There is almost always a gap…

There’s almost always a gap between the way a leader THINKS safety is being done – and how safety is ACTUALLY being done.

And that’s completely natural. As a leader, you want to believe the best – about yourselves and the way you work.
But if you truly want to improve safety in your organisation, you need to be curious about that gap. Because that’s where the gold is.

And here’s a simple exercise that can help you take a big step forward. It doesn’t require consultants or a budget – you can do it yourself, together with your leadership team or a group of employees, whenever you’re together anyway.

Here’s the recipe…

1. Follow this link and watch the short video: Safety Culture Ladder (30 min)

It’s only 7 minutes long and available on YouTube. The film introduces five steps on the safety culture ladder – and all teams and organisations contain some of all 5 steps.

👉 Reflect – on your own:

Where do you see your organisation primarily on this ladder?
What specific experiences or examples make you say this?

2. Look inward 🤔 (15 min)

Where does your own behaviour mostly land on the safety culture ladder?
Is it the same when you’re at work – and when you’re off? And if not: Why not?

3. Share the exercise with your leadership team 👥 (30-60 min)

Show the video to your closest leadership team. Then spend ask:

Where do they think your organisation is on the ladder?
What experiences and examples have given them this perception?

You’ll often get different answers – and that’s exactly the point.

4. Repeat with a team (60 min)

You can to do the same exercise with a team and their immediate leader. Spend about an hour and use the same approach.
It’ll give you a unique insight into the everyday reality – and perspectives you may not have heard before.

💡 Important tips:

REMEMBER the purpose of the exercise:
To gain insight into the gap you know exists – between how you THINK safety is being lived, and how it is ACTUALLY experienced.
👉 You’re not here to make action lists or solve anything just yet. For now: just listen and learn.

And:
You’ll probably hear stories that surprise you – or even concern you. Examples of behaviour where you think:
“That’s not how we do things around here…”

And remember:
If someone experiences it that way, then it’s happening – at least in their reality.
And now you know. And that’s your best starting point for making real change.