When individuals take personal responsibility and don’t make excuses they can change everything by empowering others to improve the safety culture in organisations.
Dr John Izzo at the IOSH Conference
Opening the IOSH conference this morning, leadership expert and corporate adviser Dr John Izzo told delegates to remember two numbers – 100 and zero, which he said were critical to driving positive change.
He argued that when everybody in an organisation “steps up” and takes 100 per cent responsibility and makes zero excuses, they create a ripple that has a positive impact on others, empowering them to change the culture. Too often, he added, individuals will not take personal responsibility because they feel that they cannot make difference. But the opposite is the case, he argued.
“When one person steps up, it disturbs the status quo and creates a ripple,” he said. “If we want a safe culture, we’ve got to empower the heroes in organisations to inspire others.”
Dr Izzo went on to explain that psychological safety was critical and this meant creating an environment in which workers could be honest with management and were allowed to admit to making mistakes.
The motivational speaker gave a number of examples from leading corporations that he has had worked with to demonstrate how taking personal responsibility has improved profitability and safety.
