Rank: Guest 
|
Posted By Tyler
I find myself in a new position where I spend most of my time trying to sell health and safety rather than set up management systems etc etc.
I am not a salesman so this is all new to me!!
Can anyone let me know the main buttons I should push and the noises should make to get senior management to buy in to Health and Safety.
I know some of you will say i should re-evaluate my position etc but Ive only been here a short while and it will not look good on my CV to have left so early, and I am keen to improve this workplace for all staff unlucky enough to be here.
My organisation are fundamentally a small facilities management company.
Thanks in advance.
Tyler
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Alec Wood
Main obstacle you will face is often cost. But really it depends on the manager to whom you are talking. The message must adapt to the audience.
If cost is the obstacle then re-structure to show compliance as a saver of money.
Research the company's history of absence due to industrial injury, EL claims etc.
I found things much the same here when I started due to the inactivity of my predecessor, but I had a lucky break; One of our customers gave us a deadline to acheive OHSAS18001 or no more business. Until then I had been making slow but steady progress identifying department by department what the issues facing them were and which could be used as part of sales pitch.
Potential prosecution does not seem much of a threat these days, given the rarity of visits and the lack of inspectors
Alec Wood
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Andrew Cartridge
Tyler
If possible!
Sell it to the workforce first, and get them to buy into your ideas, use their feedback and incorporate good suggestions into your policy.
So when you do have to sell it to the management, you will be doing so with the backing of the people that you are looking after, this may modify managements attitude.
Good luck
Andy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Kieran Duignan Tyler You are not alone - a great majority of professionals don't take easily to selling. But when they do find ways of presenting their expertise in ways that appeal to 'prospects', the mood music changes. Usually for the better and for good. I recommend you learn to 'diagnose' the buying-readiness of each of the key managers you have to influence. A really good guide to this is 'Situational Selling' available in the UK from www.leadershipdevelopment.co.uk. Make 'developing buiness' your personal development goal!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Craige
Quote: "Can anyone let me know the main buttons I should push and the noises should make to get senior management to buy in to Health and Safety."
Try letting the management know their legal responsibilities. A few case studies of fines/imprisonment might help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Hazel Harvey Tyler, This area is one in which you are not alone. This aspect of safety is not taught within the initial training qualifications. We have,however, addressed it within the CPD programme. You may like to take a look at page 8, Profit: the missing link or page 58, Briefing the board, both of which address this type of issue. You will find the CPD courses brochure as a PDF within this site or we can send you the full brochure. For this e-mail zoe.whitehead@iosh.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Robert S Woods
There you go Tyler, Hazel has provided a fine example of selling health and safety.
I think what you are trying to do is encourage people to realize the worth of the product you are trying to give for free.
Look for one thing that will persuade middle management that health and safety is worth while and will make their jobs easier, and one that makes the "shop floor" worker feel valued and you may have some progress.
Have you got a safety committee? These are always a good start for the latter.
Bob Woods
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Raymond Rapp
Tyler,
I have read the thread and comments with interest partly because I am in a similar position with a so-called client. I suppose I have a moral dilemna, afterall, I did not enter h&s in order to 'sell' the concept of good h&s practice. But in the real world perhaps we all do to some extent.
As I see it there is only one meaningful argument: compliance with h&s statutory law in order to insulate the business from regulatory fines, notices and personal claims.
The notion that employers will implement good h&s practices because of any moral obligation is a fanciful idea that only the HSE might believe in. Sad to say, but without regulation, court fines and personal claims, many organisations would not spend money to protect their workforce.
The more I think about it I believe that h&s is seen as just another form of insurance. So it does make me mad when people argue that h&s has become overly precriptive and regulated. Whilst that may be true to some degree, the fact is that without regulation most employers would not do a fraction of what they do now.
Ray
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By ian mcnally
Tyler,
Welcome to the often unenviable task of getting others to do what they should have been doing anyway. Most of the respondents have provided you with some good stuff. Trying to sell h & s is also about wining the hearts and minds of all those you interact with (and some you don’t) God knows it’s quite a challenge and is rarely achieved quickly.
I guess you must have checked out the company before you joined and probably got some positive feedback/encouragement from the manager that took you on. This could be an avenue you have already tried to foster a working relationship and put together some strategy for developing a culture. I tried for many years with varying degrees of success but found that the production of a gap analysis worked wonders.
I’m sure you know it’s just a fancy term for comparing an organisation with a standard (I used HSG 65) From what you have already said there will be plenty of areas to flag up. Then, just present senior management your professional document (always at least two and preferably Director level, MD if possible). Once they have read it (don’t make it too punchy first time around) I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn't treat you in a different light and asked you how they should go about improving the safety management systems.
Speak to the person that took you on and suggest it may be worth carrying out such an analysis, let them give you the ok first so they buy into it.
Give a go, if you win so does the company and the job satisfaction takes some beating, once they understand what you have done for them, they may throw pots of cash at you as well. Now I am getting carried away.
Good luck
Ian
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Tyler
Thanks for all the responses.
Many of you are mirroring my initial thoughts concerning the selling of health and safety (maybe promoting health and safety may be a more appropriate term.)
I am interested, however, in how I might initiate this process?
Are there any consultants who may be willing to let me in on some tips as to how they sell their services? If a client will pay a consultant to carry out these services as a result of their sales techniques, then surely my "client" (my boss) may also buy into health and safety if I employ some of these techniques / strategies also.
In the mean time I shall carry on trying!!
However, the latest news is that I have managed to start a health and safety comittee, so things are moving in the right direction!!
Fingers crossed!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Derek Rooney MIOSH MIIRSM
This is a question that could be debated all day and everyday without achieving anything. Most people will go for the shock tactics & telling people there responsibilities. You don't have to be a salesman to sell Health and Safety (sorry you should not HAVE to be a salesman). It is essential to get the buy in from all the workforce, not just management although Management should show leadership in this field as afterall they are the one's responsible. I would say to you speak the same language as your Management to get them to on your side with this i mean "Pounds" yes speak to them in money - how much money can you save them? Someone touched on it earlier, Accident/Incidents, EL Claims, Third party claims. What is the real reason for the sickness/absence? You will find it has nothing to do with them being sick and more to do with them not being given the time off to do something take kids to school, look after an elderly parent or even something as simple as going to the dentist. With this in mind i would look at the possibilities of Work-Life balance, you can get loads of info from the DTI website - again Work-life balance will save your company money whislt improveing morale and motivation within the workplace all of which leads to better productivity. Think about promoting health in the workplace, this is also an excellent way of making the workforce feel wanted, another way of increasing moral, motivation & productivity.
So as i have said, speak the lingo & tell your management team how much money you can save them!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Geoff Burt
It has always been my position that if you feel the need to threaten with a big stick (or even a little one) - you've lost whatever you were trying to achieve and are either in the wrong job or the wrong profession. I cringe when I hear safety professionals quoting the law to senior management - believe me they already know it!
You will always get the good guys co-operating but for the rest it comes down to money/resources - once you realise that, and the fact you take one small step at a time, you are well on the way to starting to earn respect and to getting your own way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Gavin
There are different buttons to push at each level of the organisation, but basically there are 3 arguaments to use - legal, moral and financial. Also, if possible, you should envolve others in your decisions, ythe reason being that it broadens the ownership of the decision and they are more likely to comply as they were involved in the decision.
Maybe this should be a module on the NEBOSH diploma?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.