Change in the Workplace Is Constant, But Why Isn’t Training Also Always Evolving?

“The only constant in life is change.”

— Heraclitus. 

Normally I’m not one to quote ancient Greek philosophers. But lately, I’ve been focused on exactly the topic that Heraclitus was talking about—ever-present change. My thinking is that, in our workplaces, change is occurring continuously. That’s why, to provide effective safety training, safety professionals need to understand—and embrace—this fact. But too many don’t. 

Consider how, in just a few years, technology and the recent pandemic have turned many industries upside down. Some of these shifts have been beneficial, such as the proliferation of virtual safety meetings. However, other changes in the work itself have contributed to an increase in worker fatigue, disturbing changes in patterns of working hours, and job insecurity. 

I talked about this in a recent podcast. My opinion is that, as humans, we’re always going to be changing how we consume information. Everyone knows that we pretty much said goodbye to good old-fashioned TVs and printed newspapers a long time ago. Nowadays, we’re multi-screened, we’re plugged into instant news, and if there’s an app for it, we’ve got it installed on our phones. 

The thing is, though, at big corporations and at small family-owned mom-and-pop stores, often training isn’t evolving alongside changes in society. 

If you’re a safety professional who is dealing with a safety culture that isn’t evolving along with the times, here are a few tips: 

Instead of focusing primarily on regulations, have you considered focusing on attitudes? 

What have you done recently that will increase the involvement and engagement of your safety team members in your company’s safety culture? 

If there are people you’re training who still talk about the “old way” of doing things, what can you do to open them up to “new ways” of doing things? 

How can you positively reinforce safe employee behavior? 

Always keep in mind the following: it will be the safety professionals who adapt and embrace changes who will continue to thrive. 

Here’s the podcast I mentioned in which I talk about how change is a fact of life and how it’s high time for safety training to evolve: https://youtu.be/vr1MOSvdngM