• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SafetyRisk.net

Humanising Safety and Embracing Real Risk

  • Home
    • About
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact
  • FREE
    • Slogans
      • Researchers Reveal the Top 10 Most Effective Safety Slogans Of All Time
      • When Slogans Don’t Work
      • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
      • BIGGEST COLLECTION of WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
      • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
      • COVID-19 (Coronavirus, Omicron) Health and Safety Slogans and Quotes for the Workplace
      • Safety Acronyms
      • You know Where You Can Stick Your Safety Slogans
      • Sayings, Slogans, Aphorisms and the Discourse of Simple
      • Spanish Safety Slogans – Consignas de seguridad
      • Safety Slogans List
      • Road Safety Slogans 2023
      • How to write your own safety slogans
      • Why Are Safety Slogans Important
      • Safety Slogans Don’t Save Lives
      • 40 Free Safety Slogans For the Workplace
      • Safety Slogans for Work
    • FREE SAFETY eBOOKS
    • Free Hotel and Resort Risk Management Checklist
    • FREE DOWNLOADS
    • TOP 50
    • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS
    • Find a Safety Consultant
    • Free Safety Program Documents
    • Psychology Of Safety
    • Safety Ideas That Work
    • HEALTH and SAFETY MANUALS
    • FREE SAFE WORK METHOD STATEMENT RESOURCES
    • Whats New In Safety
    • FUN SAFETY STUFF
    • Health and Safety Training
    • SAFETY COURSES
    • Safety Training Needs Analysis and Matrix
    • Top 20 Safety Books
    • This Toaster Is Hot
    • Free Covid-19 Toolbox Talks
    • Download Page – Please Be Patient With Larger Files…….
    • SAFETY IMAGES, Photos, Unsafe Pictures and Funny Fails
    • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
    • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • Social Psychology Of Risk
    • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
    • Safety Psychology Terminology
    • Some Basics on Social Psychology & Risk
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk – Prof Karl E. Weick
    • The Psychology of Leadership in Risk
    • Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
    • The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk And Safety
    • Psychology and safety
    • The Psychology of Safety
    • Hot Toaster
    • TALKING RISK VIDEOS
    • WHAT IS SAFETY
    • THE HOT TOASTER
    • THE ZERO HARM DEBATE
    • SEMIOTICS
    • LEADERSHIP
  • Dr Long Posts
    • ALL POSTS
    • Learning Styles Matter
    • There is no Hierarchy of Controls
    • Scaffolding, Readiness and ZPD in Learning
    • What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?
    • Presentation Tips for Safety People
    • Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts
    • It’s Only a Symbol
    • Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
    • Zero is Unethical
    • First Report on Zero Survey
    • There is No Objectivity, Deal With it!
  • THEMES
    • Psychosocial Safety
    • Resiliencing
    • Risk Myths
    • Safety Myths
    • Safety Culture Silences
    • Safety Culture
    • Psychological Health and Safety
    • Zero Harm
    • Due Diligence
  • Free Learning
    • Introduction to SPoR – Free
    • FREE RISK and SAFETY EBOOKS
    • FREE ebook – Guidance for the beginning OHS professional
    • Free EBook – Effective Safety Management Systems
    • Free EBook – Lessons I Have Learnt
  • Psychosocial Safety
    • What is Psychosocial Safety
    • Psychological Safety
      • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
      • Managing psychosocial hazards at work
      • Psychological Safety – has it become the next Maslow’s hammer?
      • What is Psychosocial Safety
      • Psychological Safety Slogans and Quotes
      • What is Psychological Safety?
      • Understanding Psychological Terminology
      • Psycho-Social and Socio-Psychological, What’s the Difference?
      • Build a Psychologically Safe Workplace by Taking Risks and Analysing Failures
      • It’s not weird – it’s a psychological safety initiative!
You are here: Home / Behaviour Based Safety / Motivation and de-Motivation in Safety

Motivation and de-Motivation in Safety

June 24, 2023 by Dr Rob Long 3 Comments

Originally posted on August 7, 2020 @ 9:03 AM

One of the delusions of Behaviourism is that guilt and punitive consequence are motivational. The opposite is the case.

safety motivationThere is endless research to demonstrate that the assumptions of Behaviourism don’t work. It’s quite straightforward: humans are not machines and not the sum of inputs and outputs. Here is a start in readings if you are interested but hey, don’t let evidence get in the way of a loved theory:

· Bachman, R., and Zaheer, A., (2006) Handbook of Trust Research. Edward Elgar. New York.

