#3 - 69 Skills EHS Professionals need to succeed. Part 3 - Behavioural Competencies

Welcome to?How To EHS, a toolkit of practical strategies, tips and insights for current and aspiring Environmental, Health & Safety professionals.

When I began my EHS journey in 2013, I initially set two goals, to be achieved in 5 years.

1. Become a competent and respected professional.
2. Attain Thought Leadership status and share my knowledge freely.

What I wish I had back when I set those two goals, is a roadmap that would have guided me as to which skills would be crucial in the achievement of those lofty goals. As I approach a decade in EHS, I believe I have found such a roadmap and look forward to sharing it with you in the first three editions of this newsletter.

In 2019, the?Institute Occupational Safety & Health?released an updated?competency framework?following extensive research and consultation with Occupational Safety & Health professionals, employers, and other stakeholders. The updated framework reflects the significant changes that have occurred in the workplace over the last decade. Today’s OSH professionals need a broader range of skills, knowledge, and behaviours to influence and drive change. This is more important than ever now, as economies recover from the global pandemic.

IOSH’s competency framework reflects best practices in occupational safety and health today. It is designed to be an actionable set of standards to help employees and employers maximize performance and minimize risk. The competency framework provides a set of skills, knowledge, and behaviours that can be used by managers and staff to lead and take responsibility for their learning and development.

The competency framework includes 69 competencies across three categories:?Technical,?Core, and?Behavioural. It is not a ‘one size fits all’ tool; the range and level of competencies required for each role will vary and depend on factors such as the sector, the individual’s seniority or career stage, and the size of the organization.?

Part 3:

Behavioural Competencies

These competencies cover how the OSH professional conducts themselves in the workplace. They include working with stakeholders, ensuring good personal performance and professionalism, communication and working effectively with others. These competencies underpin the building of successful working relationships.

IX. Stakeholder Management

a) Collaboration

This is a way of working that requires individuals to find out stakeholders’ needs, expectations and motivations while building a rapport with strategic partners. It involves building strong networks with stakeholders and promoting resource and information sharing, while treating them with respect. Being able to negotiate effectively, find common ground or offer viable and constructive alternatives will allow OSH professionals to be collaborative business partners and colleagues.

b) Being the ‘trusted advisor’

This skill requires OSH professionals to use their experience, training, knowledge and subject matter expertise to advise internal and external customers on the best way to undertake a series of activities and deliver on business intent. To be trusted advisors, professionals must display a range of behaviours that illustrate they are disciplined, professional and trustworthy and act consistently with integrity.

c) Negotiating

Negotiating constructively towards a win-win solution is an expectation of OSH professionals. Exploring creative solutions with others to gain successful outcomes is critical. Individuals should prepare and run effective negotiations in a constructive manner and make realistic compromises, while maintaining an objective and non-emotional distance from the arguments. Focus should achieve value-added results and outcomes.

X. Personal Performance

a) Personal Responsibilities & Accountabilities

This requires OSH professionals to understand, apply and work within legislative requirements, approved standards and company policy. In so doing they must ensure that they meet moral and social requirements of the OSH ethos, ensuring every employee has a right to work in a healthy and safe environment without risk of injury. Critical to this is the ability to ensure that they are able to balance those ethical, moral, social and cost challenges of the role.

b) Self-motivation & Discipline

OSH professionals are obliged to undertake their own self-development, often being the only specialist in an organisation. This work must include self-awareness of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for development; accountability for own behaviour, deliverables, health and wellbeing; an awareness and understanding of current and evolving best practice; a willingness to develop skills or knowledge required; and a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).

c) Prioritising Work

Prioritising work is part of an OSH professional’s daily responsibilities. Working on their own initiative, in a self-directed and autonomous manner, is essential. They should also be able to work without guidance, prioritising issues, tasks and activities effectively and efficiently to deliver personal and business objectives.

