SIA Victorian Safety Conference 2017

1. Thinking Preferences & Safety Professionals
Victorian Safety Conference 2017
29 August 2017

2. 2
Introduction
▪ The way we think is influenced by a mixture of ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’
▪ All the time pressures are on us to think differently
▪ Because of our history, genetics and a range of other factors, we all develop
‘thinking preferences’
▪ The same way that some of us prefer to kick a ball with our left foot as appose to
our right foot, we also have ‘thinking preferences’
▪ Thinking preferences are critical in how we function, think, communicate, lead and
manage.
▪ We all think differently because we are all wired differently
▪ Today we’re exploring these thinking preferences….

3. The Need to Evolve Our
Thinking

4. 4
Business and Future leaders
The business environment is changing…
The most valuable skills, abilities and attributes of leaders into the future are:
▪ Adaptability
▪ Self awareness
▪ Boundary spanning
▪ Collaboration

5. 5
Business and future Safety leaders
Whilst technical skills are a must, the
emerging landscape of global complexity
and change amplifies the need for service
departments to strategically upgrade their
inner operating system.
It's not about adding another app to the
technical tool kit. It requires investing in
yourself at a foundational level to expand
beyond traditional technical thinking

6. 7
The Evolution of the Safety Professional
Compliance Focused Boundary spanning,
collaborator & engager

7. The Balloon Game

8. 9
The Balloon Game
▪ I'm going to describe a range of
characteristics associated with the
following 4 modes of thinking
▪ Every time you can relate to what I am
saying, you put some air into your
balloon
▪ At the end of the game, you should have
four balloons with varying degrees of air
in them.
▪ These balloons represent your
preferences against the Whole Brain
Thinking Model.

9. 10
The Blue Balloon
▪ I like numbers
▪ I like to know the facts
▪ I like to pull things apart
▪ I like to know how things work
▪ I hate making mistakes
▪ I like to get to the point
▪ I like having proof
▪ I like to manage money
▪ I like to have everything in order
▪ I like to be non-emotional
▪ I think that people who don’t have good
technical skills don’t know what they’re
doing

10. 11
The Green Balloon
▪ I like to keep to the rules
▪ I like to be on time
▪ I like to get things done
▪ I like to have a plan
▪ I like lists
▪ I like things not to change
▪ I want everything to be safe
▪ I like to be neat
▪ I like to go into detail
▪ I like things to go my way
▪ I think that people who are disorganized
are annoying

11. 12
The Red Balloon
▪ I like to show my emotions
▪ I like to help people
▪ I like to be with other people
▪ I like to tell how others are feeling without
being told
▪ I like to talk a lot
▪ I like writing
▪ I like being passionate
▪ I like music
▪ Spirituality is important to me
▪ I like to teach

12. 13
The Yellow Balloon
▪ I like to play
▪ I like to take risks
▪ I like to see how everything fits together,
the big picture
▪ I like good designs in art, buildings,
poetry, ideas
▪ I like to bring ideas together and make
something new
▪ I like to dream
▪ I like surprises
▪ I like to explore new ways to do things
▪ I like to be seen as out there and
unusual
▪ I like to bend the rules

13. 14
The four Balloons
C
A
B
D

14. 15
Logic
Analysis
Linear
Language
Literal
Images
Patterns
Meaning
Interpretation
Intuition
Reasoning, thought, adapting perception
Emotion, order, instinct, action
Left Right
Cerebral System
Limbic System

15. 16
A Model of Looking at the Brain

16. 17
The different quadrants – A Quadrant

17. 18
The different quadrants – B Quadrant

18. 19
The different quadrants - C Quadrant

19. 20
The different quadrants – D Quadrant

20. 21
The different quadrants

21. Thinking Preferences &
Safety Professionals

22. 23
Thinking Preferences & Safety Professionals
▪ So, why is awareness of thinking preferences so important for Safety
Professionals?
▪ Safety professionals have to be:
o Technically minded
o Systems focused
o People focused
o Strategic and big picture thinking
▪ Obviously, we all have different preferences and most of us don’t have strong
preferences in all four quadrants.
▪ Therefore understanding our thinking preferences against the needs of our
organisation allows us to focus and develop our capability to ensure we’re
catering for our key stakeholders.

