 |
Leading and Learning Through SafetyAuthor: Dr. Mark A French
Do you want to engage your culture? Safety is the first step to creating the motivation needed for people to perform their best. Each day, we have the chance to lead our teams and learn more about our people through an understanding of our safety climate. Through looking at current issues in HSE, we chat about creating cultural value through safety. Your host is Dr. Mark French, CSP, SPHR aka The Safety Dude. Language: en Genres: Business Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Episode 198: Communication
Friday, 12 December, 2025
In this end-of-year episode of the Leading & Learning Through Safety Podcast, Dr. Mark French reflects on seasonal safety challenges and why December consistently brings unique risks to the workplace. While safe driving remains a recurring concern due to holiday scheduling, distracted motorists, and increased roadside work, Mark places special emphasis on a rising and more troubling trend: workplace violence. This time of year heightens personal stressors—family pressures, financial strain, holiday demands—and those stressors inevitably enter the workplace. Mark discusses how normal disagreements can escalate into severe incidents when tensions are already high, highlighting several recent news cases as reminders of the urgency. He notes that although organizations cannot control every factor, leaders can influence how prepared, present, and responsive they are. Mark outlines practical steps to reduce risk: improving communication channels, increasing leadership presence, recognizing early signs of distress or conflict, and ensuring employees know where to report concerns. He emphasizes that mental health resources and Employee Assistance Programs must be accessible without stigma and that organizations should test their reporting systems to ensure issues aren’t lost or ignored. As the year closes, Mark challenges leaders to enter 2026 committed to strengthening communication, cultivating psychological safety, and supporting the whole person—physically, mentally, and socially. He closes with gratitude for listeners and a reminder that effective communication is foundational to preventing harm and fostering a strong, human-centered safety culture.