d) Driven by Results

OSH professionals will be able to generate commitment and enthusiasm from others to set and achieve challenging goals and objectives. They should be able to navigate problems in a nimble and agile way, even when they are complex. Constant monitoring of results and ensuring quality and delivery are achieved as planned provide opportunity for continuous improvement in service delivery across the business. Doing this demands commercial acumen and a desire to strive with colleagues in other disciplines to improve productivity.

e) Problem-solving

This includes the requirement to investigate, assess and evaluate issues and events that have an impact on the business. Problems will range from the simple to more complex and will require the deployment of a multitude of tools and techniques to support analysis and synthesis of information. OSH professionals are used to contributing to solving business problems in an effective, risk-conscious but efficient way. Generating potential solutions by applying consultative, creative and innovative practices against pre-set criteria in a positive way will help to facilitate successful outcomes.

f) Innovation & Creativity

These include developing and embedding approaches to innovative and creative working, quick to spot and capitalise on emerging trends, providing insightful solutions to improve business effectiveness and productivity. The OSH professional identifies and uses a range of mechanisms, tools, processes and behaviours that are thorough in seeking viable ideas for improvement.

XI. Communication

a) Communicating Effectively

An essential attribute is the ability to create simplicity out of complexity. The ability to develop effective two-way communications delivers efficiency in the process and ultimately better outcomes and results. Being mindful when shaping and delivering messages, whatever the communications medium, helps to build the confidence and credibility in OSH.?

b) Advocating for Safety & Inspiring People

This requires OSH professionals to take on the role of trusted advisor within the organisation and to promote, improve, maintain and enhance safety in daily working operations and inspire individuals and functions across the business to take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe at all times.

c) Providing Constructive Feedback

A skilled requirement vital for achieving a safe and healthy working environment. Deploying skills that balance strengths and areas for development in a way that drives a positive outcome is essential. The ability to avoid negative phrases and react purposefully to challenges is essential.

d) Active Listening

OSH professionals should show at all times they are listening to people in a range of settings and situations, by giving their undivided attention and by using appropriate body language. Importantly, they should provide constructive feedback, aim to defer judgement and find ways of responding appropriately.

XII. Working with Others

a) Self-awareness

This requires OSH professionals to develop an honest understanding of their own values, desires, thought patterns, motivations, goals and ambitions, emotional responses, strengths and weaknesses. They must be able to evaluate their effect on internal and external stakeholders. Being mindful of potential responses to a range of situations is critical to controlling their personal approach and thereby gaining buy-in and cooperation.

b) Commercial Mind-set

A skill-critical competency, whereby people apply formalised and common sense commercial approaches to business decision-making, demonstrating clear business acumen, an ability to interpret commercial information carefully and to apply strong business judgement in problem-solving.

c) Empathy

Views and perspectives of internal and external stakeholders go a long way in progressing OSH-related issues within business. The ability to listen, respond appropriately and see things from other perspectives is key to successful engagement and respect with a wide range of stakeholders. As an advocate, the OSH professional will inspire, recommend and champion active safe working practices to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all those working for and associated with the organisation.

d) Professional Integrity

This is something every OSH professional should pride themselves on. Total honesty, transparency, clarity and ethical behaviour are essential. Being able to demonstrate that integrity in all aspects of business is a commitment each should make and is a critical success factor for individuals and the business.

e) Coaching & Mentoring

OSH professionals must take direct responsibility for ensuring coaching and mentoring opportunities are provided to support the learning of others and actively stretch those individuals’ abilities, outside their comfort zone. Finding ways of growing the capability and personal strengths of individuals will enhance their value to the organisation. Providing a blend of proactive and responsive support, along with advice and constructive feedback, helps individuals to grow in confidence. Creating opportunities for change is also a key part of the process. Coaches and mentors must model successful behaviours, including a high-performance work ethic and constant self-improvement.

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The above information has been extracted from?IOSH?Competency framework Professional standards for safety and health at work. Which you can download?here.

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