Leadership Coaching on Small Nonprofit Safety Part Two

Leadership Coaching on Small Nonprofit Safety Part Two, is a practical continuation on from Part One. 

It allows you to reflect on your organization, the attitude it has toward safety, and the actions it has taken to ensure the safety of participants, staff, and the public. 

In this particular area, we can always make improvements or increase preparedness.

Will it mean we reach "perfect?" Probably not. We just can't anticipate or plan for everything. But we can have an attitude that appreciates risk and values doing what we can to ensure safety. 

77. Government and industry safety standards are met or exceeded

This is Practice 77 of 80

Government and organizations in your special area of service have established standards that will ensure a high quality of conformance to safe and well run facilities.

You have those standards at hand and regularly check yourself against them. You have been inspected at regular intervals by these governing bodies, and have acted on any recommendations right away.

• Do we belong to the appropriate standards organization?

• Are we beyond reproach in our inspections, and actions on recommendations?

Why This Practice Is Important

By paying attention to industry safety standards and ensuring that they are met or exceeded, staff and participants alike will enjoy a greater level of confidence and peace of mind.  Attention to standards is not only good business, it is good ministry.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

ATTENTION

An Expansive Thought

If the government standards are the base level, what are we doing that reaches beyond?  Become the standard against which others wish to measure.

An Action Point

Set specific goals to reach beyond industry base standards. Become the base line for others to reach toward.

78. Insurance coverage meets or exceeds the industry standard

This is Practice 78 of 80

With good insurance programs available to organizations, there is little excuse for neglect in being well insured. Walk your representative through every activity and location you have. Make sure it is covered.

Set up your own self-insurance reserve to lower the deductible if need be. Be prudent. Get good advice in this area. Lawsuits happen – you may never have one but then again YOU MAY.

• Are we getting the best possible coverage for the best rate?

• What traditionally drives our insurance decisions - cost, coverage or something else?

• Are there attitudes that need to be changed?

Why This Practice is Important

In order to protect your investment and your participants, it is vital that any facilities and operations be adequately insured for public use. A good insurance policy will provide the security to be able to continue your mission after a incident or crisis. 

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

SECURITY

An Expansive Thought

Is loyalty, assumptions, or some other reason causing us to avoid things we should be looking at? To be well insured acknowledges what is, and not what is to be avoided.

An Action Point

Take out your calendar and schedule the time needed to assess and review your current coverage against what you really need.

79. Designated staff supervises safety procedures

This is Practice 79 of 80

Someone is in charge. Designated staff supervise safety procedures.

Find people who are willing, knowledgeable and capable of carrying this important area forward. Fund it. Recognize it as being as important as any other program you may have taking place.

• What people would be eager to take this on as their priority?

• How could they best work together with others?

• What would the structure look like to support this happening? 

While safety is the responsibility of all, a good designated team can make your safety program and procedures work.

Why This Practice Is Important

The implementation of safety procedures must be carried out by a knowledgeable team in order to assure that the program will be effective. Delegating safety directorship to the right people is important – pick carefully.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

DELEGATION

An Expansive Thought

How can we facilitate this? Should we create a position for a Director of Safety? Something else?

An Action Point

Ensure that once a team is in place, you take it full circle by providing the necessary safety procedure training.

Have these key people consistently upgrading knowledge and skills. Taking time to plan goes a long way; training and empowering good people goes even further.

80. Safety is a priority, not an option

This is Practice 80 of 80

Overall safety goals are being reached.

An "attitude of safety" is looked at and presented as a long-term investment in people.

• Is attention to safety part of our image to the public?

• Should it be?

• If so, how could we accomplish not only having the reality but reflecting the reality?

• If asked, would any member of our staff refer quickly to the importance of safety?

Why This Practice is Important

A safety consciousness, consistent over time, means you will have returning participants and staff because they have confidence in safety systems the organization has implemented.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

ATTITUDE

An Expansive Thought

Within the context of safety, the challenge and risk of any experience will be long remembered. What if safety wasn’t a priority, but a total environment within which we moved?

An Action Point

How can we ensure that staff understands the importance of safety as well as the act of conveying that attitude toward participants and public?

This is the end of Leadership Coaching on Small Nonprofit Safety Part Two.

To go back and review Part One of Safety, click here. 

How Have You Applied What You Learned from Leadership Coaching on Small Nonprofit Safety Part Two?

As you take action on the four practices from Leadership Coaching on Small Nonprofit Safety Part Two, and the four practices from Part One, you will have gone some distance to developing a safety consciousness for your organization. 

If you've taken action, you are to be congratulated. Accidents happen. Crisis develop. But whatever we can do to mitigate that happening if of first priority. And being as ready as possible should it happen is crucial. Be prepared.