How do we identify hidden risks (Part 2)?
In our last post, we provided an overview of the Icue Engagement Board – a tool your team can use to surface less tangible issues affecting your safety programs.
This we look at a second approach – the Icue Audit tool.
ICue ((c) Dr Rob Long) stands for intelligent cues – our ability to hear and listen for psychological and cultural language and cues.
(c) Dr Rob Long
Language and cues provide insight into the cultural and sub-cultural influences on decision-making, actions and behaviours in the workplace.
Language and cues can only be surfaced through dialogue, engagement, listening and observation.
(c) Dr Rob Long
Icue Audit method
(c) Dr Rob Long
The ICue audit is designed to understand culture through observation, walking, talking and listening.
Broadly, we look for elements identified in the culture cloud above.
Edward Deci (refer to Reading List below) reinforced that organisations rarely have one uniform culture.
Therefore we look across different levels of culture in your organisation (see below).
(c) Dr Rob Long
The culture as a cloud metaphor has been developed by Dr Rob Long – as culture is all around us and influences our behaviour and actions, but is hard to see.
To effectively conduct the audit requires:
- Visual, spatial and cultural literacy.
- Skills in engagement, building trust, listening and communication.
- Sensitisation to cultural and psychological language.
- An ability to understand what’s significant.
What is your risk and safety culture?
Go for a walk around your work site.
Stop in at a colleague’s work area.
- What artefacts are displayed? What’s in easy reach? What might be the significance of these objects to the person?
- Go down to where the safety/ compliance team sit. What is the proximity to where management sits? How hard is it to access leaders?
- How do people talk about risk and safety? What is the discourse (power in the language)? What words are not used?
- Is communication one-way or participative?
- Can incidents and issues be reported openly? How is bad news treated? How do leaders treat someone when bad news is raised?
- Do workforce practices need to be continually enforced, or does the team generally do work as required?
- What are the values behind the behaviours (e.g. do team members step in to help each other when necessary)?
The answers have great significance in helping you understand your culture - as they rarely occur by chance.
Reading List
Deci, E., (1995). Why We Do What We Do, Understanding Self Motivation. Penguin.
