New Book Highlights Values-Based Safety to Revolutionize Workplace Culture

Organizations across various industries have a new essential tool at their disposal to enhance workplace safety and culture with the release of "The New Values-Based Safety: Using Behavioral Science to Improve Your Safety Culture." Authored by Dr. Terry McSween and Adam Hockman, this book builds on McSween's pioneering work on Values-Based Safety (VBS) and offers a modernized approach to behavior-based safety (BBS) by aligning organizational behaviors with core values such as honesty, respect, and concern for well-being.

Dr. Terry McSween, an internationally recognized expert in behavioral safety and former CEO and cofounder of Quality Safety Edge, teams up with Adam Hockman, a trusted learning adviser and Chief Learning Architect at ABA Technologies, Inc., to deliver straightforward and effective guidelines for leaders and safety professionals. The book includes new chapters on establishing the cultural and leadership foundations necessary for any safety improvement effort, implementing a Values-Based Safety process from design to execution, and addressing special considerations for small companies and industries where employees work in isolation. The authors also delve into the behavioral science that underpins these practices and include real-world case studies.

"The mission of this book is to help organizations rethink and redefine their approach to safety," McSween explains. "A culture of safety often starts with what leaders say and do. Leaders who are clear on their values around safety can help shape the safety values of their organization. They can communicate the values of the organization and engage in safety-critical behaviors that align with those values. A compassionate, caring culture is the result of safety values aligning with employee and leader behavior."

The book underscores the importance of creating a supportive culture for employee well-being alongside the company's bottom line. McSween adds, "Whether you choose to continue your BBS programs in their traditional form or decide to modify aspects of your programs based on what you learn in this book, keep employee well-being top of mind. The discussion and clarification of values in VBS helps ensure that your process creates a culture of caring and concern built on compassion and encouragement, rather than on discipline and enforcement."

Praise for "The New Values-Based Safety" has been resounding. Julie M. Smith, PhD, CEO of Performance Ally, states, "I unequivocally recommend this book as the most successful and practical safety book available. It is not just a safety book; it's a transformative tool that has shaped the landscape of organizational change efforts for the past three decades. The new edition will have a lasting impact on how leaders go about creating and sustaining their safety cultures."

"The New Values-Based Safety: Using Behavioral Science to Improve Your Safety Culture" is available from KeyPress Publishing as of June 2024. With its comprehensive approach and actionable insights, this book is poised to become a staple for those committed to fostering a safer, more compassionate workplace.