I wrote about vision in Envisioning Risk, Seeing, Vision and Meaning in Risk . Without Vision there is no learning, no ‘thought leading’ or humanising in risk.
Using the word ‘vision’, doesn’t make one visionary, using the word ‘learning’ doesn’t mean learning, using the word ‘difference’ doesn’t mean differance, such is the safety code (https://safetyrisk.net/deciphering-safety-code/). And most certainly zero vision is zero Vision.
- When your ideology is zero, all you can see is numbers not persons.
- When your mantra is zero, numerics guide knowing.
- When your language is zero, you can only think of nothing.
As part of the book I discussed a number of visionaries and one was Banksy (pp.162ff).
When you feel Vision you understand that meaning and purpose doesn’t come through metrics.
When you feel moved by Vision it can never be measured. All that counts can’t be counted.
Only Safety believes the delusion that ‘what gets measured gets managed’.
Vision is about meaning and purpose in being and living, not what is done with data.
Recently the work of Banksy has surfaced in Ukraine. What a remarkable visionary he is. We still don’t know who he is.
Banksy says more in one image than a dozen encyclopedias. He brings what matters into focus through his semiotics. He shows in his performance (Elam) the power of being, ethical knowing and the meaning of personhood.
Among images on the walls of bombed out ruins, Banksy pictures the image of a small boy throwing over Putin in a judo throw. We may remember Putin demonstrating his power with a show of judo prowess. Interesting that this ‘show’ and image was about faux invincibility. Just because someone puts on a judo performance doesn’t mean they are a judo expert. Indeed, it doesn’t mean they know what judo is. Such is the lack of discernment and critical thinking in a society that falls for dis-information and mis-information (https://safetyrisk.net/what-does-misinformation-do-in-safety/ ). Just because I wear PPE and call out ‘zero, doesn’t mean I know how to tackle risk.
What is at the heart of Banksy’s work is an ethic that understands power and personhood. Two critical aspects of Ethics the safety industry choses to be silent about (AIHS BoK on Ethic is classic example).
The best method to understand the safety industry is to discern its silences (https://safetyrisk.net/category/safety-culture-silences/).
Don’t listen to all the noise in safety about culture, listen for all it doesn’t talk about. And of course, there are even those who argue to best way to deal with culture in safety is to stop talking about it. Silence empowers ignorance.
Making noise is not knowledge, regurgitating data is not learning. Culture is not about behaviours, systems, leadership or structure. Culture transcends all these things.
If you want to learn about the power of influence, the influence of power and what culture is all about, you can study here: https://cllr.com.au/product/culture-leadership-program-unit-15/
Dr Rob Long
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