The Safety of Work Ep.23 How do safety professionals influence?
We use the following articles to frame our discussion: In Their Profession’s Service and Influencing Organizational Decision-Makers.
Topics:
- The constant frustration of being a safety professional.
- Rational persuasion and other forms of influence.
- Publishing outside traditional safety journals.
- Why it can be hard to define a safety professional’s role.
- The optics of good connections.
- Adaptive framing.
- Why “by any means necessary” is not the key to success.
- Playing the long game.
Quotes:
“If you survey CEO’s...they want safety practitioners to have these communication skills, ability to build relationships…”
“There is no pattern between these companies and their economic performance and their safety performance…”
“There’s some really good advice there...for safety professionals to think about the long game.”
Resources:
Daudigeos, T. (2013). In their profession's service: how staff professionals exert influence in their organization. Journal of Management Studies, 50(5), 722-749.
Madigan, C., Way, K., Capra, M., & Johnstone, K. (2020). Influencing organizational decision-makers–What influence tactics are OHS professionals using?. Safety Science, 121, 496-506.
Cialdini, R. B., & Cialdini, R. B. (1993). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. Harper Business.
Cohen, A. R., & Bradford, D. L. (2011). Influence without authority. John Wiley & Sons.