23. 24
Thinking Preferences & Safety Professionals
Technical safety
Specialist – loves the
detail and the
technical stuff
System safety
Specialist – loves
systems and
processes
People person. Loves
engaging with people,
but the technical stuff
is a challenge
Strategic Safety
Manager – Enjoys the
big picture and
strategic work. The
thought of managing
a safety system and
implementation is
draining.

24. 25
Blue A Quadrant Language
Strengths Frustrations
▪ Getting facts
▪ Analysing issues
▪ Arguing rationally
▪ Forming theories
▪ Problem solving logically
▪ Understanding technical
elements
▪ Working with numbers,
statistics, data and
precision
▪ Inarticulate, off the track
communication
▪ Excessive chatter
▪ Vague, ambiguous
approaches or instructions
▪ Illogical comments
▪ Inefficient use of time
▪ Lack of facts or data
▪ Inappropriate informality
▪ Overt sharing of feeling
▪ Impression of not knowing
the ‘right’ answers
▪ Fear of challenge or
debate

25. 26
Red C Quadrant Language
Strengths Frustrations
▪ Recognising interpersonal
difficulties
▪ Anticipating how others
will feel
▪ Intuitively understanding
how other feel
▪ Picking up on non-verbal
cues of interpersonal
stress
▪ Engendering enthusiasm
▪ Persuading, conciliating
▪ Teaching
▪ Sharing
▪ Understanding emotional
elements
▪ Considering values
▪ Lack of interaction
▪ Lack of eye contact
▪ Impersonal approach or
examples
▪ Dry or cold, unenthusiastic
interaction
▪ Insensitive comments
▪ Lack of time for personal
sharing
▪ All data, no nonsense
▪ Overly direct dialogue
▪ Critical attitude

26. 27
Green B Quadrant Language
Strengths Frustrations
▪ Finding overlooked flaws
▪ Approaching problems
practically
▪ Standing firm on issues
▪ Being consistent
▪ Providing stable
management and
supervision
▪ Reading fine print in
documents
▪ Organising and keeping
track of data
▪ Articulating plans in an
orderly way
▪ Unknown or absence of a
clear agenda
▪ Lack of organisation
▪ Hopping around from
subject to subject
▪ Too many ideas at once
▪ Unpredictability
▪ Being too fast paced
▪ Unclear instructions or
language
▪ Too much beating around
the bush
▪ Incomplete sentences
▪ Lack of closure

27. 28
Yellow D Quadrant Language
Strengths Frustrations
▪ Reading the signs of
coming change
▪ Seeing the big picture
▪ Recognising new
possibilities
▪ Tolerating ambiguity
▪ Integrating ideas and
concepts
▪ Challenging established
policies
▪ Inventing innovating
solutions to problems
▪ Simultaneously processing
of different input
▪ Repetition
▪ Being too slow paced
▪ Playing safe or by the
book
▪ Overt structure, predicable
▪ Non fun or humour
▪ Lack of flexibility, too
much rigidity
▪ Being drowned in detail
▪ Too many numbers
▪ Lack of links to the big
picture

28. 29
Let's have a look at some profiles
▪ Strengths
- Very good with complex
technical issues
- Well structured
- Good with people
▪ Blind spots:
- Finds strategic planning
difficult
- Big picture work is challenging
- Needs certainty before making
a decision
- Wants to help everyone

29. 30
Let's have a look at some profiles
▪ Strengths
- Very good with complex
technical issues
- Well organised
- Gets things done
▪ Blind spots:
- Finds dealing with people very
consuming
- People say that he doesn’t
engage with stakeholders

30. 31
So what is all this about?
▪ In order for safety managers to be effective, we need to understand our
preferences and those of our stakeholders
▪ Communicate and work with people in a way that is meaningful to them
▪ Understand your strengths and ‘blind spots’.
▪ Becoming whole brain conscious requires commitment.
▪ Whole Brain Thinking Safety Managers get results.

31. 32
Thanks for
your
participation!