Listen to the Audio Pod Cast
Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve got no excuses this time. This was all on me. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to what can clearly only be described as the Circus Safety Video Cast. Andy, my mate, is on the bottom, De is my mate to the right, and myself. We are here to take you on a journey through the world of workplace safety, with a bit of laughter, unprofessionalism, incompetence, and downright humour. Welcome, De mate. How are you today?
Des: Going good, mate. I’ve had a roller coaster of a week, but I’m good and ready to go for the show.
Andy: Nice! Well, clearly, Des, what I really value about you is that you’re just this rock, mate. You know I know you’re weak, I know what’s happened, and look at you. Your computer isn’t even on mute. You wonder why the band broke up. We’ve got followers on our LinkedIn page posting photos of mugs, and you two clearly have a Circus of Safety mug. All I’ve got is my keeper cup. What’s going on? I thought we were friends.
Des: We are, we are. So, it’s not what you know, then. It’s clearly who you know, right? Obviously, I don’t know the right people.
Andy: Well, no. There’s one in the post. Oh yeah, just like the chick, right? I keep getting time and getting paid for this show, but I haven’t seen that happen yet either. Although, I just want to take this opportunity to thank someone for powering me today. Look at the quality of my camera. Apart from my incompetence about muting, I think I sound dashing. So again, a big thank you to the Son Onsite team for pairing me through the show because clearly, I need all the help I can get.
Andy: Hey, Des. How have you been this week, mate? Apart from clearly gloating with your fantastic six safety mugs.
Des: It’s been a good week. It’s interesting that you talked about the band nearly splitting up a few weeks ago until the mug incident. Recently, I generally thought that this week we have been closer than ever because we all tried to help and rally around Des when he was in distress. I just sort of felt the love, and it was lovely.
Andy: Did we really rally around Des, or did we just really want to be nosy? We tried to call him, and it was a beautiful three-way harmony. I don’t know if Des appreciated it much. We’re not giving him an opportunity to say otherwise, so we’ll just keep moving.
Des: I appreciated the love and care that went out to him this week. Alas, how has your week been, Andy?
Andy: My work’s been amazing. I’ve been busy as a beaver, although I’ve never seen a beaver being busy. I wonder if “busy as a bee” is a more appropriate terminology, but that’s how I live my life. That’s how I roll, and I’m in my happy place. So, yeah, loving the dream. Thank you, Andy, for asking.
Andy: Just before we crack into this week’s show, I want to reflect on episode 10. I thought we hit the bottom, but I guess we couldn’t take the show any further. But I was looking back through some of the notes, and although she did get a mug as part of us, Sarah Tizard, I mean who would have thought? We went from talking about safety and professionalism to talking about Dr. Seuss. I mean, how is anyone supposed to take this show seriously when we talk about things like that? Hopefully, this week we can lift our game a little bit and talk about something professional. But, as always, before we do that, De, I need to ask you to please make sure we’re covered.
Des: Sure. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been looking into disclaiming a bit more. Last week, I came across a new theory that a lot of liability in disclaiming comes from a person’s behaviour rather than the disclaimer itself. So, instead of a normal disclaimer at the beginning of the show, I’m going to spend the duration of the show observing the disclaiming behaviours of us, the hosts. I’ll be able to provide feedback on areas of improvement and intervene if I see poor disclaiming behaviours.
Andy: Hang on, you’re going to jump in and tell us what to do?
Des: Yes, absolutely. It’s a behaviour-based disclaiming.
Andy: Well, so I’m just sorting out my show notes here because I may come across as disorganized and chaotic. Looking at my show notes suggests that there’s actually nothing on them. I’ll make a note to check back in with you later to see how we did. Is that a fair call?
Des: I think so. Anything else for me before we carry on with the show?
Andy: That’s all for me. I’m keen to see what we get on the wheel this week. We’ve got a few topics that I want to talk about.
Des: Oh, do you want to share what topic you’re looking forward to?
Andy: I really want to talk about passion and safety. Love it!
Andy: And, Brenton, what about you? Anything particular?
Brenton: Yeah, risking hazards. Safe old Andy, right?
Andy: Yeah, listen, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually looking forward to talking about whether good intentions are enough. The way my week’s gone, I’m really keen to chat about that.
Andy: Alright, here we go. Let’s bring up the wheel.
Andy: Well, well, well. Clearly, some people are just tiny. Let’s shed some light on psychological safety. This was a topic I wanted on the wheel because it’s not well understood. It’s about creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up with ideas, questions, concerns, and mistakes. It’s all about safe learning spaces and creating an open culture. So, De, what are your thoughts on psychological safety?
Des: I think it’s important to create a psychologically safe environment where people can speak up without fear of punishment or humiliation. It’s crucial for organizations to learn from incidents and improve.
Andy: Absolutely. Psychological safety is about creating an environment where people feel accepted and respected. It’s essential for effective safety culture and learning.
Brenton: But isn’t it just another buzzword? Do we really need to put a label on it?
Andy: That’s a good point. The term “psychological safety” can be misleading, but the principles behind it are important. It’s about creating an environment where people feel comfortable to speak up and share their thoughts.
Des: I agree. It’s not just about safety; it’s about organizational learning and creating a culture where people feel valued and can contribute.
Brenton: But what about holding people accountable? Isn’t that important too?
Des: Yes, accountability is important, but it’s about finding the balance. People should feel comfortable to speak up and be held accountable within a certain framework.
Andy: Absolutely. It’s about finding that balance between psychological safety and accountability. People need boundaries and certainty, but they also need to feel valued and have the opportunity to speak up.
Des: Exactly. It’s about creating a positive safety culture where everyone’s opinion is valued, but within the context of a certain framework.
Brenton: So, psychological safety has its place in safety culture?
Des: Yes, it’s crucial for organizations to improve and learn from incidents. People need to feel safe to report and speak up.
Andy: It’s an essential part of safety culture, but we need to be mindful of the terminology and focus on the principles behind it.
Brenton: I think I understand it better now. It’s not just another buzzword; it’s about creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up and contribute.
Andy: Exactly. It’s about creating a culture of open communication and continuous learning.
Des: Agreed. Psychological safety is important for organizations to grow and improve.
Brenton: Well, I think that wraps it up. Psychological safety has its place in safety culture, and we need to create an environment where people feel safe to speak up and contribute.
Andy: Well said, Brenton. Let’s continue to foster psychological safety and create a culture of open communication and learning.
Des: Absolutely. Let’s prioritize psychological safety and create an environment where everyone’s voice is valued.
Brenton: And on that note, let’s wrap up the show. Thanks for joining us, and remember to stay safe out there. See you next time!
Andy: Take care, everyone. See you next time!