· Deci, E., (1996) Why We Do What We Do, Understanding Self-Motivation. Penguin. New York.

· Higgins, E., (2012) Beyond Pleasure and Pain, How Motivation Works. Oxford. London.

· Moskowitz, G and Grant, H., (2009) The Psychology of Goals. Guilford Press. New York.

· Vohs, K., and Bauameister, R., (2011) Handbook of Self-Regulation, Research, Theory and Applications. Guilford Press. New York.

These are just a start on understanding the complexities of human motivation. So, as Safety keeps up the: demands of paperwork, punishments like Industrial Manslaughter (that doesn’t work – https://www.amsj.com.au/industrial-manslaughter-debate/ ) and increased fines – nothing will changing.

Behaviourism in safety (https://safetyrisk.net/the-curse-of-behaviourism/) also promotes the nonsense of ‘do the right thing’ and ‘common sense’, all wrapped up in an ethic of duty, compliance and ‘check you gut’ and this doesn’t work either. And don’t be fooled, even the latest junk out on the safety market masked as neuroscience is nothing more than Behaviourist ‘mutton dressed up as lamb’(https://safetyrisk.net/turning-neuroscience-into-behaviourism/). This is why the AIHS Chapter on Ethics is a dangerous document . There is nothing more irresponsible that saying to a cohort of people: ‘check your gut’, do the tight thing and comply, it’s your duty’. Such language is meaningless, naïve and doesn’t work.

I was on a mine site this week in NSW where they are concerned about Covid19, like we all are. I saw memos on walls that were pages long, signs about sanitize, wash, distance etc. but no messaging that tackled motivation, self-regulation and the collective unconscious. Strange as it may seem, most of what we put on walls in safety is just good wallpaper and de-motivating. Here are a few tips about motivation:

· https://safetyrisk.net/ten-secrets-to-risk-and-safety-motivation-and-ownership/

· https://safetyrisk.net/non-compliance-and-the-ten-fundamentals-of-motivation/

Let me repeat just a few extra tips, unless:

· Your messaging is packed in meaning, purpose and self-control, it won’t work (Higgins).

· Your goal setting is achievable, it won’t work (Moskowitz & Grant). Yes, that means zero is BS.

· Your culture focuses on establishing trust, relationships, helping and care, it won’t work.

· Your communication is based on listening NOT telling, it won’t work.

· Your messaging targets the collective unconscious, it won’t work.

· Your semiotics are consistent, it won’t work.

The only way a workplace or social group can beat Covid19 is through self-regulation and motivation. There are simply not enough police and army to maintain Behaviourism as a system. Policing is always a last resort, as a primary strategy, it doesn’t work. It is much more powerful to have strategies that have a different ethic, focus on motivation and the collective unconscious. Of course, this requires a change in ideology, not likely for Safety, the global lovers of Zero and Behaviorism (http://visionzero.global/node/6).

The strange thing about Covid19 is that more and more workplace responsibility for response is being delegated to Safety, and all it knows is the indoctrination of Behaviourism and zero. The WHS curriculum and BoK has no help for safety people in the essentials of motivation, helping or ethics. So, onward policing soldiers, you’ll get exhausted by this one.

Great to see the latest book out by Clive Lloyd (https://safetyrisk.net/next-generation-safety-leadership/) where he exposes the delusions of zero and Behaviourism, I wonder how long it’s going to take Safety to catch up?

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
  • More about Rob
Dr Rob Long

Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Dr Rob Long

Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)

  • When You Don’t Know, Just Make S4*t Up - September 30, 2023
  • Zero is Founded on Deceit and Lies - September 29, 2023
  • Have You Had a Drink of SafeTea? - September 27, 2023
  • The Blessings of Fallibility - September 27, 2023
  • Safety as Zero, The Perfect Event - September 25, 2023
Dr Rob Long
PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.

