I was recently reading an article in the Harvard Business Review that highlighted a simple but powerful shift: instead of asking for feedback, ask for advice. At first glance, this might seem like a minor word change, but the implications are significant — especially when it comes to safety leadership.

Blunden et al. (2025) found that when people are asked for advice, they give 34% more areas for improvement and 56% more specific ways to improve than when asked for feedback. Feedback, by contrast, often feels like a performance evaluation — backward-looking, judgmental, and vague. Advice is future-oriented, practical, and framed as guidance for improvement.



Why This Matters in Safety

In safety culture, the language we use shapes the outcomes we achieve. When a leader asks, “How did I do in that safety briefing?”, the response is often polite but unhelpful: “Not bad” or “Pretty good.” These responses ease discomfort but rarely lead to meaningful improvement.

When the question shifts to “What could I do differently in my next briefing to make the message clearer?”, the response tends to be more specific and actionable: “You could give a real example from our last outage,” or “Maybe keep it under five minutes so people stay focused.”

Peer-reviewed studies confirm that forward-looking approaches to feedback improve safety outcomes. Zhang and Li (2021) showed that employees who framed feedback seeking in terms of future consequences improved their safety performance compared with those who focused only on past actions. Likewise, Curcuruto et al. (2023) found that upward safety communication — when employees speak up about risks and leaders invite forward-focused dialogue — is strongly influenced by supervisory style. Leaders who encourage advice-oriented communication empower workers to contribute to safer practices.

The Emotional Intelligence Connection in Safety Leadership

Emotional intelligence (EI) is more than a buzzword — it is increasingly recognized as a core competency for leaders in safety-critical industries. At its foundation, EI is the ability to recognize and regulate one’s own emotions and to understand and respond to the emotions of others in ways that foster trust, collaboration, and positive outcomes (Salovey & Mayer, 1990).

In the context of safety, EI helps leaders do three things particularly well:

1. Create psychological safety: Leaders with strong EI are better at creating environments where workers feel safe speaking up about risks or mistakes without fear of retaliation. This openness is vital for reporting near misses and identifying hazards before they cause harm.
2. Model humility and empathy: By asking for advice rather than feedback, leaders demonstrate humility — acknowledging they don’t have all the answers — and empathy — valuing the perspectives of those doing the work. Both qualities are linked to higher safety engagement (Zhang & Li, 2021).
3. Strengthening communication effectiveness: Emotionally intelligent leaders adapt their communication style to their audience. They can frame safety conversations in ways that invite collaboration instead of resistance, leading to more actionable dialogue (Curcuruto et al., 2023).

Recent studies highlight the direct connection between EI and safety performance. For instance, Jamshed et al. (2022) found that leaders who demonstrate EI skills such as active listening and empathetic engagement foster stronger safety climates and lower accident rates in industrial workplaces. Similarly, Zara et al. (2023) concluded that communication quality — one of EI’s most visible expressions — is strongly tied to safety commitment in high-risk workplaces.



Ultimately, when a leader says, “What could I do differently?” instead of “How did I do?”, they are applying EI in practice. They recognize that the emotional impact of their words influences whether others feel judged or invited into a learning process. This shift from evaluation to collaboration is at the heart of emotionally intelligent leadership — and it is one of the most effective ways to build a resilient safety culture.

Field Application

CONTINUED ON WEBSITE...

You’re deep into a project, fully in the zone, when—ding!—an email notification lights up your phone. Without thinking, you check it. By the time you return to your task, your train of thought has derailed. Sound familiar?

In today’s workplace, distractions are everywhere. While a single interruption may not seem like much, research shows they carry significant psychological costs. Over time, they can erode productivity, heighten stress, and even contribute to burnout.

The Science of Distraction

Every time we’re interrupted, our brains need time to “context switch” back to the task at hand. Studies show it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully regain focus after an interruption. Multiply that by dozens of notifications, messages, or check-ins per day, and the hours lost quickly add up.

The toll of constant distractions is more than lost time. It’s also:

• Increase stress, as unfinished work piles up.
• Reduce creativity, since our best ideas require deep, uninterrupted thinking.
• Heighten anxiety by keeping us in a reactive, “always on” mode.
• Contribute to fatigue and eventual burnout when the cycle repeats daily.

The Link to Burnout

Contrary to the myth of multitasking, our brains are not wired to do multiple things at once. Instead, we’re rapidly shifting between tasks, draining mental energy and leaving ourselves more exhausted than if we had focused on one thing at a time.

Burnout often stems from these fragmented workdays that make it impossible to find momentum or a sense of accomplishment. When our attention feels pulled in a thousand directions, frustration builds. Add the pressure of constant availability, and it’s easy to see why so many professionals feel overwhelmed.

Strategies to Minimize Disruptions & Protect Focus

CONTINUED ON WEBSITE...

As the leaves change and temperatures shift, fall brings a mix of weather that can be unpredictable—from crisp mornings to warm afternoons, and sudden downpours that catch teams off guard. For workplaces, especially in construction, other outdoor industries, this seasonal transition requires careful planning to maintain safety, productivity, and morale.

The Challenges of Fall Weather

Fall weather presents a unique set of hazards. These include:

• Temperature fluctuations: Cooler mornings and warmer afternoons can cause cold stress early in the day and overheating later.
• Rain and slick surfaces: Increased precipitation leads to slippery walkways, tools, and equipment, raising the risk of slips, trips, and falls.
• Reduced daylight: Shorter days affect visibility and can limit safe working hours.

It can be hard to truly consider these hazards when strict deadlines still loom overhead. Fortunately, you can prepare for the season with operational preparedness. Workplaces can protect productivity by:

• Scheduling flexibility: Adjust work hours to maximize daylight and accommodate sudden weather changes.
• Equipment readiness: Ensure machinery and vehicles are safe and functional in wet or cold conditions.
• Emergency protocols: Have clear plans for sudden storms, high winds, or temperature extremes.

This creates a culture rooted in preparation. Creating a workplace culture that prioritizes preparedness is key to long-term safety and productivity. Employees should be trained to recognize and respond to fall weather hazards, such as cold stress or slippery surfaces, while feeling empowered to speak up if conditions become unsafe.

Open communication ensures that everyone knows it’s acceptable to pause or adjust work when necessary. Leadership plays a critical role as well—when managers consistently model safe practices and prioritize employee well-being over speed, it sets a standard that reinforces a culture of care and attentiveness across the team.

Safety and Comfort Considerations

CONTINUED ON WEBSITE...