Leadership Mistakes to Avoid in Safety Management

The worst mistake a safety professional can make and the number one reason drivers loathe the Safety Director can be directly contributed to the following. Wielding influence is much more powerful than authority. Trying to intimidate your drivers with your authority will take you on the fast road to failure. Instead, build your relationship with the drivers through goodwill, influence via mentoring and fostering relationships.

Don’t come across as the police!

Don’t throw a worker under the bus. Your team is not comprised of just “you”. It’s a team of “us” that work together for the common goal. You are just a part of a team. Your team needs to know that you have their back and be counted on for support.

Break this rule and you will find yourself alone.

Don’t pretend to know everything. As a Safety Director your position lays out the plans, establishes goals, directs and motivates your team to success. Your drivers and safety teams input is crucial to the success of your program. Listen intently to their ideas. Do not exhibit the “I know it all” approach but enlist your drivers and safety team to become one unit.

Don’t sit in the office all day:

Don’t be the invisible Safety Director who always has a task to complete in the office. Perhaps it is research, finishing up some paperwork. The list is exhaustive and can get creative. Have a healthy balance of being in the field and being in the office. Don't get married to any statistics like 70 per cent in the field, 30 per cent in the office — that is unnecessary. Spend time where necessary in order to reach your goals and complete your tasks.

Don’t say no to common sense. Have you ever been in that position where the rules state one thing and the situation at hand demands practicality and thus breaking a rule in the process? Sometimes one has to give full accountability to the entire situation. There is a name for that, "risk based safety.” I understand that your company is managed via a process based safety system, but in some cases you must trust the experience of the worker, and the complete story to properly manage the situation.

Being confident and comfortable with your position and yourself is of the utmost importance. Like you, I am just a regular guy, yet sometimes I tend to feel like I am a pretty important guy. Whenever that occurs I remember my beginnings and the importance of the success that Safety brings to the table. At the end of the day it is about being comfortable with who you are and what you are doing at work. Be gracious and polite, have fun when you can and treat each other like you want to be treated.