Mango Live Discussions: What Things Should QHSE Managers Know About People?
The QHSE Manager
The QHSE Manager is tasked with managing the quality, health, safety, and environment of organizations. This means engaging the people working within these organizations.
One question that every QHSE Manager has likely asked at some point is, how best to engage such a diverse workforce?
Engaging people, on all levels of an organization, and gaining commitment to QHSE policies and procedures, can be challenging. Especially when, like most things in this world, people are continuously changing.
How do we interpret information?
How do we respond to situations?
How do we make decisions in the workplace?
There is research-based evidence to suggest that changing social influence impacts the answers to these questions.
In this article, we cover a recent video by Mango Live on 5 things that QHSE Managers need to know about people.
1. Our Decisions & Actions are Unconscious & Socially Influenced
So much of what we do is done on autopilot, including tasks in the workplace. To assume when people are working that they are using their working mind, would be wrong. Our decisions and actions in the workplace are often unconscious and socially influenced.
2. Are Your Biggest Risks in Your Risk Register?
Often when QHSE Managers consider potential risks, they think of physical risks. Managing physical hazards is central to QHSE management, however, to get better outcomes a QHSE Manager needs to extend their thinking beyond these types of risks.
QHSE Managers today need to recognize that there are strong contributing factors, other than physical hazards, in many safety incidents.
3. Language Matters
The language that you use in your policies, statements, internal communications, and promotional materials really, really matters.
A good QHSE Manager will have a good understanding of language and culture, and how it influences behavior.
4. We All Have Cognitive Biases
People have cognitive biases that are outside of their control, they cannot simply switch them off or forget about them. When people are faced with too much information, they will take the path that most suits their judgment… the judgment of one of their back seat minds.
To enable the best outcomes, QHSE Managers should remember that people have cognitive limits and too much information can overwhelm the mind and obscure judgment.
5. Perception & Sense-Making
In understanding people in the workplace, the perception of risk, and how we make sense of a situation, is not necessarily held in common. The forklift driver is not going to perceive the same risks or make sense of situations in exactly the same team as the operations manager.
Why is this important?
QHSE Managers need to engage different types of people, who all see things differently. Keeping things simple, and streamlined, will ensure common understanding and interpretation.
QHSE Manager Resources & Where to Get Help
QSM Group has been providing QHSE consulting and auditing services to businesses around Australia for many years.
When it comes to designing, implementing, and maintaining a QHSE integrated management system, our team is an expert. Get in touch with us today to see how we can assist with any challenges you are facing with QHSE management within your organization.
Watch the Video
You can watch the original video from Mango Live, with the entire discussion, here.