Leadership’s Role in Workplace Violence Prevention

Presented by:

Brent O’BryanVice President, Training & Organizational Effectiveness

Harold UnderdownVice President, Training & Development

• The importance of defining employee roles as they relate to workplace violence prevention

• Building and communicating a violence-free culture to your employees

• Engaging employees to develop a sense of teamwork and unity, decreasing the likelihood of workplace violence incidents

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Potential: Workplace Violence Preventionand Your Organizational Success

Workplace Stress

Work environment stressors that individuals may feel are not worthy of their employer’s attention, but still cause stress or need to be addressed.

• Loud or noisy co-workers• Music• Building noises• Hard-to-handle customers• Uncomfortable physical environment

(ex. desk, chair, lighting)

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External Stressors

Caused by personal perception. Feelings of dissatisfaction, irritability and pressure to perform are often developed from:

• Misaligned responsibilities• Lack of prioritization• Time-management issues• Inappropriate workload• Unrealistic expectations

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Internal Stressors

• Employee-assistance programs • Develop clear job descriptions to help employees understand their

responsibilities within an organization• Training on the warning signs of workplace stress including:

• Individual seems anxious, irritable or depressed• Complaints of headaches,

upset stomach or fatigue• Drug or alcohol use• Low morale or productivity• Loss of interest in work and

social gatheringswww.potentialthebook.com

Reducing Workplace Stress

•Never worry alone•Keep a stress inventory •Talk with your manager•Prioritize•Take a break

Ways to Manage Stress

Poll Question

9

30,000+Sites Served

What is your personal go-to stress relief at work?Drink caffeinePractice meditation or mindfulness Eat a snackTake a walkVigorous exercise (at a gym)

Leadership

CEO

VP

Manager

Report 2Report 1

Operations

Report 1

HR

Who Are Your Leaders?

Who Are Your Leaders?

No!

Who Are Your Leaders?

Who Are Your Leaders?

Meeting Basic Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Employees Need to Feel Safe & Secure

Incidents Occurred

Casualties excluding the shooters

Deaths

Incidents ended with the exchange of gunfire between the shooters and law enforcement

Active Shooter Incidents in 2018

No One is Immune

Percent of workplace violence costs are attributed to lost productivity

Billion dollars annually is attributed to losses due to stress

Thousand dollars is the estimated cost to hiring and training a new person

Million dollars is the loss associated with a workplace bully

Workplace Violence by the Numbers

Strategic Approach

Where Are the Issues?

How do your employees feel about workplace violence?

Are they afraid?

Do they feel at risk?

Have you gauged their morale?

Poll Question

23

TRUE or FALSE: Employees at my organization (outside of security & safety) are well aware of the risks of workplace violence and are eager to get involved in awareness and prevention training?

Changing Climates in Your Organization

The Importance of Good Leadership

Supportive Leadership

Change starts here

To see results here

Corporate Culture

Corporate Culture

Poll Question

29

30,000+Sites Served

Employees at my organization have participated in workplace violence awareness and prevention training:

In the last monthIn the last 6 monthsIn the last yearOver one year agoNever

Employers who have implemented workplace violence training programs

Only did so for supervisors

Companies who updated workplace violence policies

Senior managers who were concerned with workplace violence

Senior management who stated they were “very concerned”

Survey Results

**Results are from the 2011 Violence in American Workplace Survey

Survey Results

Survey Results

Leadership

The Importance of Defining Roles

Lead by Example

89%

81%

61%

86%

92%

74%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Keeping workplace safe responsibility of allemployees

Violence not tolerated at work

Employer makes safety a top priority

Strongly Agree with Each StatementExperienced/Aware of WPV compared to Not Experienced/Not Aware of

WPV

Not Experienced/Not Aware Experienced/Aware

Survey Results

Trust

Commitment

Involvement

Communication

Responsibility

Organizational Support

Poll Question

39

30,000+Sites Served

Do all employees have a role in workplace violence prevention?

YesNo

Leadership

Zero Tolerance Approach

Aggressive Behavior is UNACCEPTABLE

Help!

Identify the Warning Signs

Management Support

Management Support

Act boldly & quickly

Keep steady hand on the wheel

Passion for employees

Management Support

Management Support

Questions

Let’s Recap

A culture

A mindset

Leadership Is…

• Survey• Training• Drills• Meetings• Committees• Campaigns • Reporting

Create Your Leadership Culture