Toolbox Talk: The Mind and Safety

The Mind and Safety In Perspective by Pat Mussieux

As human beings, we move towards and act like that which we think about!” – Lou Tice
So, what are you thinking about? Did you stop to realize that your mindset is your greatest asset when it comes to safety!
Safety starts with the way you think and it starts at the level of every single person in the organization especially the leadership team. A mindset for safety is reflected in the culture of the company.

I often heard the phrase, “Our people are our greatest asset” but what I heard and what I experienced on my old steel days was incongruent. Since then, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work with leading research psychologists in the field of critical thinking. It’s all about mindset! Research psychologists show, in their studies, that there are 4 major barriers to human beings using their full potential – Habits, Attitudes, Beliefs and Expectations!

I experienced, firsthand, those 4 major (psychological) barriers to working in a safe environment.
· Poor safety habits on the job. This applies not only to employees but within the leadership team, with the incoming vendors, with suppliers and all those coming on site.
· Poor attitudes with respect to “it’s not my job; it’s not my responsibility; it’s not my company”!
· Core beliefs – “that will never happen to me”;
· Lack of expectations – there was not a high standard of expectation, or excellence, with respect to safety on the job!

In my experience, working as a coach, I have added 3 additional barriers: ego, emotion and control.

Technical training is, without a doubt, essential when working in the oil and gas industry. People who are technically trained on the job have core competencies and can produce results. One area that is neglected in training and development is the area of critical thinking – the art and mastery of staying mentally fit. To consider this a technical training initiative would be to provide a corporate culture that is pro-active when it comes to safety.

A mindset for safety can be taught. “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting!”
To think otherwise, is the definition of insanity. So, what can you do to create a culture and a mindset for safety?
It starts first with the way you think and the way you talk about safety. Our self-talk (that inner voice) helps to form our beliefs. When you change your self-talk to be positive, uplifting and forward thinking, you can change your beliefs.
When you change beliefs, you change performance! Individuals have self-talk. Teams have self-talk. Companies and organizations have self-talk. Organizations are nothing more than a network of conversations. Be aware, for a 24-hour period of your own self-talk and of the self-talk around you. What are people saying? Is it positive? Is it ‘oh, ain’t it awful?” Is it creating the safety results you desire in the work place?

I have one simple exercise for changing one’s self talk. Remember, all meaningful and lasting change starts first on the inside…….it starts with YOU! Take an elastic band and put it on your wrist. For a 24-hour period, you are not allowed any sarcasm, any teasing, any devaluation, any negativity to yourself or to anyone around you. Any time you find your self-talk turning negative; give that elastic band a little snap! The purpose of this exercise is to help you become aware of your own self-talk for 24 hours!

I believe, in my experience, that negative self-talk has become a habit. We’re good at it. The six o’clock news is good at it. We are programmed primarily in negativity and it doesn’t serve us! The fact remains that, how we think and speak affects our attitude, our performance, our beliefs arout what’s possible, for our life, for our career, for our business.
One practice I had, in leading my teams, was an ‘elastic day’ at work, at least once a month (when I felt the self-talk was turning negative). It’s an awareness activity and habits take time to change.

This is a powerful technique so don’t be telling yourself ‘this is silly’. It works! Safety it’s all in the way you think. So, how’s your thinking? When our organizations create a culture of leadership and self awareness at the level of every single individual, then and only then will we create superior safe results.

Thanks for the share TO!