Does anyone have any winning strategies for enlisting senior leaders in the H.O.P. philosophies and mindsets which are mostly new to them? Want the approach to be compelling without being overwhelming!
I can't argue with anything @Sam Goodman - The HOP Nerd has said - that's a great list. A couple of things to add if you're doing any formal presenting to Boards and senior teams. Make sure that you're the person in the room if you are the senior safety person (or primary HOP advocate). Too often safety does not have a seat at the table and someone else is presenting on your behalf. Too much can be lost in translation and they often can't answer questions or convey your enthusiasm for the topic. However you manage it, be there in person. And secondly, think through questions that might arise out of your presentation and be prepared with good answers - especially by taking it beyond safety, as Sam suggests.
I’m pretty certain you will get a much more detailed answer from the community… but allow me to throw out a few loose "squishy" thoughts...
When I was working internal to organizations practicing HOP, a few tactical things I really focused on with senior leaders:
- Building relationships with them – real deal relationships – and trying to get as much facetime with them as possible outside of the normal/formal senior leadership meetings/senior leader safety meetings/other formal settings/etc. The good old “hey let’s go around the corner, grab a coffee, and chat” goes a long way.
- Finding that "one senior leader" that's already kind of HOP-centered, and might just not realize it yet... walking with them through the concepts, helping them find their voice with these concepts, and working with them on honing their practical application of HOP from their position. Those folks tend to quickly become a voice for your overall HOP efforts, influencing their peers, and often become a bit of a spokesperson for HOP to the senior leader team as whole... that one bright spot can go a long, long, long way.
- Using every moment I was given in those more formal/normal settings to plant “the seeds of HOP” though stories, presenting HOP ideas and thought, and generating conversation. You can drop in these better ideas without even giving them a name.
- Focusing heavily on helping them through operational surprises and upsets – walking with them through response v. react in real time.
- Sneaking HOP and HOP-ish thought to them on a regular basis. I quickly became known as that wacky guy that would leave books on leaders’ desks, send them YouTube videos, forward them Podcasts, etc…
- Focusing on doing things differently with a few “bright spots” (a location, a site, a crew, a particular BU) within the org., getting results, and telling that story extremely well up through the org. – showing progress, deep learning, improvement, innovation… that even tends to sway the harshest of detractors.
- Taking HOP well beyond safety, demonstrating to senior leaders that this shift in operating philosophy -this investment in HOP – will yield them returns throughout the business.
I think you have to do this at a pace comfortable for each individual, a pace you discover along the way. Coupling these more informal approaches with our more formal activities seems to be a winning combo.
If you want corn, plant corn. Water it, make sure it has everything it needs to grow and thrive… while it’s a bit of a “squishy” answer, there is something to it. A lot of times we do not see that rapid, BOOM, light switch moment we’re hoping for – at least not immediately. But I have found that by planting the right seeds, in the right places, giving them plenty of room to grow, and with enough time, MOST tend to begin gravitating towards these concepts.
What a great question! Really looking forward to hearing everyone's ideas on this one! 😊
I made sure that the senior team knew that HOP was more than safety! Once they truely understood what organisation performance was, they were onboard.
I can't argue with anything @Sam Goodman - The HOP Nerd has said - that's a great list. A couple of things to add if you're doing any formal presenting to Boards and senior teams. Make sure that you're the person in the room if you are the senior safety person (or primary HOP advocate). Too often safety does not have a seat at the table and someone else is presenting on your behalf. Too much can be lost in translation and they often can't answer questions or convey your enthusiasm for the topic. However you manage it, be there in person. And secondly, think through questions that might arise out of your presentation and be prepared with good answers - especially by taking it beyond safety, as Sam suggests.
Susie,
I’m pretty certain you will get a much more detailed answer from the community… but allow me to throw out a few loose "squishy" thoughts...
When I was working internal to organizations practicing HOP, a few tactical things I really focused on with senior leaders:
- Building relationships with them – real deal relationships – and trying to get as much facetime with them as possible outside of the normal/formal senior leadership meetings/senior leader safety meetings/other formal settings/etc. The good old “hey let’s go around the corner, grab a coffee, and chat” goes a long way.
- Finding that "one senior leader" that's already kind of HOP-centered, and might just not realize it yet... walking with them through the concepts, helping them find their voice with these concepts, and working with them on honing their practical application of HOP from their position. Those folks tend to quickly become a voice for your overall HOP efforts, influencing their peers, and often become a bit of a spokesperson for HOP to the senior leader team as whole... that one bright spot can go a long, long, long way.
- Using every moment I was given in those more formal/normal settings to plant “the seeds of HOP” though stories, presenting HOP ideas and thought, and generating conversation. You can drop in these better ideas without even giving them a name.
- Focusing heavily on helping them through operational surprises and upsets – walking with them through response v. react in real time.
- Sneaking HOP and HOP-ish thought to them on a regular basis. I quickly became known as that wacky guy that would leave books on leaders’ desks, send them YouTube videos, forward them Podcasts, etc…
- Focusing on doing things differently with a few “bright spots” (a location, a site, a crew, a particular BU) within the org., getting results, and telling that story extremely well up through the org. – showing progress, deep learning, improvement, innovation… that even tends to sway the harshest of detractors.
- Taking HOP well beyond safety, demonstrating to senior leaders that this shift in operating philosophy -this investment in HOP – will yield them returns throughout the business.
I think you have to do this at a pace comfortable for each individual, a pace you discover along the way. Coupling these more informal approaches with our more formal activities seems to be a winning combo.
If you want corn, plant corn. Water it, make sure it has everything it needs to grow and thrive… while it’s a bit of a “squishy” answer, there is something to it. A lot of times we do not see that rapid, BOOM, light switch moment we’re hoping for – at least not immediately. But I have found that by planting the right seeds, in the right places, giving them plenty of room to grow, and with enough time, MOST tend to begin gravitating towards these concepts.
What a great question! Really looking forward to hearing everyone's ideas on this one! 😊