The mission of the safety profession is to control occupational hazards and prevent injuries and illness. This is an active mission that naturally leads safety professionals to encounter differences of opinion, opposing organizational goals, and interpersonal friction; in other words, a fair share of confrontation and conflict.
This article presents a conceptual framework and practical communication skills that can enable safety professionals to turn many confrontational situations into positive professional and personal outcomes.
It is first important to understand the definition of confrontation. What is confrontation? Confrontation is: to face; to challenge; to oppose; to bring face-to-face; or to cause to meet. Many would consider confrontation to be negative encounters that usually lead to "heated" exchanges of information. Safety professionals have their fair share of confrontational opportunities with all areas of the operations and management. What are some of the confrontations safety professionals encounter?
Safety professionals confront management and employees in regards to following established safe work procedures. They confront engineering in determining the appropriate means in dealing with a hazard. They confront procurement or purchasing in the selection and purchasing of proper personal protective equipment, tools, equipment, etc. They confront contractors about adhering to safe work practices. They confront management in determining budget requirements to fulfill the safety management needs of the organization. The list can go on and on in regards to who safety professionals confront. No matter who safety professionals confront, it is all about dealing with people.
Because we are all individuals and react to certain circumstances differently, each one of us respond to confrontational situations in different fashions. Confrontation for many safety professionals has been a very negative experience and many would do whatever it takes to avoid it. So how should safety professionals respond to confrontations? Do all confrontations have to lead to negative encounters or can they be turned into a positive experience? The book, "The Power of Positive Confrontation," penned by Barbara Pachter, addresses this very issue. Safety professionals would be encouraged to acquire this book, read, and study it for maximum benefit in assisting them in dealing with confrontational situations.
So what is positive confrontation? It is simply understanding your own position and knowing what you want from the other person to produce a positive change in behavior that solves a real problem. Simple? Not at first. But following certain techniques, what were once negative encounters can be turned into positive ones.
Some applications for the safety professional to practice positive confrontations are:
Supervisors are not addressing unsafe behaviors or breaches of procedure
Supervisors are addressing issues, but the way they address them is causing other problems
Leadership (management, hourly or organized labor) at safety meetings is undercutting the Message
Safety committee members are not following through on their accountabilities
Your boss' behavior is undermining your effectiveness
An individual is heckling you during meeting
A coworker is interrupting your concentration or task.
