When we encounter a manager who does not understand why they should be involved in HSE issues, and/or only does what is asked of them, and/or shows practically no initiative or analysis of the current situation in their department and the company as a whole, then, in essence, we as the HSE function end up educating them, looking for ways to convey requirements, and pulling out whatever minimal leadership qualities they might have.
But what if the manager doesn't have them?
What if they have just become one, having worked their way up from the very bottom?
What if they are overwhelmed with operational work?
And what if there is no one else?
A kindergarten teacher tells, shows, teaches, and checks on children — and so do we; quite often, like with a small child, we hold their hand, show them, and sometimes talk about things that are obvious to us — and this is after risk assessments, meetings, explanations, document implementations, and training sessions.
Example:
HSE Specialist: Did you see the email I sent you about a gross safety violation — how a newly promoted operator is standing with their head and hands right next to moving machinery, bypassing the safety systems? And did you see that the shift supervisors are not reacting?
Production Director: Oh, you mean that... Yes, I saw it. We are all forced to work like that on these machines — you can't see anything because of the safety guards!
What would a dedicated HSE professional do, having implemented stop-work practices, a system of measures for unsafe behavior, and KPIs? They would be furious, but would immediately find initial solutions or reach out to colleagues for advice!
But what if the manager lacks not only desire? What if they also lack experience, are generally at a different level of intellectual capability and foresight, and are simply not a natural leader?
What should we do about this?
Take patronage over their department? Argue? Complain to top management? Train them until we drop?
Of course, it is necessary to escalate the status of problematic issues to top management, since due to the lack of a leadership stance, many issues stall and remain unresolved; we need to bring them into the public sphere of meetings, set deadlines, and so on.
You can scare managers with consequences — telling them what will happen if they maintain the same attitude. But until they find themselves in seriously unpleasant situations and feel the consequences firsthand, it is not guaranteed they will change their stance.
You can use existing proven, motivated leaders to demonstrate the gold standard of a manager — the competitive principle always works.
The HSE manager can be an example themselves: without giving up, finding new arguments and opportunities to develop a safety culture and the functioning of the HSE management system, as well as participating in projects like HSE DAYS, achieving high rankings, developing, and sharing with colleagues — because some sit within four walls and believe their work approaches are cutting-edge, except the overall results do not prove it.
I believe that leadership is a natural gift. You can try to develop skills, strive, and desire it, but that might not be enough. Challenges, conditions, and circumstances are needed to unlock these qualities in someone from whom we didn't even expect them. But we cannot just wait and hope that all managers will be leaders and show initiative in safety.
Therefore, we work with what we have and look for ways to convey what we want to see from them: create a specific model and invite them to put themselves in the shoes of those who are forced to work unsafely, or are just used to it, or aren't allowed to do otherwise. We initiate development through external training.
There is also the factor of manager complacency: the mindset that there are no incidents — or if they do happen, their attitude is that they will just keep happening anyway.
Managers need an analytical tool where they can view and evaluate the status of HSE topics in one place, without relying on the HSE department. In large companies, these are modern automated platforms and systems with full breakdowns available in a couple of clicks. In smaller companies with fewer resources, it is a dataset on a server or in an internal program related to HSE: links, charts, tables, dashboards, and reports:
Access to this data, combined with individual manager evaluations and motivation from company owners, should stimulate continuous, high-quality, and effective participation in occupational safety, proactive work — and therefore, leadership!
Mutually beneficial partnerships with managers haven't been canceled either: we are, as they say, in the same boat — and we can always find common interests and help the manager resolve their operational issues that intersect with HSE.
And here the main conclusion comes to the forefront: managers, these are your subordinates, your equipment, and your processes. You are in charge here, the owners, and here, just like at home, everything in all aspects should be comfortable, calm, warm, and cozy — otherwise, expect problems: staff dissatisfaction, turnover, missed targets, downtime, and other troubles... And then there is a choice: you are either with us or against us!