What’s Your Story? Understanding Work Cultures by Listening to Their Stories

Strong cultures like those found in the military or "high-risk" industries like mining or oil and gas extraction can be very resistant to change, particularly if members perceive they have no choice in how that change is implemented. For a safety professional trying to convince workers to take responsibility for their own safety, it is imperative that occupational cultures be understood, and even brought into the safety plan, because of the incredible power cultures have over how members view their work and behave on the job. The stories shared among members on and off the job site are a key part of how culture is reinforced among occupational insiders, how new members are brought in and educated on what is expected by their peers, and how those inside the culture decide what is important. This presentation will provide a detailed discussion of the author's research and experiences in working with high risk industries to create effective training, information on work cultures and why they are important, and lessons learned in working inside occupational cultures to develop training that works.