The Vuvuzelas have gone quiet, the fans have dispersed, the stadia are deserted, the tourists are heading home and many of us are suffering from the post world cup syndrome. Africa’s moment has come and gone, but the legacy of World Cup 2010 will live on for many years. Not only on the ten battle grounds, roads, airports, Gautrain and other infra structure, but in the hearts of our people. We did it! We overcame all fears and problems. We silenced our fiercest critics. We even handled the Vuvuzela outcry and created a world wide demand for Vuvus. We shaped new perceptions about South Africa (no wild animals roaming our streets) and put new words in the world’s vocabulary, like Ubuntu and Vuvuzela. The colour and spirit of this achievement will be hard to match by future events.

How did we do it? How did we put South Africa on the map? It all started over six years ago with a vision - Host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We used battle cries like Ke Nako and Ayoba, created the Waka Waka song, Diski dance and Zakumi, the mascot. With strong leadership commitment, we translated the vision into ACTION !  

Nothing is as formidable as people working together enthusiastically towards a shared goal. Whether as an army, a nation, or a corporation - people become unstoppable when they are moved by a common vision, and have the power and tools to achieve it.

In fact, this is not unique. J F Kennedy did this for USA by his words: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade . . .” Martin Luther King did it by shouting: “I have a dream . . .”

What does the above have to do with safety? 

Do you have a shared safety vision for your company? The key word here is shared. Do all your employees have a stake in this one, common safety goal? Is your goal actually shared and accepted by all, or is it merely a nice phrase on a poster? Is safety at the top of your president’s agenda? What concrete proof can you put on the table to support your claim? Are safety improvement plans and projects driven by those who should own them, the line people, or is your safety department pushing and policing these plans and projects? Are your employees doing safety because they GOTO, or because they WANTTO? 

When your PEOPLE are fired up about safety (slogan, mascot, rally, Vuvuzela, etc.), the basics (systems and procedures) will fall into place. It starts with the shared goal! 

Please share your views and experiences on this topic of a Shared Safety Vision with me by emailing pa2JHT@iburst.co.za  or jurgen@anda.co.za

SIMPLY SMART SAFETY! 

Jürgen Tietz

SAFETY EXPERT and PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER  on Safety to Life Skills

MY SAFETY GOSPEL

These three: ‘Systems, equipment and people – but the greatest of these is people.’

Cell  +27 (0)82 5658 604

Tel  +27 (0) 11 452 0727

jurgen@anda.co.za      www.psasouthernafrica.co.za      www.speakers101.co.za