How Vigilant Leadership Advantage empowered a safety manager to build trust with his peers

Michael Davis, Swanson Bark & Wood Products, was appointed to the position of Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator. New to this role and team, he needed to quickly advance his skills as a leader while building trust among his peers. Michael is responsible for managing the entire safety program, working directly with management, supervisors and staff to continually improve the safety culture. When his manager proposed he partake in a 5-month leadership development program, Vigilant Leadership Advantage for Safety, Michael jumped at the opportunity.

Group Learning Elevates the Learning Experience
Over the course of the 5 month program, Michael engaged in on the job tasks and learned from the experiences of the other 10 people in his learning group. In fact, group learning was the feature of the program that he valued the most. “I enjoyed speaking with people from other companies about their experiences and sharing ideas – not only did I learn from the tasks and my experience, I learned from the other participants as well,” says Michael.

Trust is Critical for Leaders
Michael works with many individuals at various levels of the corporation so he was highly motivated to strengthen his leadership skills and enhance team dynamics. Because the VLA program required Michael to complete tasks on the job involving his direct team as well as peers, he was able to build trust with both groups, which he notes is, “key to his success as a leader.” He was able to build a rapport with the teams, strengthen communication and build the foundation for a culture that values safety and production as one in the same. With an effective safety culture, Michael and his team can expect to see reduced accidents and injuries as well as improved employee morale.
Michael learned the importance of involving his team in the decision making process so they are fully invested in any changes that are put into action.

Michael Davis & VLA Safety
As a result of participating in the VLA Safety program Michael feels more confident in his ability to lead others. The program taught him not only the importance of growing his peers and team for success but also how to do so effectively. Michael tells us “the program was extremely helpful with my job. It gave me the tools to help promote safety in the workplace and bring information to others.” He went on to say, “This program is not your normal sit in a class kind of learning; it’s a unique learning experience that I think anyone in a leadership role should have.” 

If you want to know more about how your organization can benefit from VLA, Safety or how you can achieve results like Michael, contact us.