Posted By Malcolm Hogarth I am trying to find information on influencing change/tackling the issue of persuasive reasoning to get the safety message accross. Can anyone point me in the direction of relevant literature etc? Thanks.

Posted By Raymond Rapp Malcolm, You may be interested in Safety cultures: Giving staff a clear role, HSE Contract Research Report 214/1999. It focuses on safety cultures as the title would suggest, management, employee interactions, it is interesting and relevant. Ray

Posted By George Wedgwood It's not an easy task and an on-going one, which, for my sins, I am involved in with my Company at present. I was brought in to make a difference and help stimulate an improvement programme. Sounds good but the reality agrees with what has been said already! I can talk a little about my experiences if you contact me (07836 718908) or email me but I feel the matter is based on some experience, some personal style and influencing powers - i.e. how good a salesman you are! The good salesman will never take no for an answer but wil perservere at trying different directions and different methods - and one I find very successful is the technique of talking a lot about a certain issue and possible solutions, but not actually expecting much from the discussion. Repeated often, in different forums and to different managers, you eventually find that someone has implemented your idea and called it their own - 'top led, bottom driven'! This takes a while very often but is usually successful in that you get time to change subtelties in your approach in accordance with listener's 'instant' feedback or comments, and you learn to fit your message into the existing culture - after all its takes some time as a newcomer to learn how the company ticks! i am now having some success as managers and the Board realist that I am not a threat but a functional working part of their operations, ever present and ever willing to listen and help. Yes, 'pushing the envelope' is an important part and you need to get used to rebuffs but, like the policy writer says - 'you write a thousand words and have to remove 2/3 of them, you still have 1/3 recorded as a success! Another lesson is to try and get control of the minutes taking at senior management H&S meetings! Above all ensure that the key strategy is placed in an annual plan, agreed by the MD or Board. That means you have to get on with them and have regualr dialogue - even if it's only 'hello', it's me again!