Please share our posts

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Behaviour Based Safety, Covid-19, Robert Long Tagged With: AIHS Chapter on Ethics, behaviourism, motivation

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. nico phys says

    August 10, 2020 at 7:41 PM

    Great article! Clearly showing that Zero bankrupts Safety!

    Reply
  2. Rob long says

    August 7, 2020 at 2:29 PM

    Thanks Andrew. Nothing is more destructive for safety than the erosion of trust. Whilst trust is possible, zero isn’t.

    Reply
  3. Andrew Rimington says

    August 7, 2020 at 1:34 PM

    I wholly agree with and really appreciate your distillation of this truly wicked problem into six unless’s.
    So a massive thanks for enabling me to coalesce my thoughts.
    I feel validated having had heatedly discussions at length about this subject to no avail then struggled to enforce various inherited QHSE systems which were little more than arse covering, blame shaming and then a number crunching exercise.
    More power to your elbow and thanks again
    When asked about zero, my reply is usually “i genuinely believe that nothing is impossible”. Thanks

    Reply

Do you have any thoughts? Please share them belowCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Search and Discover More on this Site

Never miss a post - Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,509 other subscribers.

FREE eBOOK DOWNLOADS

Recent Comments

  • Rob Long on The Blessings of Fallibility
  • Simon Cassin on The Blessings of Fallibility
  • Rob Long on Validating, Endorsing and Supporting Zero
  • Rob Long on The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • Rob Long on The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • Matthew Thorne on Validating, Endorsing and Supporting Zero
  • rosa a carrillo on The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • Matthew Thorne on The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • Rob Long on Hopkins-Dekker on Reason and Other Laughs
  • Matt Thorne on Myth Making and Why it Matters to Safety
  • Rob Long on What’s Funny About Safety?
  • Rob Long on Perfection is Safety Child’s Play
  • Rosa Carrillo on Hopkins-Dekker on Reason and Other Laughs
  • Brent Charlton on Perfection is Safety Child’s Play
  • Anonymous on What’s Funny About Safety?
  • Rob Long on Zero Hour part 6 Knowing Yourself
  • Rob Long on Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
  • Rob Long on Book Launch – “Zero, The Great Safety Delusion” – Free Download
  • Rob long on Don’t Be Dumb Like Me, the Typical Safety Keynote
  • Anonymous on Don’t Be Dumb Like Me, the Typical Safety Keynote

RECOMMENDED READING

viral post – iso 45003 and what it cannot do

Introduction to SPOR – FREE!!

Psychosocial Safety and Mental Health Series

Have You Had a Drink of SafeTea?

If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health

Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk

7 Golden Rules that are NOT Golden

Why Zero Vision Can Never Tackle Mental Health

If Psychosocial Health Matters, Stop Hot Desking

Effective Strategies in Mental Health at Work

CLLR Newsletter July 2023

Playing With Mental Health in Safety is Dangerous

STOP ‘BREAKING’ PEOPLE! The notion of Psychological Safety

More Posts from this Category

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

Footer

Top Posts & Pages. Sad that most are so dumb but this is what safety luves

  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • When You Don’t Know, Just Make S4*t Up
  • BIGGEST COLLECTION of WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
  • Free Safety Moments and Toolbox Talk Examples, Tips and Resources
  • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS, CHECKISTS, REGISTERS, TEMPLATES and APPS
  • Workplace Safety Poems
  • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
  • Free Risk Assessment Template in Excel Format
  • Road Safety Slogans 2023
  • 15 Safety Precautions When Working With Electricity

