Increase Your Influence by Placing Empathy at the Centre of Your Safety Management

After COVID-19, a wave of studies and surveys on empathetic leadership swept the business world. As Catalyst found in 2021, empathetic leadership in the workplace is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a ‘must-have’.??

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Catalyst surveyed 900 employees and found that empathetic leadership fosters an engaged, motivated and productive workforce. 86% of those surveyed reported feeling more successful balancing work and life concerns under a leader who demonstrates empathy. ?

But how does empathetic leadership impact the world of health and safety? In this post, we’ll discuss how empathy at the centre of safety management can increase your influence across the organisation. ?

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Empathy at work ?

Often described as placing yourself in ‘someone else’s shoes’, empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings and see things through their perspective.??

Empathy is an invaluable skill for managers. Besides helping you forge a stronger connection with employees, it enhances your leadership skills as you better understand how your actions impact team members. This makes you more likely to consider different employee perspectives when enforcing and communicating specific rules. ?

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The weight empathy carries in safety management is outlined in specific health and safety regulations, such as ISO 45003:2021. Guidelines for dealing with workers’ various psychological responses to the safety management system identify a close link between empathy and effective operations. ?

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OSHA requirement [1910.30(d)] also suggests employers provide training ‘using language and vocabulary that is understood by employees’, placing an emphasis on the importance of leaders thinking critically about how their instructions are interpreted, rather than simply giving out orders to team members. ?

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The benefits of leading through empathy ?

There’s a whole host of benefits when it comes to weaving empathy into your health and safety management program. These include: ?

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Enhanced lines of communication ?

As you grow more conscious of the person or team you’re interacting with, you’ll become increasingly competent at adapting the way in which you communicate. For example, you may use a gentle, friendly tone when speaking to an employee who’s been involved in a distressing situation and a more formal, solemn tone when going over health and safety insights in a senior management meeting. ?

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Stronger relationships ?

By making a visible effort to view situations from the perspective of your team members, you’re more likely to build your working relationships from a foundation of trust. When it comes to health and safety, this trust is key to creating an environment where employees feel comfortable coming forward with safety-related concerns. They’ll feel confident that you’ll really listen, take what they have to say seriously and make the required adjustments to ensure they feel safe when carrying out tasks. ?

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Increased productivity and profitability ?

When you break it down, employees spend much of their lives at work, so their attitude toward your organisation will have a pretty hefty impact on overall morale and productivity. Research shows that the more you demonstrate your understanding of employees’ needs, the more motivated they’ll be to work effectively, enhancing productivity and, consequently, boosting profitability. ?

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Open door to creative solutions ?

Empathy can also open the door to more creative thinking. A lack of employee engagement with health and safety poses a big risk. Approaching this difficulty from a mindset that considers how different employees take in information or react to training provides more mental space for creative solutions that tailor training to employees’ many different learning styles and needs.??

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How to be a more empathetic health and safety manager ?

There are many ways to incorporate empathy into your health and safety management strategy. A few examples include: ?

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Create a safety committee??

Create a committee that provides a safe space for employees to discuss your organisation’s health and safety regulations and make recommendations. Rather than simply saying that you’ll listen to your employees’ concerns, this space for them holds your organisation accountable for taking action and gives employees a voice.??

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Carry out regular hazard analyses ?

Frequently conducting hazard analyses is another great way to show you’re empathetic to the needs of your team. By taking the time to engage with various areas of the business and ask employees about the hazards they perceive, you can gain a deeper understanding of the main areas of focus for your health and safety strategy. This focus also demonstrates your dedication to managing risk proactively and keeping your employees as safe as possible. ?

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Emphasize that enforcing rules is your way of showing you care ?

It’s also important to ensure that employees understand the reason and context for health and safety processes. In this way, rather than being seen as a box-ticking exercise, health and safety rules and procedures demonstrate that you actively value your employees and their right to feel safe at work. With good communication in language that reflects employees’ experience and context, employees will feel motivated to follow the rules. Compliance is a strong word – and sounds antithetical to empathy. But establishing mutual understanding reconciles the two with employees recognising that the regulations are in place for their benefit. ?

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Honing in on mental health ?

Unfortunately, there can still be stigma attached to mental health issues. These are important to address in their own right. But, in addition, from a purely safety perspective, we need to ensure that employees are fit to work and are not a hazard to themselves and their colleagues. Placing empathy at the centre of your management plan helps employees to be open and allows you to check they feel mentally fit to work. Of course, it goes without saying that particular care is required for any employees involved in, or who have witnessed, distressing incidents, including offering counselling or just a private chat with you about their worries.??

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In short, empathy is a powerful tool in health and safety management. Ensure employees know that the door is always open. To learn more about effective health and safety leadership, check out our blog: The Importance of Effective Health and Safety Leadership. ?

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