A Safety Leadership Guide to the 6 Human Needs

As someone who has often pursued a path of ‘personal’ growth, I discovered a compelling set of principles while studying and attending several Tony Robbins courses and events.

This discovery was learning about the “6 Human Needs”. I asked myself, “Surely, these could be adapted and applied within a work environment, right?” So, here’s what I have created, to adapt the 6 human needs, in the context of workplace safety.

Effective safety goes far beyond simply implementing rules and regulations. It's about understanding and addressing fundamental human needs. Let me explain and provide some tools below.

1. The Need for Certainty

In the world of safety, certainty is crucial. Employees want to feel secure in their work environment. As safety professionals, we can provide this certainty through:

• Clear and transparent communication, no ambiguity or jargon
• Regular training and updates and the sharing of anything new
• Being seen at the coalface, not just heard by way of rules, procedures or protocols

When workers are certain that safety is actually about them, they're far more likely to embrace it. This builds a foundation of trust.

2. The Need for Variety

While consistency is key, introducing variety in safety can increase engagement and prevent that underlying resistance often aimed at ‘safety’. Consider:

• Rotating safety committee members to bring fresh perspectives
• Talking about new safety technologies or equipment, with everyone
• Varying the format of safety meetings (e.g., walk-throughs, simulations, guest speakers)

This approach keeps safety interesting and prevents the dangerous "autopilot" mindset that can develop with overly routine practices.

3. The Need for Significance

Every employee wants to feel that their role is significant. We can foster this by:

• Authentically, recognising and rewarding contributions
• Involving employees in safety-related decision-making processes
• Highlighting how individual or team actions contribute to safety goals
• Sharing success stories of how safety measures prevented incidents

When employees feel their efforts are genuinely valued and impactful, they're far more likely to take ownership of safety practices.

4. The Need for Connection

A strong safety culture is built on connection. As safety professionals, we can nurture these connections by:

• Promoting teamwork in safety initiatives
• Encouraging peer-to-peer safety observations and feedback
• Emphasising how safety at work, impacts loved ones
• Having conversations that aren’t necessarily about safety.

Trust-based safety strengthens workplace relationships and creates a supportive environment so that it becomes a shared value.

5. The Need for Growth

Experiencing growth and advancement is important to employees. We can meet this need for growth by:

• Offering advanced safety certifications and training
• Creating mentorship programs for safety leadership skills
• Inviting employees to present innovative safety solutions

By investing in employees' safety knowledge and skills, we improve trust, and engagement and contribute to their professional development.

6. The Need for Contribution

People need to feel they're actively contributing. In safety, we can achieve this by:

• Establishing volunteer safety ambassador programs
• Encouraging employees to share safety tips or something they’ve seen work in the past
• Involving employees in community safety outreach programs
• Genuinely recognising employees who go above and beyond in safety efforts

When employees feel they're making a difference, it reinforces positive behaviours and creates a culture of collective responsibility.

Conclusion

By addressing these six fundamental human needs in the context of safety, we create a holistic approach that goes far beyond conventional safety. It fosters an environment where safety is not just a set of rules or a department, but a shared value that resonates with everyone.

We’ve tried these approaches and they have consistently led to safer workplaces, higher employee engagement, and a positive impact on overall organisational performance.

Try them, you will be surprised at how effective they are.