The Safety Of The Performers

In planning for an upcoming program, the meeting planner was discussing the reasons behind the improved safety record of the organization. One that caught my attention was an increased focus on building the relationship between the supervisors and their crews. In oversimplified terms, when the managers showed a genuine concern for the welfare of their people (not just avoiding mistakes or accidents) accidents did decrease and the work environment was much more positive.

His findings shouldn't have surprised me. When you trust someone, you are much more willing to listen to their instructions and want to do things in a way that will make them happy, if for no other reason than you know they have your best interests at heart. All the training, warning signs and proper equipment are less effective if there is no trust present.

If you are responsible for the safety of the performers around you, ask yourself, "How much do they trust that what I am saying to them is the truth?" If the answer is "not much," you may have just found an area of focus for some of the next acts in your lineup.