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Posted By Donald Macfarlane
I would like to hear from anyone that has used or could recommend a method of bridging the gap between management and the workforce. There is a clear divide in the place that I work in and I would like to know how to bridge it. I think that low morale in the workers may lead to something more sinister in the future. Any feedback would be greatfully recieved
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Posted By Peter Longworth
Proper arrangements for consultation on all major decisions is a good way to start.
Make sure that all areas are adequtely represented by credible people. In some way try to make sure that these arrangements - H&S committees, works committees, whatever can show some measurable results. Talking sensibly and honestly to people really is the only way
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
Donald
To the extent that management and owners want to bridge 'the divide' you refer to, surveys and focus groups can contribute some catalytic action.
Whether safety is a 'warm' enough issue depends on how much management perceive it as a business driver, rather than 'merely' a legal chore. If it's not, perhaps you can build alliances with management colleagues whom directors do perceive as business drivers.
Let us know what helps you to succeed in your efforts.
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Posted By Merv Newman
For the past few years we have been encouraging companies to introduce "safety encounters" All members of management and supervision should take part, including technical and administrative people.
We ask them to spend an hour in the work area, along with a colleague, about once a month. The objective is simply to meet up with some employees and chat with them about safety. They are looking for ideas, opinions, concerns, problems - and successes. "How are we doing, what's happening here, anything we can do better ?" etc. The shop floor encounter is completely informal and friendly - no check list, no note-taking unless employee ask for something to be written down. Although generally the visitors would ask the employee to talk directly with their own supervision. After having encountered and chatted with some employees the pair of visitors must talk with area supervision about whatever they have discovered, good, bad or neutral. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY AUDIT. THE VISITORS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PRODUCE A LIST OF ITEMS FOR ACTION
The supervisor will take some notes, may eventually develop an action plan (his decision) He/she will note the visit and send a copy of that note to the safety office (or whoever is organising the "encounters"). This is just to complete the loop, saying that A and B visited area 5 on (the date)
About 10% of site population will be involved as "visitors", ie for a site of 240 employees, there will be 24 "visitors", 12 pairs and thus 12 encounters per month. All production and technical support areas should be visited each month, office areas perhaps every two months.
We have found that these "safety encounters" have made an incredible difference in the penetration of safety to all areas and levels. One problem that we have often found is that managers do not know how to talk to shop floor people. When they come across a group of workers they tend to stand and look at the work being done. Sometimes they even have trouble saying "hello" and introducing themselves. We have to take them by the hand and show them how to do it, and what a pleasant experience it can be.
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Posted By Donald Macfarlane
Thanks to all that have responded.
All valid points some of which we use at the moment. We do have safety meetings, committees, QHSE tours and follow-up meetings to improve the workplace. I think the problem is with attitudes of all staff. A truly cultural problem based on the requirements of meeting legislation rather than a culture shift for the right reasons.
Has anyone used workplace surveys in an attempt to get to the heart of workplace issues?
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Posted By Raymond Rapp
Donald
I like what Merv has said and I would like to emphasise that management MUST show the way - it is their attitude that the workforce will respond to. Also the issue of feedback, although Merv said that meeting staff is an informal event, it is important that concerns of the shop-floor are adequately fed back to provide the double-loop.
Incidentally, I conducted a small safety climate survey last year. Once again, if conducted properly I think it is a genuine way to measure the prevailing safety culture. More to the point a climate survey should highlight areas of health and safety that may be a concern. Later after measures have been introduced you can go back and repeat the exercise to see if improvements have been made.
Regards
Ray
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Posted By Delwynne
We are in the process of 'bridging the gap' as you put it.
One thing that we have found is that managers really do recognise the need to open up avenues of communication with the workforce, but some of them don't have a clue how to do it. Encouraging this communication is essential, but you might like to consider providing training for your managers on effective safety communication. Equally important is to remember that actions speak louder than words. The obvious statement is that managers must act safe & talk safe, but we have gone a step further & changed incentive bonuses, safety inspections, company policies etc to show that the company really is serious about safety as a priority. We are begining to see the effects of this. It really does work!
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Posted By John Bowker
The 'sinister' could manifest its self as the place of work becoming unionised and organised(which I'm all for), every view is subjective but I think trained Health and Safety Reps do add value to a workplace, and help bridge divides.
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Posted By Merv Newman
Ray, Delwynne,
good points on feedback and "walking the talk" which are primary objectives of our "safety encounters" Hence the obligation for the "visitors" to have a wrap-up with local supervision.
When I interview managers/supervisors I always start by "tell me about your successes, something good YOU have done to improve safety in your area". They may have a bit of trouble at first but they can usually eventually come up with what they count as a personal success.
On the shop floor I ask employees "what has your boss done recently to improve safety ?"
The most common answer is "Well I can't tell you what he has done, but I can tell you what he hasn't done !"
Go back to the boss and ask him about that and he will often produce a file showing that the problem is "in progress" Unfortunately he had said nothing to his employees. Lack of feedback, lack of communication. They just don't talk to each other.
Which is why we have to train them to do so, and how to do it.
By the way, I am not just talking about the typical British manager/supervisor. I find the same problems wherever I go.
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
Donald
In response to your question 'Has anyone used workplace surveys in an attempt to get to the heart of workplace issues?', I have in the context of both safety management and management development.
In the latter case, the exercise was quite productive because
a. there was a very pressing need and fair commitment from employees/managers involved
b. the internal sponsor, the Management Development Manager, took a lively interest in the survey methods used (mainly repertory grids which are unusually incisive in making thoughts and emotions explicit) and in learning how to make the most of them.
In the former case, the exercise was less productive because the impetuous m.d.
a. indulged his quasi-royal prerogative to prejudge the outcomes, as this was part of his habit of standing in his own light to get in the way of ambiguous outcomes
b. was antsy about data that allowed diversity of interpretations.
Repertory grids are particularly good as 'bridging building' tools, especially as inexpensive software is now available to process the data. Jancowitz's 2004 guide, 'How to use repertory grids', published by J Wiley, is a clearly written guide to their use in business environments.
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Posted By fats van den raad
Donald
In conjuction with the very good advice given above, may I suggest a relatively simple addition that worked wonders for a place I worked in.
We had a safety committee in place but this was not really helping communication at all as it often ended up in a massive argument between management and shopfloor representatives. The safety committee resembled a negotiating meeting with management on one side of the table and the employee representatives on the other side. This resulted in accusations and counter accusations being thrown across the table, and often the meetings ended with no decisions made. Both sides were wrong in that they were both using the safety committee meetings to score points of one another. How did we change this. Simple.
We changed the seating arrangement. We arranged it so that managers and employee representatives sat mixed around the table intsead of two sides facing each other. We also made sure that the "main voices" from both sides sat next to each other instead of acroos the table from each other. It removed the confrontational athmosphere immediately and opened up the opportunity for frank and honest discussion, which resulted in agreed decisions.
Simple but effective.
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Posted By Raymond Rapp
Clearly, the responses are in unison - makes you wonder why there are so many management/staff problems out there.
'I can live for two months on a compliment.' (Mark Twain)
Ray
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Posted By Merv Newman
Raymond,
"I can live for two months on a compliment"
So it was Mark Twain who invented behavioural based safety.
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Posted By Raymond Rapp
Merv
No, actually it was Lewis Carroll.
'It is a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.'
- The White Queen, "Through the Looking Glass" - Lewis Carroll
Regards
Ray
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Posted By Merv Newman
Ray,
nice one. I can see that you are well into ABC analyses of behaviours. Not everyone can see that. Especially not tomorrow.
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