Demonstrable Management Commitment
Development of demonstrable (senior and line) management commitment at different levels of cultural maturity is likely to focus on the following:
Levels 1 & 2 – focus will be on getting appropriate senior and middle manager understanding & behaviours AND building trust (if required) between management and workforce.
Level (2) 3 - strong focus on developing supervisor/team leader understanding and behaviours.
Level (3) 4, 5 – attention on progressively enhancing safety leadership skills and demonstrable commitment at all levels of management – progressively requires more attention at an individual level.
At higher levels (3, 4, 5) a key element for senior management is to ensure that they are not distracted by inevitable business challenges and do not fail to maintain the necessary demonstrable commitment to health and safety – this means there is a need to build in processes that challenge (check) them.
Safety leadership:
- Senior managers promote overall messages, convince and encourage middle managers and supervisors, ensure their behaviours reinforce the health and safety message, create the overall health and safety challenge (via goals, standards & expectations, etc.);
- Middle managers need to support the work of supervisors and their teams in order to drive improvement) – this includes setting standards; motivating staff; developing trust and positive relationships with staff;
- Supervisors/team leaders – facilitate local team; provide encouragement; promote and reinforce standards and safe behaviours (ie. compliance).