PAPod 519 - Good Gets Better, Bad Gets Worse: Navigating Change and Safety
Oct 19, 2024
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Todd Conklin reflects on insights from a discussion with the OSHA administrator about evolving workplace safety. He emphasizes that organizations can either thrive or decline without intervention. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding one’s current standing and fostering conditions for growth. Personal stories about autumn in New Mexico and community traditions, like chili roasting, underscore the value of psychological safety and meaningful interactions during change. Todd encourages listeners to navigate challenges mindfully.
Effective leadership involves recognizing an organization's current performance level and directing resources to foster growth or intervene accordingly.
Reimagining safety as a continuous practice rather than mere compliance is crucial for cultivating a supportive and adaptable organizational culture.
Deep dives
The Importance of Organizational Dynamics
Organizations that are performing well tend to continue improving over time, while those that are underperforming will likely deteriorate without intervention. This concept underscores the need for leaders to recognize the current status of their teams and direct resources accordingly. An organization’s trajectory can be largely predicted: if a team is succeeding, it can be expected to enhance its performance even further, but a struggling team will only worsen if left unattended. By understanding this dynamic, leaders can focus their efforts where they are most needed, promoting consistent growth in positive environments while actively intervening in those that require change.
Defining Safety as Practice Rather Than Program
Recent discussions within the safety field have shifted towards reimagining safety—not merely as a set of procedures but as an ongoing practice that prioritizes the safety capacities of organizations. This newfound perspective emphasizes the necessity of cultivating a culture that supports safe operations rather than just enforcing compliance with rules and regulations. Organizations that experience incidents face diminishing confidence and often revert to rigid compliance postures, which only hinders their recovery. It becomes essential, therefore, to foster environments conducive to open communication and adaptability, promoting credibility and success in high-risk situations.
Creating the Conditions for Improvement
The ability to navigate challenges in today's changing landscape requires leaders to establish conditions that foster both success and safety within their organizations. It is vital to understand the context of a team’s current situation before implementing changes, as this ensures that interventions align with their specific needs and challenges. Leaders must focus on enabling environments that encourage growth, as opposed to defaulting to simply applying stricter controls or monitoring. By learning from historical patterns of organizational behavior, leaders can better manage circumstances that allow their teams to thrive rather than decline.
1.
Reflections on a Conversation and the Chaos of Election Season
Join Todd Conklin in this episode of the Pre-Accident Investigation Podcast as he reflects on last week's enlightening discussion with Doug, the OSHA administrator, about the evolving landscape of occupational safety and health in the United States. Todd shares his insights on the positive feedback received and emphasizes the importance of being open to change and dialogue.
The episode delves into the concept that "good gets better and bad gets worse," exploring how organizations can improve or decline without intervention. Todd stresses the significance of understanding where an organization currently stands and the impact of creating the right conditions for growth and safety improvement.
Amidst personal anecdotes about autumn in New Mexico, chili roasting, and the global craziness of the season, Todd highlights the importance of appreciating the present and fostering a culture of psychological safety. He encourages listeners to think critically about their roles in helping organizations thrive and navigate the challenges of an uncertain world.
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