As I recently stood on stage as a guest speaker at an AIHS event in Tasmania, a profound realisation struck me. Listening to fellow speakers discuss psychosocial hazards in the workplace, it became clear that our aspirations for individuals mirror those we have for businesses. We seek resilience, adaptability, clear communication, and the capacity for continuous improvement for our people - as well as our organisation!
Parallel Paths: Psychosocial Safety and New View Safety
This epiphany led me to ponder: Could psychosocial safety and New View Safety be complementary approaches addressing different facets of the same system? While psychosocial safety focuses on the individual's well-being, New View Safety takes a broader organisational perspective. Yet, both strive to create environments where people and processes can thrive.
Psychosocial Safety aims to protect workers from psychological harm by addressing factors like job demands, support, and workplace relationships. It emphasises creating a mentally healthy workplace where individuals can flourish.
New View Safety, on the other hand, shifts the focus from blame to understanding systemic factors that contribute to safety outcomes. It encourages organisations to adapt, learn, and improve continuously.
Meta-Themes for a Holistic Approach
To truly integrate these approaches, we must identify and nurture meta-themes that resonate at both individual and organisational levels. Some key themes could include:
Resilience: The ability to bounce back from adversity and adapt to change.
Adaptability: Flexibility in the face of new challenges and evolving circumstances.
Clear Communication: Open, transparent, and effective exchange of information.
Continuous Improvement: An ongoing commitment to learning and enhancing processes.
However, for these themes to truly manifest, we need to cultivate foundational elements:
Care
A culture of genuine care fosters psychological safety and encourages individuals to speak up about concerns. At an organisational level, it translates to prioritising worker wellbeing alongside productivity3.
Trust
Trust is the bedrock of effective communication and collaboration. It enables individuals to take calculated risks and organisations to empower their workforce.
Wrap-Up
As safety professionals, it's crucial to recognise the interconnectedness of individual and organisational wellbeing. By embracing a systems approach that integrates psychosocial safety and New View Safety principles, we can create workplaces that are not only safer but also more fulfilling and productive.
The journey towards this integrated approach begins with nurturing care and trust at all levels. From this foundation, we can build resilient, adaptable, and continuously improving systems that benefit both individuals and organisations alike.
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