Is Safety Differently a Cult?

In her captivating podcast, Sounds Like a Cult, Amanda Montell delves into various fanatical groups—from SoulCycle and Disney to homeschoolers—assessing their 'cultiness' and ultimately categorizing them as "not a cult," "watch your back," or "run like hell." Her humorous and insightful analysis often unveils unexpected dark subplots within these communities (consider the episode on The Cult of Pickleball). Inspired by Montell's approach, I decided to scrutinize Safety Differently similarly.

I'll start with a telling moment at a recent Canadian Society of Safety Engineers (CSSE) meeting. A member wistfully declared, "I’m very excited because our company is currently on a journey." I knew immediately where this was headed. Surprisingly, our group of seasoned safety practitioners had avoided discussing New View Safety despite some being well-versed in the works of Hollnagel, Conklin, and Dekker. Some of us debated New View's concepts one-on-one but had recently reached a consensus on how the movement's ideas should be pragmatically absorbed and implemented. Disillusioned by how the nebulous tenets of Safety Differently faltered against the harsh realities of safety practice, we opted for pragmatism over disillusionment.

So, when this individual shared his excitement about his company’s "journey," my concerns grew—not just for him but for his young female colleague. How was she navigating these ideas? Was there enough substance in implementing these ideas to prove the effort worthwhile?

Vague terms like "journey" and "movement" could be considered the most 'culty' aspects of Safety Differently. For those outside the inner circle, Safety Differently advocates for five principles:

1.??????? Error is normal—even the best people make mistakes.

2.??????? Blame fixes nothing.

3.??????? Learning and improving is vital, and must be deliberate.

4.??????? Context influences behaviour; systems drive outcomes.

5.??????? The response to failure matters—especially how leaders act and respond.

It’s hard to argue against these principles, as they resonate deeply with safety professionals eager to shift away from blame-centric cultures towards meaningful learning and action. The logic is sound, but is it enough?

Like cults often attract followers with promising but ultimately hollow principles, Safety Differently could be seen as employing a similar tactic. Regardless of their nature, Cults typically start with a set of alluring ideas that resonate emotionally, promising new ways of understanding or improving the world. These principles are compelling and designed to be: they offer simple solutions to complex problems, often bypassing critical scrutiny under the charisma of their leaders and the persuasive power of their message.

Charismatic Leadership and Seductive Rhetoric

Safety Differently, with its charismatic advocates and appealing principles, mirrors this aspect of cult dynamics. Leaders in the movement can assume a quasi-messianic status among followers. Their texts and talks, filled with convincing narratives and calls for a drastic rethinking of traditional safety norms, can create a fervent atmosphere that feels more revolutionary than evidentiary.

Vague Terminology as a Recruitment Tool

The use of vague, emotionally charged language like "journey" and "movement" in Safety Differently discussions does more than describe; it evokes. This language is not accidental; it’s a powerful recruitment tool, much like how cults use nebulous but meaningful-sounding terms like "enlightenment" or "awakening" to attract followers. These terms suggest a profound change or deep insight, yet they often lack the specificity to ground them in practical application.

Lack of Substantive Grounding

Examining cults that have faltered under scrutiny reveals a common theme: the gap between their lofty principles and the reality of their practices. Safety Differently risks a similar fate if it doesn’t substantiate its principles with clear, actionable, and proven strategies that go beyond inspirational rhetoric. Without this grounding, the movement can leave practitioners feeling disillusioned, especially when the promised transformation fails to materialize in the complex real-world environment of safety management.

My own Dalliance with Disillusionment

I encountered Safety Differently as a young safety professional. As a tradesperson, it was obvious to me that some traditional approaches to safety could have been more effective. Procedures rarely spoke to the realities of my work, behavioural observation programs could be condescending, and other safety interventions missed the mark. So, the ideas of Safety Differently resonated with me immediately. Like others I've met, I grew cynical about traditional safety approaches. I was on a journey, and the romantic ideals of Safety Differently provided a dopaminergic surge. But the drug wore off when I realized the movement wasn’t facilitating real progress. Now, I wonder: Was the young safety professional from the CSSE meeting heading for a similar fate? How many others like me are there?

"Not a cult," "watch your back," or "run like hell."

I’ll again borrow Montell’s framework and try to categorize Safety Differently. In my view, Safety Differently is a “watch your back.” You needn't panic if your husband brings home a copy of The 5 Principles of Human Performance, but you ought to brace yourself for lengthy conversations filled with an abundance of platitudes.

Where might we go from here?

Listen, there's at least some baby in the Safety Differently bathwater, so don’t take me for advocating a wholesale abandonment of its teachings. Instead, let's be skeptical of anything that presents itself so that it evokes emotion and bypasses critical thought. We can adopt these tenets as a professional posture rather than an ideological mission. In this way, safety professionals can more effectively promote change without alienating colleagues or creating internal conflict.

Here are a few ways we might do this:

·????? Strengthen Communication Skills: Emphasize the importance of strong communication skills among safety professionals. This involves conveying safety information and listening to and incorporating feedback from workers. The goal is to make safety a collaborative effort which aligns with both traditional and New View Safety principles.

·????? Enhance Problem-Solving Techniques: Encourage a culture where problems are approached collaboratively, involving workers' insights and experiences. This not only improves the quality of solutions but also empowers workers.

·????? Incremental Change: Implement changes gradually and integrate them into daily routines without significant disruption. This makes the changes more palatable and lessens the perception of being imposed from the top.

·????? Role Modeling: As safety professionals, being a role model for the principles you wish to promote—such as fairness, respect for workers’ input, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving—can have a more profound impact than directly advocating a new ideology.

·????? Measure and Share Successes: Regularly measure the impact of these integrated practices and share the successes broadly. Success stories can serve as powerful testimonials to the principles' effectiveness and encourage their wider acceptance.

Safety is hard. No strategies guarantee the outcomes we want in a complex organization replete with conflicting goals and priorities. The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model is a tried-and-tested method in many fields, including safety management. It aligns with trying to affect change in complex environments where conclusive research may only sometimes be available. So go ahead and try to implement a Safety Differently inspired idea. Just don’t get so caught up in a movement that you risk becoming a tortured critic of your own organization.