In this episode host Jay Culbert interviews Matthew Twerdy, Director of Environment, Health, and Safety at Collins Aerospace. With over 25 years of experience, Matt highlights the importance of humility and listening in leadership, discussing the 'HOP' (Human and Organizational Performance) philosophy. They cover HOP principles like human fallibility, the futility of blame, the importance of context, continuous learning, and the impact of leadership response.
Matt shares insights on fostering collaboration in EHS and facilities, integrating pre-work with contractors, and driving cultural and psychological safety. He reflects on his career journey from environmental sciences to his current role and emphasizes the value of lateral moves for growth.
Takeaways:
- Prioritize Humility and Listening: Effective leaders should be truly humble and attentive to their workforce. Avoid jumping to conclusions and keep an open mind to understand the context before making decisions. This encourages a culture of open communication and trust.
- Leadership Response Matters: Leadership reactions significantly impact the organization's culture. Focus on responding rather than reacting. Leaders should listen, remain curious, and avoid operating with biases to foster a positive and resilient work environment.
- Blame Fixes Nothing: In performance management and problem-solving, avoid the blame game. Blaming does not address the root causes and hinders learning and improvement. Focus on understanding the context and collaborating on solutions.
- Enhance Collaboration: Cross-functional collaboration drives success. Whether in facilities management, EHS compliance, or other areas, cultivating close working relationships and dialogue between different teams enhances organizational efficiency and safety.
- Embrace Continuous Learning: Make continuous improvement a core principle. Encouraging a culture of learning and context discovery helps organizations adapt, grow, and innovate continuously. Adopt approaches like HOP (Human and Organizational Performance) for better insights and improvements.
- Create Psychological Safety: Build an environment where employees feel safe to voice concerns and report issues without fear of retribution. This kind of environment promotes honesty, quick problem resolution, and innovation.
- Promote Employee Empowerment: Empower employees to actively participate in identifying hazards and suggesting improvements. Tools like the 'Report It, Don't Ignore It' program enable employees to take ownership of safety and quality, driving a proactive culture.
Quote of the Show
Don't hesitate to take a lateral move to gain experience for your career and grow as a leader.
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