Throughout the TV series, Ted demonstrates his persistence in building his relationship with his boss. His ‘go-to’ technique is to bring her homemade biscuits. At first Rebecca is resistant. Eventually, Ted’s persistence wins her over.
It got me thinking about how many times safety professionals ‘give up’ on the right idea in the face of resistance.
Why do people resist change? After years of studying the issue, I’ve concluded that people resist change because:
- They don’t GET it.
- They don’t LIKE it.
- They don’t like YOU!
If they don’t LIKE the idea, it’s usually because they don’t GET it. It’s up to you to be persistent by engaging the resister and helping them “see” the issue the way you do. Your job is to give them ‘fresh eyes.’
Keep in mind that how we think people change is not how they really change.
- We think they ANALYZE, THINK, and then CHANGE.
- What really happens is they SEE, FEEL, and then CHANGE.
As a safety professional, how are you helping your teams SEE the need for change and FEEL how something different is needed? Do you help them SEE the risks? Do you engage them in developing solutions? Do they FEEL what the workers feel?
Try adapting your approach. Your persistence and approach may even get your team to LIKE you better!
If you are interested in developing your safety team, consider running the Safety Professional’s Academy. Contact me to have a conversation.
If you have safety professionals who require coaching, please give me a call!
