Managing Safety Conversations
Programme Overview & Summary
Safety adherence at Network Rail is not just a desired objective but an absolute necessity and safe behaviour starts with and relies upon a safety minded culture.
This course will support managers and leaders of safety to achieve worker participation and develop a proactive approach to identifying and avoiding or resolving problems good communication. Participants will learn the vital communication skills – such as listening, clear intent, relaying of information, and well-run, well-structured conversations – to achieve a safety-first team culture.
The programme will consider how to manage a team when leaders don’t have direct daily interaction with those in safety critical roles and the example they set and the way they talk to their team about safety to impact on the Network Rail practices, safety culture and the ability to reduce incidents.
Style and Approach
Interactive and participative using a mixture of digital tools, breakouts/ groups, facilitator input, group discussions and debates, facilitator and peer feedback delivered virtually or face-to-face.
Audience
This course is for those occupying management and leadership roles in Network Rail who oversee safety critical operations and/or activities.
Programme Structure
2 x half day (3.5 hour) workshop sessions, with 2-3 weeks between each session to embed skills learned.
Preparing for the workshop and Supporting resources
None required. You will be given a Workbook and a Crib sheet.
Group Size
10-12 Participants
Programme Topics and Sessions
Session 1
- Why is communication so crucial? (includes case study)
- Communication barriers
- The impact of our conversations
- Modelling a poor safety conversation
- Creating a conversation toolkit.
Session 2
- Reflection on existing practices and development
- Push vs Pull coaching
- Push vs Pull challenges
- Leading a safety conversation
- Leadership commitments.
Learning Outcomes
Having attended this workshop, you will be able to:
- Identify the relevant steps that underpin an effective Safety Conversation, including being open and honest about their intent and purpose of the conversation
- Receive (listen) and articulate (give) knowledge through powerful prompts and questions so that mutual learning and positive outcomes can happen
- Role model behaviours that align with, demonstrate and support cultural themes
- Reflect on their own behaviours and identify the positive and negative impact they have on others that they can then use as learning examples for others
- Identify positive and negative behaviours in others and be both confident and able to provide useful feedback to them in the context of a Safety Conversation
- Describe the relationship between behaviours and safety both conceptually and in the context of a safety conversation
- Identify opportunities to apply positive behaviours within Safety Conversations
- Identify the benefits and values to themselves, their team and the business of conducting Safety Conversations
- Demonstrate an awareness and application of push/pull influencing styles within a Safety Conversation to enable them to knowingly be either more passive (coaching/observational style) or more active (courageously challenge) when addressing negative behaviours, and to be intolerant of unsafe practices
- Demonstrate their commitment to positive behaviours (as per the framework) within Safety Conversation activity after the event.
How to apply
If you would like to attend this course or have any queries about your projects following the course, or wish to submit your project for accreditation, please goto our how to book webpage.
