Recognizing and Overcoming Internal and External Pressures

Topic:
Recognizing and Overcoming Internal and External Pressures: Factors Safety Professionals Need to Understand to Become Better Leaders and Decision-makers

Speaker:
Daniel G. Hopwood, MPH, ARM, CSP
Region 1 Vice president, ASSE (2015-2017)
Vice President, Safety & Health, Zenith Insurance, San Diego, CA

Brief description:
Safety professionals are exposed to a variety of internal and external pressures. These pressures can be seen as those dynamics that strengthen the skills of a safety professional or, based on the number and magnitude may challenge a safety professional’s day-to-day capabilities.

This presentation describes, analyzes and visualizes, for the program attendee, three levels of pressure or stressors. Primary external pressures for example, include social, labor, economic and multi-cultural dynamics. Some of the secondary external pressures include information and all of its considerations (e.g. amount, speed, technical qualities), how our work is valued and economic factors to name some. Internal pressures vary but may include factors such as professional qualifications, time and resources. etc.

This aspect of the presentation is visualized as a structure with external pressures pushing in the internal pressures pushing outward, such that if one of the pressures is too strong, the safety structure (the professional) will weaken and perhaps fail. The focus, then, is how to balance the pressures and not have any single or group of pressures derail the functions and ability of a safety professional to perform at high levels.

The dialogue on understanding the pressures we are exposed to and how they may be prioritized comprises the first half of the presentation. The second half focuses on the framework by which a safety professional can manage and overcome the pressures, both internal and external.

Strengthening these components makes the safety professional better able to manage the pressures we are regularly exposed to. In doing so, there are critical shifts in the threshold of understanding and managing the multitude of pressures and result in a safety leader who exhibits enhanced vision and leadership. These last two elements, vision and leadership are the final salvos in the presentation and designed to broaden the attendees view to not only manage the day-to-day and unique pressures we may be exposed to, but in many fashions, use them to shape us and make us much better practitioners and professionals.