In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Jeff Kaminski, an EH&S expert with 25 years of experience. Jeff shares insights from his career, including roles at Biogen and Sanofi, and his current position as Associate Director and Head of EH&S at EyePoint Pharmaceuticals.
He discusses key lessons learned, such as the value of diverse perspectives, effective communication, and collaboration in facility management. Jeff highlights the critical role of EH&S in problem-solving and maintaining safety compliance and offers best practices for regulatory visits and cross-functional team engagement. He also addresses the importance of organizational culture, servant leadership, and adaptive safety programs.
Takeaways:
- Understand Everyone's Unique Skill Set: Leaders should recognize that each team member brings a unique skill set to the table. Facilitating a culture where knowledge sharing is encouraged will help bridge any gaps in understanding and enhance overall team performance.
- Invest Time on the Frontlines: Spend time on the ground to understand the challenges that your team members face daily. This will provide you invaluable insights into potential improvements and help to build rapport and trust.
- Run Realistic Stress Tests: Prepare for regulatory visits or emergencies by conducting dry runs. Simulate these scenarios with third-party experts to stress test your preparedness. Review the results to make necessary adjustments.
- Cultivate Cross-Functional Relationships: Encourage participation in cross-functional groups and professional organizations outside your immediate field. This broadens perspectives, expands networks, and fosters innovative solutions to common challenges.
- Emphasize Empathy in Leadership: Adopt servant leadership principles, where leaders actively engage with their team to understand their pain points and concerns. Implement changes based on their input to show that their voices are heard and valued.
- Prepare for Failures and Emergency Response: Accept that failures can happen despite best efforts. Plan for these scenarios by creating a culture that welcomes discussing failures openly, encouraging learning and improvement from every incident.
- Integrate EHS into Organizational Culture: Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) should not be a bolt-on approach but integrated into the overall organizational culture. Clearly define and communicate your company’s culture to ensure that safety is an inherent part of your operations.
Quote of the Show
As I've progressed in my career, it's become less about the destination and more about the journey along the way.
Links
- LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrkaminski/
- Website: https://eyepointpharma.com/
Video
