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Healing the Safety Microbiome
Here are five leadership lessons, we can take from this:
1. Embrace what seems invisible as it may still have powerful effects on receptivity and actions. My colleague — and change master — Paul McClellan firmly states, “The safety culture most managers are getting is not the one they’re seeing.” To upgrade performance, it’s essential to first better see and then redirect the “hidden” safety culture of what people are really thinking and doing when they know they’re unobserved.
There can be surprising relationships between the hidden and how people perform. For example, there are strains of bacteria (in our microbiome that can actually impel people to exercise. A “Nature Medicine” 2020 study discovered the gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila reduced the likelihood of obesity and increased motivation to exercise. Then there are strains that seem to be associated with depression. Researchers reported in “The Power of Psychobiotics in Depression”: “In vivo studies provide solid evidence that dysbiosis may contribute to the development of depression. Genus Bacteroides was a strain they cited associated with increased depression and strains associated with lesser depression: Blautia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus.”
2. As there are likely numerous influences within each person, consider going beyond mandating a “one way only” approach to safety and motivation that is expected to work the same for all (note, this may not apply to process safety.) Instead, be sure to offer acceptable alternatives to motivations to consider, as well as safe mental methods and physical actions for safely accomplishing tasks on the job.
3. Embrace and culture internal “strains” for better safety. Seed and grow effective internal safety catalysts to become onsite, ongoing agents of improvement (we know this one well from our more than three decades of work): Studies consistently reveal that transplantation of a sampling of microbiota from healthy people has proven to be effective in elevating others’ health; leaders can apply this by selecting, training and supporting positive safety “strains” to, in turn, elevate others within the company.
The downside of ignoring entrenched safety negativity: “Transplantation of fecal microbiota from depressed patients into healthy rodents induced depressive behavior in them, suggesting that microbial dysbiosis precedes the onset of depression and may contribute to its development.”
4. Incorporate many kinds of input. Go beyond overly homogenous safety committees. “While bacteria have been the focus of almost the entirety of the microbiome-related literature, it is well appreciated that viruses, fungi, and archaea are also important members of the human ecosystem, with potential effects on human health.” In the same vein, effectively seek out and elicit feedback from as diverse a cross-section of people as possible.
5. Carefully incorporate best influences in both hiring and with others. What companies “consume” is crucial — just as nutritionists indicate, there are certain foods that promote a healthier microbiome and others that can lead to dysbiosis. Similarly, what leaders introduce to their organization can make a profound difference in company safety, health, and well-being. Screen, select, and feed in wisely!
Bear in mind that small, often below the visible surface elements can clearly make significant impacts on health and safety. The most effective leaders unearth and account for actual contributors to belief systems and performance, going beyond the obvious.
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
About the Author
Robert Pater is Managing Director and creator of the MoveSMART® system for preventing strains/sprains, slips/trips/falls, hand injuries implemented in over 60 countries. Their emphasis is on “Energizing, Engaging Expertise” to simultaneously elevate safety performance, leadership and culture.
Clients include: AdvanSix, BHP Billiton, BMW, BorgWarner, BP, Cummins, Domtar, DuPont, Hawaiian Airlines, Honda, Honda Canada, JELD-WEN, Keolis, Kloeckner Metals, Marathon Oil, MSC Industrial Supply, NDCP, Nissan, ONE Gas, Rio Tinto, S&C Electric, United Airlines, U.S. Steel, WestRock, many others.
Robert writes two ongoing columns for Occupational Health & Safety and for Professional Safety.