Recent Posts

  • When You Don’t Know, Just Make S4*t Up
  • The Critical Outcome is to Improve Safety
  • Zero is Founded on Deceit and Lies
  • Have You Had a Drink of SafeTea?
  • The Blessings of Fallibility
  • Safety as Zero, The Perfect Event
  • Validating, Endorsing and Supporting Zero
  • The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health
  • Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk
  • Embodied Enactivity in Safety
  • The Meaning of Myth in Risk
  • Myth Making and Why it Matters to Safety
  • Icebreakers and Games that Safety Trainers Play
  • The Power of Safety Myths
  • What Do You Mean By Performance?
  • Hopkins-Dekker on Reason and Other Laughs
  • Perfection is Safety Child’s Play
  • Podcast – Dr Rob Long With John Morlan and The Risk Matrix
  • What’s Funny About Safety?
  • Zero Hour part 6 Knowing Yourself
  • Free Videos, Podcasts and Books on Zero
  • Don’t Be Dumb Like Me, the Typical Safety Keynote
  • If You’re Happy in Safety, Clap Your Hands
  • Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
  • Zero Hour Part 5 – Surfacing the Unconscious
  • Zero Hour Part 4 – Zero and the Unconscious
  • Auditing the 7 Golden Rules of Zero, A Miserable Fail
  • 7 Golden Rules that are NOT Golden
  • The Non-Golden Rules for Leadership in Zero
  • Seven ‘Golden’ Rules for Zero and Yet No Ethic
  • Why Zero Vision Can Never Tackle Mental Health
  • Is this Your Safety?
  • SPoR Workshops Canberra 18-21 September
  • The Dominance of Zero as the ‘Common Denominator’ of Safety
  • Zero Hour Episode 3
  • Goal Setting and Zero
  • Zero as a Worldview
  • If Psychosocial Health Matters, Stop Hot Desking
  • Book Launch – “Zero, The Great Safety Delusion” – Free Download
  • Breach of Faith and Psycho-Social Risk
  • Zero Harm is Never Zero Harm
  • Why Would You Want to be a Safety “Geek’ or Hero?
  • The Mental Illness of Identifying as Safety
  • Zero Hour – Zero as a place holder
  • Zero Hour – Zero as a Philosophy
  • CARING ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
  • Care is NOT a Factor and Yes, Your Model Matters
  • Care Ethics and the Ethics of Care, in Risk
  • FEAR AND CONTROL – Dialogue in a technological society

VIRAL POST!!! HOW TO QUIT THE SAFETY INDUSTRY

FEATURED POSTS

Holistic Responses to Mental Health

The Difference Between Psycho-Social Health and Social-Psychology of Risk

The Challenge of the Consciousness Taboo

How does collective mindfulness apply to workers compensation?

When Art Speaks to Harm

You Don’t Want a Compliance Culture

Safety as a Knowledge Culture

Binary Opposites and Safety Goal Strategy

The Foundations of Safety

Real Risk, An New Icon for SafetyRisk and Competition

Myth and Symbols in Safety

Practical Case Studies in SPoR Presented at Vienna Workshops

And the Innovation is? More Controls…..

The Quantitative and Qualitative Divide in Safety

The Unconscious and the Soap Dispenser

Safety Gives Me the Right over Other Rights

Predictably Arational, Safety as a Superstition

Zero Discourse and Perfectionism

Safety as Faith Healing

Don’t Hold the Hand Rail

In Praise of Balance in Risk and the Threat of Extremism

The Common Sense Fallacy

The Safety Cacophony Cupboard

Training Workshops CLLR April to July 2020

Visualising the EHS Role

CLLR Christmas 2016 Newsletter and Competition

Day 2 SPoR in Europe

The Curse of Cognitivism

Safety Myopia

I’m Concerned That We Can’t See The Safety Forest For The Safety Trees

Biases and Perceptions in Safety

Why Safety Controls Don’t Always Work

Day 4 SPoR in Europe

And the Enemy of Safety is? … Humans!

The Social Psychology of Risk Event Exploration (Investigation) Knowledge

A Great Comparison of Risk and Safety Schools of Thought

The Mythic Symbology of Safety

Sanctimonious Safety

Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology of Risk Commences

The SEEK Investigations Donut

More Posts from this Category

VIRAL POST – The Risk Matrix Myth

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,509 other subscribers.

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY?

What is Psychological Safety at Work?


WHAT IS PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY