This document discusses effective leadership practices for safety. It emphasizes that leaders must take responsibility for establishing a values-based safety culture with clear vision, effective safety systems, and frequent attention to safety. Leaders should ensure accountability, address process issues, create alignment of values and practices, communicate the value of safety, build support for safety, monitor the safety process, shape and reinforce safe behaviors, and show that they care about safety. The document provides examples of specific behaviors leaders can demonstrate in these areas.

1. The Practice of
Safety Leadership
Terry E. McSween, Ph. D.
Quality Safety Edge
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2. Blood Lipid Targets
My Normal Treatment
Parameter Last Range Goal
LDL 90-171 < 50-60
Cholesterol 132 mg/dl mg/dl
HDL
Cholesterol 58 35-80 >60 mg/dl
mg/dl
< 200
Triglycerides 123 mg/dl < 100 mg/dl
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3. Great Leaders
What do they do?
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4. Effective Leaders
♦ Take responsibility for the culture
♦ Work to ensure alignment
– Vision/Mission
– Values
– Systems and processes
– Behavior
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5. A Values-Based Culture
Mission/Vision
Process Values
Practices
Results
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6. A Values-Based Safety Culture
Mission/Vision
Safety Systems Values
Practices
Results
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7. An Effective Safety Culture
Provides
– Clear vision of safety
– Effective safety systems
– Frequent attention/discussions about safety
– Good safety performance
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8. Effective Leaders
♦ Ensure accountability for systems & procedures
Mission/Vision
Process Values
Practices
Results
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9. Common Problem
♦ Systems emphasize
– Production
– Quality
– Cost
♦ These are critical and urgent
♦ Systems do not balance emphasis on safety
Safety is critical, but not urgent
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10. Process Issues
♦ Safety management systems
♦ Alignment issues
♦ Integration
♦ Systems drift
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11. Effective Leaders
♦Ensure alignment of values and practices
Mission/Vision
Process Values
Practices
Results
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12. Say-Do Assessment
Behavior
Yes No
Yes
Talk
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13. Key Leadership Practices
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14. Key Leadership Practices
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15. Create Alignment
Sample Behaviors:
– Consider the impact of all decisions on safety, as in
• Hiring
• Providing resources
– Consider the messages that decisions may send about your and/or the company’s
commitment to safety
– Model safe practices at every opportunity
– Include safety in appraisals
– Learn about your Values-Based Safety® process
– Ensure that management systems support safety and do not create barriers
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16. Key Leadership Practices
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17. Communicate the Value of Safety
Sample Behaviors:
– Include safety in every presentation and discussion
– Include safety as the first agenda in every meeting
– Look for opportunities to talk about safety in the company and community
– Share personal stories and experiences
– Promote safety during informal conversations
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18. Key Leadership Practices
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19. Build Support
Sample Behaviors:
– Ask employees to get involved
– Communicate the importance of safety to the company
– Review safety data from your area with subordinates
– Ask direct reports what they are doing to support safety
– Ask what direct reports are planning to do
– Ask what you can do to help
– Ensure that there is a realistic budget for recognition and celebrations
– Respond to requests for assistance
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20. Key Leadership Practices
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21. Monitor the Process
Sample Behaviors:
– Review implementation and training progress
– Review how results are achieved, not just the results
– Ask questions about the process
• How is the process going?
• What are safety committees targeting for improvement?
• What actions are being taken?
• What are the levels of participation? Is it getting better?
• What kinds of behavior are being recognized?
• What celebrations are planned?
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22. Key Leadership Practices
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23. Shape and Reinforce Behavior
Sample Behaviors:
– Ask for reports to share success stories
– Provide positive feedback for improvement
– Ask those with successful processes to share what they are doing to achieve
success
– Visit successful Steering Committees and ask them to tell you about their efforts
and what you can do to help
– Regularly thank employees for specific efforts and contributions
– Participate in local recognition and celebrations
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24. Quiz #1
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
actress
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25. Quiz #2
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with
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26. Show People You Care
♦ Identify three safety practices/systems to monitor
Ask two questions:
– “How’s it going?”
– “What can I do to help?”
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27. “What you do speaks so loudly that I
cannot hear what you are saying.”
– Emerson
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