Mediocre companies will often tell you they have a great culture, but when you question them on what makes it wonderful, they provide you with bland platitudes and flimsy proof.
Posts by Marie-Claire Ross:
Is this the Most Unlikely Leader Ever?
Despite the potential threat of the horrific death of their friend, and possible manslaughter charges, four unlikely accomplices worked tirelessly together to help create what is arguably the 20th century’s most artistic and dangerous endeavour ever. In the process, the main leader demonstrated remarkable skill as a leader and CEO of the group.
What sort of culture do you want to champion?
Corporate culture might be an over-used terms these days, but what it really boils down to is what behaviours staff undertake when no-one is watching.
3 Critical Areas for Effective Safety Communication
A Towers Watson study titled Change and Communication ROI, claims that the most important goal of an effective communication program is to motivate both employees and management to act upon, and achieve, the goals set by the organisation.
Yet, most organisations fail miserably at their latest communication launches, including safety. With only 55% of communication initiatives succeeding initially and only one in four being successful (25%) in changing behaviour long term.
How much does poor Safety Communication Cost Organisations?
According to a study by Siemens Enterprise Communications, a business with 100 employees spends
an average of 17 hours a week clarifying communication.
This translates to an annual cost of $528,443 (even higher for larger companies).
This translates to an annual cost of $528,443 (even higher for larger companies).
Where there are communication barriers, due to people misunderstanding information, there are also productivity losses. The same study found that the cumulative cost per worker per year is $26,041 just from communication barriers alone.
5 Mistakes that make your Safety Communication Confusing
Communication is an interesting thing. No matter how many years you have been talking, writing or even managing other people, your communication abilities fluctuate.
While it is mostly true that those with concise and clear communication skills are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions, the skills that got you there won't keep you there.
Communication skills are one of those things you have got to be consciously improving on a regular basis. After all, we can get so lazy in our communication. Have you ever tried to write a directive email while talking on the phone, before rushing to a meeting? The chances are your email was unclear and confusing.
How to Make Toolbox Talks Interesting When Following a Script
As someone who writes and communicates my thoughts freely, it was a shock to hear from one of my Fast Track your Safety Communication Results students that she has to follow a script for toolbox talks.
3 Steps to Help Employees make the Right Decision with Safety
We all have different styles when it comes to making decisions. When it comes to making a choice at work, how do you like to operate?
Do you:
A. Prefer to receive lots of detailed information, so that you can make a comprehensive assessment, or
B. Make a quick decision using minimal information?
Are you Working against how the Brain Processes Safety Information?
One mistake I often see safety professionals do, is that once they have created a new company safety procedure, they get all excited about it and go and tell the next colleague they see. Usually their workmate has their mind on something else such as they're busy filling out a form or using a machine.
You know you suck at being a Safety Influencer when...
Recently, I was talking to Julie Honore from Safesearch, a safety professional recruitment company that specialise in finding safety staff in Asia, Australia and the Middle East. She told me that there is a growing demand for sophisticated safety professionals that can coach, influence and engage on safety.