In another post about safety management systems for the layman, I discussed some of the groundwork for what an aviation safety management system (SMS) is and who uses it.
But as a good friend of mine who is a safety inspector told me – and this is true, “I don’t tell people what I do. I just tell people I’m a Civil Engineer because that’s
For those safety managers who already work with aviation SMS on a daily basis and are familiar with its intricacies, it is a challenge to find the right words and descriptions for what you do to those who aren't familiar with it.
Furthermore, how should safety managers describe safety risk management to other employees and stakeholders whom you must convince that SMS implementations have real, tangible benefits not only for the organization but also for them?
Sure, your work involves “safety” and "reducing risk."
Safety management activities like these are valuable and informative to people in the aviation industry. Unfortunately for the average person - J Doe -, they are too general, and moreover they aren't very exciting.
Finding the right words, phrases, and descriptions to illuminate aviation SMS in a way that is both enlightening and interesting is an extremely abstruse endeavor.
This is because safety management and aviation SMS itself is a nebulous topic, and the average J Doe has no clue what SMS is.
After hearing that my friend uses an "alter ego occupation," I concluded that it must be worthwhile to find a method to talk about aviation SMS that is:
This is an important top-down order.
We start with a 32,000-foot perspective, the basic point of aviation SMS. Then we'll move through the details and arrive at what will ultimately interest your audience the most: How SMS Relates to Themselves!
I especially stress the last point because if your audience can’t personally with what you are describing, the whole description will be lost on them.
Ultimately this method is a process of creating a story about your airline or airport's safety management system and how aviation SMS is not your traditional "safety program." In this post, we’ll move through the first two points in some detail and shed clarity on the best techniques.
It sounds easy at first glance. A Safety Inspector could say something like:
“Safety management offers a system that protects assets and helps keep work environments safe.”
But that’s like a Project Manager describing their job as “managing projects."
What we need is a language that is both engaging and personal. If you are somewhat well acquainted with J Doe, this would be the perfect opportunity to:
Say, for example, an acquaintance of yours J Doe, a mechanic, inquires about what you do at work. You know that you manage a system to keep people safe, but the main concern is how that fact translates to J Doe.
In other words, safety plus vehicles =?
Keeping our two previous bullet points in mind, here are some example responses:
What both of these examples do well is that they:
This might seem silly, but considering how often the question “What do you do?” pops up, it would be a great idea to spend some time and think of a couple of sure-fire responses to satisfy the question from a 32,000-foot perspective.
So when the “what do you do” question does come up, you actually have something interesting to say.
You’ve already given an overview metaphor for what a safety management system is. You’ve intrigued J Doe, and he wants to know a little more about what aviation safety and risk management entails.
This is the tricky part. Being specific about aviation safety management is, to use a cliché, pulling a rabbit out of a hat. There are probably hundreds of things to be specific about mitigation strategies and statistical analysis – you could choose just about anything. Therefore, choosing two or three specifics feels almost like a random exercise.
This makes it very easy to simply fall back on “stock words.” This is exactly what we are trying to avoid.
So continuing in the vein of storytelling, here’s the method: choose a few examples that pop up regularly that:
Here’s the rub with both of these bullet points: what are the more creative hazards, risks, and aviation dangers in your workplace. And there are many dangers to choose from, as this GAO report shows.
Case in point: Years ago I was flying in a remote Alaskan village and the plane was delayed because a flock of geese was holding the runway hostage. The passenger next to me explained that if one of the geese ended up going through the jet’s engine, it could bring the whole plane down.
This situation may be commonplace for you. But at the time for me, it was a danger I would never have thought of. I thought it humorously ironic that such a small bird could bring down an aircraft. It made me think about unexpected dangers.
Most people know next to nothing about all of the little dangers that safety professionals deal with every day. Pick two or three hazards you have dealt with in your aviation SMS that you think J Doe would have never thought of, and, if you have the chance, relate one of your examples to an interesting fact.
I might say something like:
But you are the one dealing with your aviation SMS and various hazards every day. Undoubtedly, you have examples that are far superior to these quick examples listed above.
Being able to tell J Doe what you do as a safety manager or safety management professional takes forethought and a little spark of creativity.
So take a few moments and reflect on your experiences with your SMS.
The answers to these questions will be the basis for your "What do you do?" story.
Compare your aviation risk management procedures with other operators. Studies have repeatedly shown that aviation safety management principles enhance safety at airlines and airports.
Last updated July 2024.