Many organisations invest heavily in safety management systems, procedures and compliance. These provide the framework for managing risk, but safety culture is defined by how people make decisions when the situation cannot be reduced to a process.
Defence programmes require decisions to be made while balancing competing demands, technical complexity and changing risks. In those moments, processes provide structure, but they cannot replace judgement.
Stuart Henderson CBE saw the importance of this approach during his time as the Royal Navy’s Director for Health, Safety and Environmental Protection. In this role, he was responsible for safety across a complex defence environment spanning 85 ships, 10 nuclear submarines, 160 aircraft, as well as Royal Marines units, training establishments and naval bases.
“Some organisations view safety as a constraint. Something that costs time and money, but has to be done because it is the rules. Others define safety through processes and personal protective equipment, where people become focused on ticking every box regardless of everything else.
A modern Navy needs a more intelligent, risk-based understanding of safety. Giving leaders the tools to think about safety as a risk-balanced decision makes safety an operational enabler and empowers people to understand and act on the organisation’s risk appetite.”
Turning safety into an operational enabler requires clarity around accountability. People need to understand where responsibility sits and the boundaries within which they can exercise judgement.
“I have sometimes encountered what I call the ‘Just do it’ approach. A leader asks a person or a team to make something happen without explaining the boundaries within which they should operate. It may lead to the team thinking they have permission to take short-cuts or risks without informing the accountable leader.”
Better decisions depend on people having the confidence to use their expertise. That requires leadership behaviours built on trust, listening and understanding, not just organisational structures.
“Leadership is the only thing that changes behaviour. The leadership has to be consistent at every level. You cannot effectively influence someone’s thinking or behaviour until they feel heard and understood. There is no substitute for a set of rounds. It is how you really know your people and your systems to a high level of detail.”
At SQEP, this approach is central to how we support complex programmes. Our specialists combine technical expertise with an understanding of the people, processes and operational risks involved in each decision, helping clients apply sound judgement with clarity and confidence.
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