Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Tip 6: Optimal Size of Groups, the Extended Family
One can ask oneself what the optimal group size is to focus on behav-
ioral change in general and safety issues in particular. The tribe size of
30 to 50 gives a good clue. We are still able to follow the behavior of
others in a group of up to 50 people. Beyond that number, we lose
track; we have more problems in identifying with the total group, and
we start to feel lonely again. Bigger groups lead to a sense of anonym-
ity and don
t generate a sense of safety. For learning purposes, the nor-
mal department size seems to be perfect.
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Tip 7: Corporate Programs for Improving Safety
It is tempting to organize companywide programs focused on cultural
change. Improving safety behavior and safety management definitely
belong to the agenda for such programs. The theory behind mirroring
shows how difficult collective change is. A group of 100 people has
almost 5000 mutually influencing mirror relationships, which all are
active in mirroring behavior of each other. If we influence 100 of these
relationships at the same time, the force of the 4900 other relationships
still will minimize the effect. Besides that, changing behavior goes
slow. Connections between brain cells don
t die easily. So we need
many years of constant investment in the same direction to achieve a
collective behavioral change. With an average turnover of three years
in management functions, it takes at least three management genera-
tions with the same ideas, values, and behavior to generate any effect.
This is probably the main reason why so many corporate cultural
change programs die an unknown death without concrete results.
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Is this a reason never to start such programs? No, but some realism
in the design of such projects is needed. Suppose you are the head of
the safety department, for example, Director of Safety, Health, and
Environment, and you want to enact such a project. What can you do?
First, the mirroring theory shows that the most attractive models
are at the top, and their attractiveness reaches no further down than
the group who can identify with them, approximately one or two
management layers. Step 1 would be to do a cultural change program
with the CEO and the first two management layers. If they are under
the impression that their personal safety behavior is okay and that the
problem is focused at the bottom of the organization, put aside for
the time being a companywide project, and start
local change
