“How Cultural Differences Affect Safety and Health Excellence”

“How Cultural Differences Affect Safety and Health Excellence”
Luis Gonzalez, MBA Topf Initiatives Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Managing Diversity for S & H Excellence!
PRODUCTION COST QUALITY SAFETY MORALE CREATIVITY & INNOVATION HEALTH Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved
PURPOSE Provide a practical knowledge of how cultural diversity in today’s workforce impacts safety & health culture & performance. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

What Exactly is Diversity?
Diversity refers to all the ways that individuals are unique and differ from one another. Made up of distinct characteristics, qualities, or elements Difference and Variety Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Primary and Secondary Dimensions of Diversity
Geographic Location Military Experience Education Work Experience Age Gender Work/thinking Style Sexual Orientation Disability Socioeconomic status Family Status Ethnic Heritage Race Religion First Language Communication Style Organizational Role and Level Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Exercise Turn to a partner Pick an A & B Take 2 minutes each Share with partner your key concerns about having a diverse workforce and challenges to S & H performance Large group share Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

The Challenge of Workplace Diversity?
The challenge lies in the continuous improvement of the integration and social acceptance of people from different backgrounds. Our differing human characteristics influence the way we think, act, interact, and make choices. Often, these differences interfere with our ability to support, trust, and respect each other, and thus to effectively function together. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

VISION ‘No One Hurt!’ AN IDEAL STATE?

What’s Causing Incidents & Injuries?
Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Research Suggests that:
Our level of awareness and what we do Attitudes and the things that both management & line employees do. At all levels Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Two Primary Causes of Accidents!
Things that we do automatically Things that we do premeditated Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Automatic, Non-deliberate Things We All Do
Daydreaming Distractions Inattention Stress Fatigue Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

What about non-verbal communications?
Language … Qué dijo? What about non-verbal communications? Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Some Things We Do Premeditated or Deliberate
Calculated Risk Taking Short Cuts Non Conformance Time, comfort Convenience, fear “Looking Good” Money/lack of safeguards Conflicting priorities Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Many Assertions – Best Way To Change What We Do!
KEY QUESTION! How do we insure that the men & women that work here from all groups, cultures, and backgrounds are integrating safety & health concerns into their daily routine?

Meeting the Challenges of Diversity
Understand the Differences! Learn the Pitfalls regarding S & H! Build a common Culture! Unite for S & H excellence!

Diversity Bias Assumptions of Superiority I’m better than you. Assumptions of Correctness This is the way it should be Assumptions of Universality We’re all the same. Everybody is just like me. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Culture: The sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another. reflects prevailing attitudes, beliefs, norms, values and things we do. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Popular Definition Of Culture
“The way we do things around here!” Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

CULTURE What’s OK & what’s not OK! What is permissable and what’s not! What gets rewarded or punished! To change culture – 1st assess the culture! Determine the values and attitudes that drive the things we do of your diverse workforce! Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Some Cultural Differences …
I’ll do anything to keep my job! Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

I can’t talk back to my elders

What ever happens is God’s will…

What to Do to Change Culture and What We Do?
Since Most Incidents are Due to Human Factors: AWARENESS, ATTITUDES, AND WHAT WE DO! Need to raise awareness & address the values, attitudes, and beliefs that drive the things we do! Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

What levels of employees should be included in CULTURE CHANGE?
Introduce at All Levels Individual Team/group Leadership Organizational Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Sometimes you need to educate…
We believe in doing things safely around here! Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

CONVERGENCE! May have different views! Adopt group point of view!
Leave the group! Join group with similar points of view (beliefs) Culture-collective beliefs over time!

Assessing Diversity & Culture
Beliefs and thinking Determines what we do! What do people think is safe/unsafe? What’s an acceptable level of risk? What gets rewarded or punished? What do people believe in are the priorities? What is being valued? What is driving our culture? What is being communicated? Top Down-to management and line? Lateral-management to management, line to line? Bottom up-line to management, management to corporate? Do people feel safe to communicate honestly? Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

What is the most common belief – Unsafe Things We Do!
It won’t happen to me. If you tell yourself that you should exercise, but you don’t. That causes stress. We get distracted by it. We become anxious, we go away, we have an accident. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Values Shape the Culture:
1. Worth, Importance, Utility or Merit 2. A Principle, Standard or Quality Considered Worthwhile or Desirable 3. To Regard Highly, Esteem Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Responsible: 1. Answerable or Accountable, As For Something Within One’s Power, Control or Management 2. Chargeable With Being The Cause of Something 3. Capable of Rational Thought & Action 4. Reliable or Dependable Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

What is Leadership ? Leader: A person that leads, directly commanding or guiding head, as of a group or activity. Lead: To show the way to, or direct the course of , by going before and along with; guide. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

A cultural shift represents permanent changes in attitudes and what we do over an extended period of time. Requires constant attention and a consistent and sustained effort. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Diversity is only FAIR Feedback/communication promotes understanding, reduces conflict; and enhances productivity. Assist others to become culturally competent; support one another – we are all in this together! Inclusion should be practiced; empower employees to fully perform and participate in pursuit of the organization’s mission. Respect is non-negotiable; honor the social contract. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Using Diversity to Unite for S & H Excellence!
Recognize diversity exists! Understand it’s influence on S & H! Educate people how attitudes, beliefs, etc. can cause incidents! Train leaders to lead, coach, counsel & support for new values & how we do things! Educate all employees in safe attitudes, values, beliefs and how we do things! Intervene constructively & consistently with unsafe things we do! Follow-up & reinforce & reinforce & reinforce! Acknowledge compliance! Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

MANAGEMENT TIPS Stages of adjustment to a new culture Confusion—First contacts with the new culture leave you anxious, uncomfortable, and in need of information and advice. Small victories—Continued interactions bring some “successes,” and your confidence grows in handling daily affairs. Honeymoon—A time of wonderment, cultural immersion, and even infatuation, with local ways viewed positively. Irritation and anger—A time when the “negatives” overwhelm the “positives,” and the new culture becomes a target of your criticism. Reality—A time of rebalancing; you are able to enjoy the new culture while accommodating its less desirable elements. Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

The Process Assess the Culture-Attitudes, Values, Commitments, What we do, etc.-all levels Train all Employees-Management/Line Train all Leadership-Management/Line Implement Problem/Solving Processes Implement Observation & Reinforcement Processes On-going Support of Systems & Structures Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

Value from the session? What value did you receive from this session? What did you learn about diversity that you can apply to improve S & H performance? What actions will you take? By when? Copyright© 2008 Michael D. Topf All Rights Reserved

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