Leadership. The concept is known as ‘Duplicate and Replicate’. Successful corporations and organizations have used this logic for decades. Let’s look at a couple of examples. A particular fast-food burger chain realized years ago that if you have a model that is functional, one which provides a good product at a good price and delivers that product efficiently and consistently, why not build more than one? You can go into one of their restaurants anywhere in the world and it will be formatted exactly like one on the other side of the planet. Same process, same product – everywhere they are. You can’t argue with their success. Another example would be the military. They realized that they must have an effective method of training, developing and equipping their personnel in a timely and efficient manner. It is one of the best systems in the world. Ask any veteran you know what their ‘MOS’ (Military Occupational Specialty) was. To this day, they will be able to tell you exactly what it was.
Let’s apply the ‘Duplicate and Replicate’ logic to Safety Leadership. One would envision an organization that shared the same Safety Culture throughout all levels of that entity. One where everyone, regardless of position or title, had full comprehension of how they do what they do, why they do what they do, and the reason they want to keep improving. Let’s say that senior management on a given project has endorsed a policy whereby anyone can stop work for the sake of Safety. Theoretically, if we encounter a group of recently-hired workers on the site and ask whether they understand the Safety policy or not, what would their responses say about our Safety Culture? If they could explain why they performed a task in a manner stipulated in the site’s Safety procedures and protocols and understood that they were empowered to apply any corrective actions, we’re well on our way to the Safety Culture we desire. On the other hand, if we encounter confusion, uncertainty, apprehension or they simply don’t know, we have identified a gap in one of our levels of Safety Leadership. We then conduct an assessment, determine where the gap exists, and address it accordingly. The same logic would apply throughout the organization, be it a production, QA/QC or Safety function. Fundamental to any entity within an organization, but critical to Safety is this; if Leadership does not exist at all levels, it may well be that it doesn’t exist at all.
