003 Building a Tribe: Women in Safety

Are you really leading, or just taking a walk? Without followers, leaders are just out for a walk.

Are you an aspiring leader, influencer or change-agent in your workplace and want ‘followers’, so you’re not just ‘going for a walk’ all by yourself?

In this episode of the Fit for Work Podcast, gain insights from someone who’s created a thriving community of professionals who swap ideas, share stories, and create inspiration within a ‘safe’ environment.

Women in Safety encourages those from Safety, Risk, Compliance, Health, Wellbeing, Rehabilitation, Quality, Audit and Training backgrounds to all to come together, collaborate and learn so we might become the best professionals we can be.

Alanna Ball the founding leader of Women in Safety, wanted to find her own tribe in safety and set about connecting with individuals in this space. Alanna has a degree in Business (Human Resources Management), Occupational Health and Safety as well as a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Law.

In this interview, Alanna shares about the evolution of the Women in Safety tribe which is almost 1000 members strong. Listen in as we unpack topics of workplace diversity, safety, better practise, collaboration and leadership.

SAFETY IS GOOD BUSINESS
Sometimes Safety can be viewed as a tick-and-flick or ass-covering necessity of business. Alanna shares examples of where she’s seen safety done WELL and how this positively impacts the bottom line. The cultural shift that’s required is that ‘Safety becomes the new normal’ and we start hearing frontline staff comment about Safe work practises ‘it’s just what we do around here’. Safety is good business is the message we want to not only share, but demonstrate.

INVITING A SAFETY SHIFT
Some practical ways that can improve wellbeing, safety and productivity include:

• Better Practise – Let’s aim for ‘better practise’ rather than just ‘best practise’. If we put our feet up once we believe we meet best practise guidelines, then it leaves no room for innovation, collaboration or growth. Shifting the expectation to better practise will ensure we are constantly moving us forward.

• Ask good questions – A 5 minute conversation can tell us so much. Learning to ask good questions up and down your line of command will facilitate the right type of safety conversations. Inviting contributions from all levels of the business will also foster ownership of safety culture.

• Celebrate Positives – Lagging indicators like injury statistics are a reactive rather than proactive approach to influencing safety culture and practise. What if we could celebrate and recognise high risk jobs done safely on a more frequent basis? Wouldn’t this reinforce the positive safety behaviour rather than only speaking up when harm or non-conformance occurs.

• Find your tribe – “Never be silent about matters of importance” Alanna encourages. In doing so you’ll attract like-minded people and may very well start a tribe. Leadership calls us to have a voice and according to Alanna, her connections are the richest reward of her career. Find your voice and find your tribe so you can share, learn and grow together.
   

JOIN THE WOMEN IN SAFETY TRIBE
Could it be that simple, the group is, what the name suggests? Women – who work in Safety? Yes! With a slight twist. It’s not just for Women. Women in Safety was created by Alanna Ball with the idea to bring like-minded professionals at all stages of their careers together to promote diversity, share inspiration, discuss experiences and swap ideas in a group.

Membership is FREE and you get the following amazing benefits:
– Events: Come together in major cities around Australia to hear thought leadership in WHS.
– Blog posts: Industry experts, colleagues, Lawyers, Recruiters and more.
– Job Opportunities/Postings.
– Industry updates/news.
– Forums: A chance to sit and discuss the nuts and bolts of the safety industry

Register for the upcoming Women in Safety Event on Wednesday 22^nd November in Brisbane. Click here to register or check out future events.

Resources
Womeninsafety.net
Women in Safety LinkedIn Group
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Find your grit blog by Alanna
Andrew Barrett – Safety on Tap Podcast
Deborah Tannen – You just don’t understand: Women and Men in conversation
Alanna Ball on LinkedIn

I’m so happy to be bringing you this thought leadership and I trust you got a lot of value out of todays episode with Alanna.

Until next time, continue being part of the solution in taking your workplace from good to great

Continue the conversation at www.fitforworkaustralia.com.au, say hi on LinkedIn or flick us a personal note at sally@fitforworkaustralia.com.au.

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