Safety done differently.

Bravo!

The path we've chosen takes guts. Real guts.

The easiest way is to take the well-trodden path — the seemingly safest option. This is where we take the first idea that comes to mind, run it by a committee, and water it down enough so it won't risk upsetting anyone. Then we find some stock imagery of serious looking people in PPE, slap a 'Safety is our top priority' banner over the top, and plaster them around the place for a couple months. Nailed it.

But, we both know that communicating safety this way doesn't bring about real change. In fact, it often just adds to the noise and erodes trust between our organisation and the people we're trying to keep safe.

So, what's the other way?

Well, to wheel out a well-worn cliche — we take the road less travelled. This way takes a little more planning and preparation. It might take us down a few side tracks and unfamiliar paths. It might mean some back-tracking.

But what we know about this way, is that it's the route to greater connection and engagement. It actually stands a chance of cutting through the noise and bullshit to get people to take notice. This is how we change behaviours.

Will we ruffle a few feathers?

We sure hope so. Because the alternative is disinterest and a lack of attention.

Will we have to fight for some ideas?

Yep. But the best ideas are the ones worth fighting for.

Will this be a journey (like, in the stereotypical reality TV sense?)

Probably. But at least we'll have something to talk about at the next safety conference.

Our 'journey' will take us through 3 stages:

The first is uncovering what Safety Greatness means at Probuild. What are we striving for? What's the narrative that's going to get us there?

The second is unlocking the potential in our leaders to drive this program forward. We'll do this by becoming great communicators. Sharing more stories, asking more questions, and having more purposeful interactions.

The third and final stage is lifting the visibility of safety on our sites. If we had a dollar for every time someone told us how busy they were... well, we'd have a lot of them. But this isn't going to change. We're always going to be up against it — doing more with less. Tighter budgets, tighter timeframes, more pressure, more complexity, more, more, more... so we might as well just accept the challenge and get on with it.

Driving emotions

Care

Compassionate and empathetic — people are our priority. Dedicated to help, protect, nurture, and defend those in need. Care isn't soft or easy though — sometimes far from it. We give tough love, delivered with the best intentions.

Courage

We're not afraid to step up and take responsibility, stand up for what we believe in, and get it done. Even if it means asking difficult questions or having tough conversations — we tackle all challenges head on. We inspire and support others to stand brave in the face of their fears. It takes courage to care.

Pride

We're proud of our work and the people we do it with — we push to do the best job possible. There’s fulfilment in our purpose, accomplishments, and contribution towards a worthy cause. Our motivation for rallying together comes from being part of something much bigger than ourselves.

attributes

We are...

Bold

We're never afraid to stand up for who we are, and what we believe in.

Best in class

We're the high achiever, always on the hunt for better and best. We strive for greatness... and we achieve it.

Dynamic

Quick shifts and fast-paced thoughts to action. Ahead of the curve and always evolving, our agile energy is infectious.

Sophisticated

Sophisticated doesn't mean stuck-up. Behind our sometimes-filthy tongue lies a sharp mind. We have depth, and deal with daily complexity that others couldn't hope to comprehend.

Open-minded

Always searching, learning, asking, and experimenting — an open and insatiable mind sees a world filled with possibility. Yet never unnecessary chances taken when someone's safety's at stake.

Practical

Big ideas grounded in reality, we know change only happens if it can be implemented.

Sincere

Trust is tough to earn and impossible to buy, but people trust us to tell it straight. Authentic and genuine, we never hide behind facades.

Intuitive

We always go with our gut. While there’s a place for research, data, systems, and processes, we apply them through the filter of our experience and instinct.

Progressive

Never content to stay stagnant, we push forwards always towards the future. We're the leaders in our field, setting the standards for others to follow.

We are not...

Glamorous

Priscilla Queen of the Desert can keep her glitz and glam, this isn't the place for preening or prima donnas. We get it done (and done well) without unnecessary show or sparkle.

Laid back

We might be easy going off-site, but on the job we go hard. The smallest lapse in concentration can have big consequences — we take our work seriously.

Ordinary

Extraordinary — never ordinary. Striving for greatness means we'll never be average. We know that doing something daily doesn’t make it insignificant, and commonplace doesn't mean common.

Small

Big aspirations and big impact — there's nothing small about us. We are titans. If not in size then certainly in presence, purpose, impact, and aspirations — towering tall above the rest.

Mysterious

Ambiguity is not for us. We champion transparency, clarity, and open communication. We make progress visible. With us, people always know where they stand.

Brash

Thoughtful, insightful, and measured — we never huff or bluff. No reckless last-minute decisions, people trust us to make considered choices.

We are both...

Formal / casual

We slide fluid between a friendly atmosphere and getting the job done. We never let working with mates stop us from having a tough conversation, or using it as an excuse to take the piss. When we're on, we're on.

Respectful / cheeky

At our core is a deep respect for all people. Our quick wit and love of a laugh never crosses the line into personal.

