Encouraging Transparency in Lab Safety via Teachable Moments and Positive Feedback

Transparency is an essential part of developing and maintaining an ethical culture and a safety culture. We found two practices that significantly contributed to both - capitalizing on teachable moments that stemmed from safety incidents and the active provision of detailed positive feedback on laboratory inspections. When we applied these concepts to instances of evaluating performance, we found that they facilitated communication and supported the inquiry necessary to develop and sustain openness. While enforcement, an alternative approach, may evoke rapid compliance, it may also tend to reduce discussion. By contrast, we found that considering the vulnerability of those in non-compliance tended to ease the exchange and support the robust relations needed to create and maintain safe conditions. Appreciation for the state of intense interest and hunger for information characteristic of these teachable moments led to providing specific guidance that recipients were ready to use immediately. In addition, reinforcement of existing desirable practices via specific positive comments gave recipients the guidance necessary to build on their existing foundation of skills, knowledge, and strengths. This chapter combines research in behavioral psychology, principles of management and evaluation, and our own observations to illustrate how performance evaluations and incident reports can be leveraged to achieve an ethically responsive culture.