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Leading to Safety

Leading to Safety. E. Kevin Kelloway, Ph.D. Canada Research Chair in Occupational Health Psychology. The age-old question: What IS leadership?. The Dilbert Definition.

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Leading to Safety

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  1. Leading to Safety E. Kevin Kelloway, Ph.D. Canada Research Chair in Occupational Health Psychology

  2. The age-old question:What IS leadership?

  3. The Dilbert Definition “Leadership is an intangible quality with no definition. That’s probably a good thing, because if the people being led knew the definition, they would hunt down their leaders and kill them.” Scott Adams

  4. Working Definition of Leadership To take people to places they would not have gone – and have them do things that they would not have done ….. Because it is their own idea

  5. Safety Leadership To have people demonstrate both safety compliance and safety initiative because… it is their own idea!

  6. Transformational Safety Leadership: Why this approach over all others? It works It can be taught

  7. It works • More research in last 10 years on transformational leadership than on all other leadership theories combined • Employees’ perceptions of supervisors’ safety leadership/commitment to safety is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT determinant of their safety behavior • TL associated with improved attitudes, perceived safety climate, safety knowledge, safety behavior, safety events and injuries • Extensive anecdotal reports

  8. Barling, Loughlin & Kelloway (2002)

  9. Barling et al. 2002

  10. Barling et al. 2002 Transformational Safety leadership Perceived safety climate Safety- Related events Occupational injuries Safety Knowledge

  11. Kelloway, Mullen & Francis (2004)

  12. It can be taught • Mullen & Kelloway • Studies in other domains (Barling, Weber & Kelloway, 1996; Kelloway, Barling & Helleur, 2000; McKee & Kelloway, 2009) • 15 years of experience in corporations of all sizes across Canada

  13. Training Transformational Safety Leadership (Mullen & Kelloway,) • 84 health care managers from 21 different sites in NS • 648 employees (direct reports) • Managers participate in a .5 day workshop • Pre-tests and 3 month post-tests • Randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions • General Transformational Leadership Training • Safety Specific Transformational Leadership Training. • Control Group (No Training)

  14. Results of Training: Manager’s Data • No differences at Pretest • At Post-test, significant differences in mangers’ self-efficacy, safety attitudes, and intent to promote safety • Safety TFL training is most effective

  15. Results of Training:Employee Data • No Differences at pretest • Post-test differences on safety leadership, safety climate, safety events, and safety injuries

  16. Conclusion • Safety specific transformational leadership training resulted in improved self-efficacy, attitudes and intent among managers • Safety specific transformational leadership training resulted in improved safety climate, events and injury rates among employees • Safety specific transformational leadership training appears to be a low cost effective intervention

  17. Two approaches to leadership • Transactional Leadership – focus is on getting results, getting the job done • Transformational – performance beyond expectations.

  18. Transactional Leadership: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly • Contingent reward (The Good) • Laissez-Faire (The Bad) • Management-by-exception (The Ugly) JB-043

  19. What is the impact of LF safety leadership?(Kelloway et al. 2004) Transformational Safety Leadership + Safety Climate + Safety Events Injuries - Safety Consciousness Passive Safety Leadership -

  20. Some observations • As a leader you are either a good safety leader or a bad safety leader – there is no “neutral position” • Leaders who ignore safety actively destroy the safety climate of the organization

  21. Management-By-Exception • Takes place when standards are not met • Active: “I am watching to see that you don’t ...” • Passive: “If I happen to see that you didn’t ...”

  22. What is the impact of the MBE Safety Leader? • Focus is on the safety “rules” • Employees do the bare minimum • Employees work safely when the supervisor is present • Behaviors are not sustained, nor do they exceed the minimum requirements

  23. Contingent Reward • Similar to the “one minute manager” • Sets goals • Provide immediate, unbiased feedback • Contracts to exchange recognition and rewards for good performance • Basic, good management

  24. “The key to developing people is to catch them doing something right.” Feedback and Recognition Blanchard and Johnson, The One Minute Manager What is the direct implication of this?

  25. The CR Safety Leader • Spends time doing MBWA • Catches people doing the right thing • Provides immediate feedback on safety performance • Focuses on following established safe work practices

  26. Idealized Influence • Engenders faith, trust and respect • Idealized, not idolized • Leader is a role model • Leader is consistent and reliable • “Employees trust in leadership - it takes years to develop and mere seconds to destroy”

  27. The II Safety Leader • Talks about the importance of safety • Values safety and considers the safety implications of all decisions • Avoids the “safety vs production” tradeoff • Sets an example of safe work procedures/practices • Deals with safety issues head on • Takes responsibility for safety

  28. “Setting an example is not the mainmeans of influencing another,it is the only means.”Albert Einstein

  29. Inspirational Motivation • Sets high standards • Raises group’s expectations • Convinces individuals that they can achieve “beyond expectations”

  30. The IM Safety Leader • Establishes the expectation that safety is front and centre • Encourages individuals to work safely • Talks positively about the importance of safety • Sets high safety standards • Identifies key safety issues • Tells stories about the importance of safety

  31. Intellectual Stimulation • The forgotten child of modern leadership theories • Helps people think about old problems in innovative ways • Challenges subordinates to think for themselves • Includes the use of humour • Promotes the development of future leaders

  32. The IS Safety Leader • Encourages individuals to think about safety and resolve safety problems • Challenges assumptions (“accidents happen”) • Conducts regular pre-mortems (just suppose) • Encourages change to achieve safety goals • Focuses on key safety behaviors

  33. Individualized Consideration • Treats each employee individually • A “coach” • Develops and advises • Focuses on employee development • The role of compassion

  34. The IC Safety Leader • Recognizes individual strengths and weaknesses • Coaches (especially newcomers) • Provides individual attention • Provides frequent feedback • Response to safety concerns immediately • Provides help/assistance when needed

  35. How To Get There Leadership is a verb Little changes make a big difference in the long term Set four – five goals – specific behaviors that [a] promote safety, [b] are visible and [c] that you can do every day

  36. THANK YOU!!!! .

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