Introduction

The achievement and maintenance of an injury-free workplace requires appropriate applications of behavioral and psychological science to improve the human dynamics of an organization and enrich the work culture. This can be accomplished by:

  • a) cultivating actively-caring leadership,

  • b) improving interpersonal communication and behavior-based coaching,

  • c) encouraging a success seekingand growth mindset,

  • d) fostering courage, humility, integrity, and interpersonal trust,

  • e) promoting empathy, systems thinking, and interdependency,

  • f) enhancing perceptions of relevant empowerment, and

  • g) increasing people's self-motivation and self-directed responsibility to actively care for safety.

This presentation addresses each of these domains by explaining 25 paradigm shifts needed to optimize intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational leadership for safety throughout a work culture.

The paradigm shifts are divided into four categories:

  1. Foundation principles which define the overall approach to addressing the human side of occupational health and safety,

  2. Personal living principles needed to exemplify the qualities of a servant leader for safety,

  3. Coaching strategies for helping others avoid personal injury, and

  4. Leadership strategies for cultivating a "brothers/sister's-keeper" culture in which everyone looks out for the safety of each other, regardless of one's authority or hierarchical position in the organization.

All of the recommended paradigm shifts and methods for attaining them are based on research in the behavioral and psychological sciences.

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