Focused / multi-faceted

Our work traverses a broad range of skills, knowledge, processes, and technical elements. Yet we know how to cut straight to the core of complexity to find what matters.

Serious / fun

Safety is serious business, but never at the expense of fun. This is a balancing act we master — using humour to engage, but never making light of a serious topic.

Complex / simple

We make the complicated seem simple and effortless. Never removing the function that makes it useful — we just make it easy to understand.

Emotional / analytical

Grounded by logic and reason, we understand that people are driven by emotion. We stay flexible and consider things through both lenses.

Archetype

The Caring Magician

We challenge what others define as impossible. Not only inspiring possibility, however — we take the intangible and turn it real. In our hands — the undoable happens. We are catalysts for change. We are raisers of bars. Shifting perspectives, opinions, and feelings. The knowledge, skills, and talent to transform the world for the better.

With such a relentless drive for greatness, you might think we'd act the rockstars. But while our aspirations soar, our attitude towards others remains down to earth. We inspire others to share our journey. Telling stories and sharing the tools of the trade — we keep it raw and real.

We're dedicated to help, protect, nurture, and defend all in our care. But that doesn’t mean we go easy on them. Oh no! Sometimes a stern word or hard lesson administered — tough love and tough conversations — but always with the best intentions.

Personas

Jeremy

Say g'day to Jeremy.

He’s 25, works as a subbie for a plastering company, and lives for weekends spent 4WDing and fishing. He puts up with the brutal 4am wake-ups, but he makes up for it with epic sleep-ins on Sunday.

When he’s not working out, camping, or fishing, you’ll find him having a pint with the boys at the nearest pub, or having a punt at the races.

Even though he's loose on the weekend, at work he’s a quick learner and tries his best. He’s a headstrong young buck, but he takes feedback well and follows instructions.

More than anything though, Jeremy values the opinion of his peers. He'll act the joker to win their approval, and keep quiet if he feels he'll be judged.

He knows that to the other guys, he’s just the new guy, fresh out of apprenticeship. They remind him daily of how much he still has to learn, and gift him the jobs that are often less than ideal.

Michael

This is Michael.

He’s 34, married, and has one little girl (with another one on the way). He works hard during the week, and uses the drive home to wind down after a stressful day.

While he enjoys his job as site manager at Probuild, he lives for the moment he walks through the door to the excited yelp of: 'Daddy!'

He enjoys meeting and working with a tonne of different people every day. From contractors to team leaders, architects, and interior design — it’s a diverse environment, and that’s just the way he likes it. No two days are ever the same.

Constantly rushed; always stressed; phone always ringing — everyone wants a piece of him. Michael thrives on being the most sought-after guy on site, and takes plenty of pride in the job. He's good at negotiating, and navigating the complex ecosystem of the various contractors on site. When not on site, he's most likely found at the coffee shop with a union rep.

His background is in building and construction, but he joined the Probuild team early and worked his way up the rungs.

Michael considers himself lucky to have worked on some massive developments: new casinos, new high-rises, new shopping centres. He knows that the work he and his team do will impact many lives, long into the future.

Every day for the last 10 years, he’s felt supported by his team and encouraged by his leaders to do his best. A good track record gives helps him sleep at night, which he's enjoying every hour of before his second daughter arrives.

Tony

Meet Tony.

He’s 55 and he owns a wallpaper contracting company started by his father.

Remember back in the day when wallpaper was all the rage? It might have gone a little out of fashion for the past 20 years, but he reckons it’s coming back, baby. With a vengeance!

Tony can see retirement on the horizon, so he’s training up his successor — his son Ant. However, he’s struggling to get Ant as enthusiastic as he is about wallpaper.

Tony’s business usually gets the call when there’s a big project going ahead. Mostly hotels and casinos, they like fancy wallpaper and aren't afraid of a bit of brocade. Occasionally he’ll also take on smaller jobs to keep the cash coming in.

At the moment he has 10 employees. These include Ant, some casuals, an admin girl, and his wife who does the books.

Like most small business owners, Tony doesn’t really take days off. He often finds himself working weekends or late at night, closing off accounts or pondering better application techniques.

Heck, the only time the man stops thinking about work is when the Sharks are on TV.

MARCO

This is Marco.

He's 61, although most days he'd tell you he feels closer to 70. Marco is a tendering director at one of Australia's largest scaffolding companies, a place he's been for the past 28 years.

During the week he's out on site most days as project manager and supervisor — a role that comes with a heavy responsibility. Plenty can go wrong, and he manages a large team with various levels of experience and training. It's no wonder his nerves can get a little frayed, and doing the wrong thing often leads to the whip of his sharp tongue.

Marco isn't a bad bloke though. Ask any member of his extraordinarily large family and they'll tell you that beneath the gruff facade is a big old softy. Most weekends you'll find him at the head of a large table surrounded by family, often enduring enthusiastic badgering from a small legion of grandchildren.

He carries his love of family into his work, and a short temper is only the result of a high stress job, and a desire not to see any of his boys get hurt.

About

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