In his June 10 session during Safety 2015, “Business Lessons: What CEOs and the
C-Suite Want From Safety,” Mark Hansen, P.E., CSP, CPE, CPSA, CPEA, conveys
some of the wisdom gained over a career spanning many jobs, roles and
industries, in which he interfaced with CEOs and various types and styles of
senior management.
By understanding CEOs and senior management, whether working
with those who “get it” or those who do not, OSH professionals can find ways to
connect with them and learn how to manage their expectations to allow them to
significantly improve safety in the workplace and achieve the best outcome for
their organizations.
So what do CEOs want?
- Happiness. From the C-suite perspective, Hansen explains, a happy person with a positive attitude reflects one’s ability to tackle challenges without getting discouraged.
- Creativity. “Innovation goes a long way in maximizing your potential,” Hansen says. Creative people find new ways to solve problems, better ways to perform old tasks.
- Hustle. “It’s not just about speed; it’s about your drive to be efficient,” he says. Executives don’t want to sacrifice quality, they just don’t want to waste time or money.
- Honesty. “Don’t lie, period,” Hansen says. Simply put, CEOs cannot run companies without honest, dedicated support.
- Flexibility. Execs want you to do what it takes, and that means being flexible in your position.
- Passion. CEOs want to know that employees enjoy their jobs and are striving to improve professionally.
- Confidence. The C-suite wants to know that you will embrace challenges, not shy away from them.
Hansen’s presentation also covered qualities needed to be a
successful safety executive, a discussion of influence tactics and methods of persuasion,
and how to stay relevant in the boardroom.
This session was recorded during Safety 2015 and is
available for purchase on http://learn.asse.org.