In the first of a new series Duncan Spencer introduces the Institute’s new research department focused on thought leadership.
IOSH is a charity. Its charitable objects, the rules governing its existence, dictate that it must seek to advance and share occupational safety and health knowledge with its members and the wider public. Never has the advancement of OSH knowledge been so necessary as the boundaries of the profession flex.
New challenges have been presenting themselves, such as coping with a global pandemic and considering the impact of artificial intelligence and other technological advances. We continue to see a blurring of boundaries with other professions; for example, a need to collaborate with other disciplines to manage wellbeing and mental health risk.
The recent IOSH and Arup publication, Towards a safe and healthy future of work, is packed with ‘what if’ scenarios that consider these sorts of existential questions about the profession. For example, what if there were no dividing line between occupational and clinical health?
In response to the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world we now live in, IOSH has a whole department dedicated to thought leadership and furthering the science: Advice and Practice (A&P).
So, what is thought leadership? We interpret it in four ways:
To deliver thought leadership the A&P department has three main functions.
While occasionally members of A&P might originate an idea, it is far more likely that they channel the ideas of others. While giving the originators credit, A&P can help to amplify the message for the benefit of a wider audience. Its thought leadership model illustrates the areas A&P is active in (see Figure below).
Above: A&P Thought Leadership Model
One of the most important aspects of communication is to deliver simple and effective messages that grab the attention. Audience interest is supported with further information, debate, and perspective delivered through articles, blogs, and other content.
A foundation of OSH knowledge supports the debate and discussion and is delivered through guidance and IOSH training products. Discussion with IOSH partners helps to validate the content of IOSH content. In fact, one of the most important aspects of thought leadership is validating concepts so that they move beyond opinion. Validation may come from either academic referencing or from our expert panels.
The Research Advisory Group consists of academics from around the world who are active researchers in the field of OSH. They help to select our research calls and influence the commissioning process. The Thought Leadership Panel are a group of Chartered IOSH Fellows who help to debate topical concepts and provide diverse perspectives from the viewpoint of the practitioner.
The generation of thought leadership is channelled into the OSH press and the wider media, it influences our work with governments and global bodies, it underpins IOSH policy positions, and, of course, it is included in the guidance material that helps IOSH members progress through the member grades and complete their continued professional development. While some of A&Ps work can be exclusively for members, much of it is shared freely in line with our charitable objects.
As a parting thought, one of the most important things we, as a profession, can do in this changing world is to continue to positively challenge the concepts of the past. We must enter constructive debate and offer ideas for others to scrutinise and comment on. By doing so, the OSH profession will continue to evolve its knowledge, keep pace with change, influence others and maintain our position as a respected profession. This is the ongoing challenge Advice and Practice is engaged with.
This is the first in a monthly series of articles from the new IOSH research department – Advice and Practice. Forthcoming topics will include technology adoption, senior communication and disruptive thinking, among other angles.
