If you want to become a more effective and respected safety leader, there are several characteristics that can contribute to your success. Assuming that you already have the basics of safety down pat, working on these characteristics will take you to the next level, especially in regards to employee engagement and influence.
Workplaces with leaders who are good with people typically have higher levels of engagement and wellbeing. But how, as a supervisor or safety manager, can you work on good people-skills?
Here are five characteristics that can help you to be effective and respected in the management of safety, health and wellbeing.
Relationship Building
The ability to build relationships at all levels of the organisation is critical to being an effective safety leader. To be able to build relationships effectively you need to be visible in the field and to experience your colleague’s place of work. Building relationships involves active listening skills and the ability to acknowledge and respect other people’s points of view.
People strong in this characteristic seek opportunities to connect like-minded people up in a way that promotes safety, health and wellbeing. They understand that building relationships is foundational to leading safety culture and transformational change. Role modelling strong relationship building habits also lifts the capability of those around you.
Curiosity
Being openly curious helps us to become better listeners. When we ask questions we allow people to explore their own thoughts and opinions without telling them what to do or think. Rather than deciding that someone is acting unsafely and that they need to be punished or corrected, if we are genuinely curious about what they think and why people do what they do, we can often have open conversations that lead to the safety outcome we are seeking. Curiosity is the opposite of telling, and it goes hand in hand with listening. Try flipping your statements into questions to give others the opportunity to develop their own insights. People with this characteristic are strong coaches and facilitators. They seek out opportunities to promote continuous learning for themselves and others.
Integrity
Integrity is a key characteristic for safety leaders. When integrity is lacking we often use excuses and blame as a cover for not carrying out safety responsibilities. When integrity is high, we don’t take shortcuts and risk safety. Integrity is the quality of being honest and fair, people with integrity do what they say they will do, they walk the talk. Do you believe what you have to say? If you don’t truly believe in your message and own your actions, your integrity will come into question from those around you.
Vision
Visionaries have a strong picture of how safety, health and wellbeing could look, sound and feel in their organisation. While they focus on the future state, they remain grounded and mindful of the present. They are always purposeful and make a habit of beginning with the end in mind.
They share their vision with a clear purpose and message, bringing people along with them at every opportunity. They speak up about behaviours that impact the vision in a way that is powerful and effective. Visionaries are known as celebrated advocates for safety, health and wellbeing.
Generosity
Generous people practice selflessness often. Generous people in the workplace give credit, applause, feedback and responsibility. By doing this they also demonstrate to others how to be generous. This quality makes a great safety leader. Generosity is about time, energy, effort and helping others to succeed. Make a list of how you could be more generous in the workplace, generous people know they can always do more for others!
The key to being a great safety leader is to see your leadership capability as a work in progress. A commitment to growth and learning will make complacency less likely. Plus, the good news is that the characteristics above are all closely linked. Once you start focusing on one of the characteristics, the others will naturally increase.
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