Rebranding Safety with Jules Reed: Influencing Safe Behaviours

Overview

Rebranding Safety, host James MacPherson talks with behavioural scientist Jules Reed about fostering a strong safety culture and influencing safe behaviours. Jules shares her journey into behavioural safety, the critical role of leadership, and how psychological safety enables open communication.

They discuss overcoming resistance to change, the importance of aligning leadership with cultural goals, and using technology to improve workplace safety. By highlighting microlearning and its real-world application, this conversation emphasises creating environments where safe behaviours become the norm.

Rebranding Safety with Jules Reed: Influencing Safe Behaviours

Workplace safety has long been a topic of discussion, especially how to influence behaviours and foster a safety culture. In this “Rebranding Safety” podcast, Jules Reed, a behavioural scientist at Tended, shares her insights into behavioural safety and discusses how technology can drive cultural shifts in safety practices.

1. Understanding Behavioral Safety

Jules Reed’s journey into behavioural safety began serendipitously. Combining her background in psychology, teaching, and health and safety, she started her career at Balfour Beatty Construction, where she became an expert in behavioural safety within six months.

Jules explains that behavioural safety is not a “silver bullet” for all safety challenges. While it’s an essential step in understanding human factors, it often falls short when implemented in isolation. Early programs focused heavily on frontline workers while overlooking the critical role of leadership in shaping safety culture. Today, the focus has shifted towards creating environments that naturally guide safer behaviours.

2. The Importance of Leadership in Safety

Jules emphasised the critical role of leadership in influencing workplace safety. Leaders often misplace the burden of safety on frontline workers without addressing systemic issues or their behaviours. She drew parallels to parenting, explaining how leaders must transition from micromanaging safety to empowering workers.

Key Takeaway:

Leaders should create environments that encourage employees to make safe choices rather than imposing rigid rules. This approach fosters trust and builds a culture of accountability.

3. Overcoming Resistance to Change

Resistance to safety initiatives is often rooted in fear—fear of change, litigation, or loss of control. Jules shared her experience with male-dominated industries, where new ideas like behavioural safety were often met with hostility. By understanding the emotional drivers behind resistance, she found ways to guide even the most challenging individuals toward change.

One example was her use of storytelling and personal connection to persuade young workers to wear safety glasses. This illustrates how emotional engagement can effectively drive compliance.

4. Psychological Safety: A Cornerstone of Change

Jules highlighted the importance of psychological safety in making employees feel comfortable speaking up about risks or safety concerns. A psychologically safe workplace encourages open dialogue, critical thinking, and collective problem-solving.

Creating this environment requires leaders to:

• Build trust with their teams.
• Model vulnerability by acknowledging their limitations.
• Encourage employees to voice concerns without fear of retribution.

5. The Role of Technology in Safety

At Tended, Jules applies her expertise to develop technology solutions that bridge gaps in safety practices. For instance, Tended’s geofencing devices provide workers with subtle nudges when they approach hazardous areas. This technology doesn’t track individuals but aggregates data to identify trends, foster trust and focus on improving behaviours, not policing workers.

The integration of behavioural science into technology allows for proactive safety measures, enabling organisations to address risks before incidents occur. Jules highlighted how technology can create opportunities for continuous learning and adaptation, helping organisations evolve into learning organisations.

6. Nudging Culture Change Through Microlearning

One of Tended’s innovative approaches involves delivering microlearning experiences tailored to individual leaders and teams. These bite-sized modules focus on practical applications, such as improving communication or understanding the impact of miscommunication on team dynamics. Leaders are encouraged to experiment, observe outcomes, and reflect on their experiences. This can reinforce positive behaviours through real-world application.

This method also ensures that learning is relevant, actionable, and less prone to the “forgetting curve” associated with traditional training.

7. Aligning Leadership and Culture

Jules discussed the importance of aligning leadership behaviours with organisational safety goals. She noted that inconsistent leadership practices create confusion and undermine efforts to build a strong safety culture. Identifying and addressing gaps in leadership alignment can also make a unified approach that reinforces safe behaviours across all levels.

8. Building the Future of Safety

Looking ahead, Jules envisions a future where safety becomes second nature, much like societal norms that evolve over generations. She likened this vision to technological advancements, such as the shift from landline phones to smartphones. She also emphasises the need for gradual, holistic cultural changes in organisations.

Jules also pointed out that safety professionals must evolve alongside these changes. They should move away from enforcement-driven approaches to becoming enablers of innovation and psychological safety.

Key Takeaways

1. Leadership is pivotal

Leaders must model the behaviours they wish to see and focus on creating environments that naturally encourage safety.

2. Psychological safety matters

Foster open communication and mutual trust to empower employees to voice concerns.

3. Technology as an enabler

Use tools like Tended’s geofencing devices to proactively identify risks and improve behaviours without infringing on trust.

4. Tailored learning

Microlearning and experiential activities are more effective than traditional training methods in driving meaningful change.

5. Alignment is essential

Consistent leadership practices across all levels of the organisation are critical for sustaining a strong safety culture.

Conclusion

Jules Reed’s insights remind us that safety is more than rigid rules. It’s about creating a culture where safe behaviours are the norm. Organisations can achieve lasting change by leveraging technology, fostering psychological safety, and aligning leadership with cultural goals. Safety culture should evolve to the point where future generations are incredulous that it was ever a challenge.