PDC 811: Culture, Safety, and the Risk of Silence – NEW!

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center 

CM Credit Hours: 7 

*Please note: PDCs are at an additional cost, and preregistration is required*
To register, please visit: https://aihaconnect.org/register

This full-day professional development course addresses the often-overlooked cultural forces that quietly undermine occupational health and safety outcomes, including disengagement, psychological fatigue and the dangerous norm of silence. While technical expertise and compliance protocols are essential, they cannot overcome the damage caused by unspoken resentment, unclear expectations or lack of trust.

This course exposes the hidden costs of cultural blind spots and equips leaders to address them directly. Participants will explore the Six Gears of Grategy® — a model rooted in behavioral science and leadership research — that identifies key drivers of engagement, safety adherence and retention: mindset, recognition, access, mission alignment, accountability and strategic gratitude.

Drawing on more than 500 healthcare continuing education programs, over 1,000 keynotes across safety-critical industries and field research from manufacturing and industrial clients, Lisa Ryan will share case studies where cultural breakdowns directly impacted employee well-being, turnover and incident rates.

Tools provided include a 30-day Retention Reset Planner, the Say-Show-Stop™ Culture Map and a Recognition Blueprint to help teams reinforce desired behaviors — without gimmicks or "nice job" stickers. Group exercises, peer coaching and guided reflection help attendees build practical strategies they can apply immediately.

By the end of the course, participants will have developed a repeatable and scalable process to strengthen workplace culture, prevent disengagement and lead more human-centered, high-trust teams — without compromising safety, metrics or performance.

*Registration includes boxed luncheon. **Power strips will not be provided at each attendee's seat; however, laptop charging stations will be provided in each course room.

• Opening Discussion: "What We Don't Talk About"
o Facilitated dialogue on psychological safety, quiet quitting, and unspoken expectations.
o Identification of common signs of disengagement within teams.
• Cultural Risk Factors: The Hidden Cost of Silence
o Real-world incidents and case studies from OEHS settings.
o Exploration of why technical fixes fail without human trust.
• The Six Gears of Grategy® Framework
o Introduction to a behavior-based leadership model.
o Focus on six gears: Mindset, Gratitude, Access, Purpose, Recognition, Accountability.
o Each gear is tied to observable actions and measurable outcomes.
• Case Study Review
o Analysis of a cultural breakdown in an industrial setting.
o Highlights missed cues, leadership blind spots, and consequences of avoidance.
• Culture Reflection Activity
o Self-assessment exercise.
o Identification of the most underdeveloped "gear" in participants' current team culture.
• The Retention Reset: Building a 30-Day Culture Shift
o Application of the Say-Show-Stop™ model.
o Strategies to reset expectations and address cultural erosion.
• Strategic Recognition That Drives Behavior
o Reframing appreciation as a leadership tool.
o Creation of a Recognition Blueprint to reinforce safety-aligned behaviors and core values.
• Accountability Without Burnout
o Techniques for delivering direct, constructive feedback.
o Balancing high standards with emotional intelligence.
• Peer Coaching + Action Mapping
o Goal sharing and peer feedback.
o Completion of a 30-Day Commitment Plan for implementation.
 

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

• Identify the unspoken cultural norms and behavioral patterns that contribute to disengagement, burnout, and workplace safety risks.
• Analyze how trust, communication, and recognition directly impact retention and incident prevention in OEHS settings.
• Apply the Six Gears of Grategy® framework to strengthen team culture, reinforce safety behaviors, and improve employee commitment.
• Assess which areas of their current leadership and organizational culture are undermining performance and morale.
• Develop a customized 30-day Retention Reset Plan using the Say-Show-Stop™ model to reinforce expectations and alignment.
• Design a strategic recognition blueprint that promotes consistency, visibility, and value-based reinforcement.
• Demonstrate accountability-driven leadership behaviors that balance high expectations with psychological safety.
• Construct an implementation roadmap for immediate post-conference action, including measurable culture goals and peer accountability.
 

This course is designed for OEHS professionals with supervisory, cultural, or safety leadership responsibilities. While no prior experience is required, familiarity with team dynamics, employee engagement, or program oversight will enhance the application of the strategies presented.

 

Participants will receive a downloadable Grategy Toolkit with practical scripts, leadership conversation starters, and the Six Gears framework; all designed to be applied immediately in the field to boost retention, morale, and culture. 

This session equips attendees to make the business case that improved workforce engagement and psychological safety reduce human error, near misses, and turnover; all of which directly impact exposure risk, productivity, and regulatory compliance. 

None

Smartphone

Intermediate

Psychosocial hazards

Risk Communication

Education and training

Ergonomics

OHS Management systems, auditing, and compliance

Risk assessment and management

Safety

In-person

Professional

Case Studies

Group activities

Live Polling

Practical Application

Problem Solving /Practice Exercises

Small Group Discussion