Thank you Peter Bateman for the opportunity to write a piece for the latest Safeguard Magazine, which was published last week. I managed to address a small chunk of a much larger subject that has been on my mind for a very long time! The article only barely scratches the surface of some much broader topics about improving workplace safety management and leadership.

In 2014, I presented a paper at the OHSIG conference about The Future of Safety after reflecting on the many trends shaping business activities. It struck me that many parts of most organisations have competing agendas that can result in unnecessary friction and conflict within organisations. I'll attach the PowerPoint file from that 2014 presentation.

As I continued to observe and assess emerging trends, I added another factor, which resulted in a model somewhat like the points of a compass with diverging directions. I started thinking about how we could best prepare for an aligned and inclusive future that would best support all of us. I have attached a copy of the model.

Andrew Barrett of Safety on Tap is quite well known in NZ safety circles, especially those who attend the annual Safeguard Conference. Andrew is passionate about connecting, collaborating and sharing, especially looking ahead to the future, identifying ways to prepare, and eliciting new models and perspectives. I was delighted to have been invited to join Andrew to record a podcast about the Future of Safety and the skills that will best prepare us for whatever unexpected changes come our way.

You can listen to the podcast here:
https://safetyontap.com/ep135-skills-for-the-future-and-wrestling-with-tension-with-sheri-greenwell/

A transcript (which seems to have a lot of errors!) and reflection journal are also available from this page.

I would be very interested to hear anyone else's perspectives about how business is changing, as well as the changing role of the safety professional and the skills they will require to be able to effectively support and guide business leaders.