Health and safety has traditionally been viewed as a matter of policies, procedures, risk assessments and compliance. Every UK workplace has legal duties, managers with responsibilities and systems designed to prevent accidents. Yet despite decades of legislation, people are still injured, made ill or killed at work every year. Why? Because hazards don’t just exist … Continue reading Health and Safety Is Everyone’s Job: Why Active Bystandership Could Transform UK Workplaces
You Don’t Need a Leader to Be a Good Friend
In my work I’m often struck by a reliance on leadership to provide permission for a colleague to help a colleague. Whether it relates to a behavioural issue, a mistake or poor wellbeing many point to a failure of the leaders in the setting. I’ve spent the last 17 years using a framework of personal … Continue reading You Don’t Need a Leader to Be a Good Friend
The Swimming Pool Lesson: What My Granddaughter Taught Me About Active Bystandership
At the weekend I was in the swimming pool with my three-year-old granddaughter Arra, when I noticed something that made me smile. She wasn’t just splashing in the water or clinging to the side. She was watching. Her eyes moved from child to child, taking in what they were doing, how they were behaving, and … Continue reading The Swimming Pool Lesson: What My Granddaughter Taught Me About Active Bystandership
The Most Important Intervention Happens Before You Say a Word – Why active bystandership begins with what people believe about themselves and how cultures support believe.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” — commonly attributed to Henry Ford Whether Henry Ford actually uttered those exact words is uncertain. Historians debate the attribution, but the sentiment has endured because it captures a truth about human behaviour that is highly relevant to active bystandership. Long before someone … Continue reading The Most Important Intervention Happens Before You Say a Word – Why active bystandership begins with what people believe about themselves and how cultures support believe.
Tending the Vineyard: What Champagne Can Teach Us About Workplace Culture and Active Bystandership
A couple of weeks ago I was driving through the Champagne region of France. As I did i noticed the vines being tended to by many people. I knew it wasn't harvert time and after tasting some great champagne at a local house I asked what was happening. The lady there simply said "we need … Continue reading Tending the Vineyard: What Champagne Can Teach Us About Workplace Culture and Active Bystandership
