Zealots, Minions or Converts?

Zealot – A member of a fanatical, militant sect. A fanatical partisan.

Minion – A servile dependant, follower or underling. A subordinate or petty official.

Convert – One who is brought over from one belief, view or party to another

(Source – www.mirriam-webster.com)

How many of us have heard the Environmental Health and Safety field referred to as almost “a religion” or “a cult”? Maybe you haven’t heard those exact phrases, but I would bet that you’ve heard similar enough language from employees, supervisors and managers to get the point – that’s how we sound to some people.

So, I started thinking, (dangerous for one of my ilk), if you compare EHS to a religion or a cult, what is the best type of follower to develop in your facility? Which type will allow your EHS programs to be the most effective?

Note: I know, this whole post may seem heretical to some, but go along with me here.

Every EHS Professional knows that your programs won’t work if you don’t have – and I’m not fond of this term, but – Engagement, from all levels of the organization. You need support, accountability and - for those of us who are the only EHS person – you just need help getting stuff done.

Like it or not, our profession is also about perception and politics. How you look, act and interact with all levels of an organization allow employees within that organization to form opinions about your credibility. On top of that, employees also look at the people who are representing your agenda in order to form those opinions.

So what kind of representative should you be striving to develop? Do YOU fall into one of these categories as well?

The Zealot

A Zealot is fanatical about what they believe in. They go the extra mile, they do what needs to be done and they do it in the most direct way possible.

This may sound great, except zealots are also militant, meaning they do what needs to be done, but they do it without understanding or empathy for surrounding circumstances. A zealot will latch on to a rule and attempt to enforce it mercilessly, without allowing for argument or discussion, simply because it is THE RULE.

Typically, a zealot will choose a rule that does not require thought in its everyday application – PPE, for example. In the eyes of the zealot, if you are not wearing your safety glasses, you are an offender and need to be whipped into submission. Zealots are, basically, bullies and tend to be the type of employee who, when given a taste of power, hold that perceived power over the heads of their peers.

Zealots also tend to piss people off. Now, I have said to people on many occasions, sometimes jokingly, that my job is to make people angry and if I don’t make at least one person angry a day then I’m not doing my job.

However, there is no surer way to get people to ignore your overall message, than to piss them off over something they think is petty. Safety glasses should be a “hot button” issue while someone is operating a lathe, but if they take them off to wipe the sweat off their face once the immediate hazard has passed, it shouldn’t incur the wrath of the storm.

Now, having said all of that, zealots DO have their place in some programs, particularly program areas that require unwavering compliance at all times to the strictest letter of THE RULE. However, usually they do more harm in “promoting” your agenda than good.

The Minion

These folks are very political and empathetic - to a fault. Minions tend to be seen as “sneaky” and disingenuous when handling most situations. Minions attempt to communicate and enforce EHS procedures without any real belief in the process itself – and it shows.

A minion will perform a task well enough to make sure that they get noticed. If people don’t notice, then they talk about their part in the process to as many people as necessary to get that recognition. Minions will complain right along with an employee about a rule, throwing their hands in the air and using the phrase “I’m just doing what I’m told”.

Minions also tend to have a self-serving, “yes man” attitude when it comes to authority figures, because it reinforces the perception that they are invaluable, while still allowing them to pursue an agenda of their own, politically.

Minions are one of the most dangerous people to have on “your side” as an EHS professional because of their ability to undermine the program through disbelief. Once a minion has been labeled such by the general population, they lose credibility and effectiveness – and so do your programs.

The Convert

A true convert to the “EHS Cult” can be a powerful ally in the fight to change culture and thinking within an organization. Converts usually fall into 2 groups – those that come to understand the importance of EHS processes through training, knowledge and practical application to their direct position, and those that come to the same understanding through witnessing, or being involved in, a serious incident.

A “Knowledge” convert has a general, thorough understanding of, not only what is required, but also why it is important to the company. Typically, these will be supervisors, managers, safety committee members, etc. They bring to the table a subdued passion about EHS that draws from seeing it work, but also an intellectual aspect to explain the “whys” to those who are skeptical of the benefits.

An “Incident” convert is usually very passionate about specific processes, typically those that were related to the incident that caused the conversion. These converts can speak with personal conviction to all levels of an organization about the importance of processes designed to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. Incident converts, maybe unfortunately, can come from any level of an organization, but are the most powerful when speaking to employees at their level on the organizational pyramid.

In the Mix

All of these types of “followers” also have the potential to fall into 2 , or even all 3, categories in different situations and with different audiences. As an EHS professional, one of the most important things that you can do with these employees, is to understand what type(s) they fit into and in what situations they work best. Once you have determined that, you can place them where they will do the most good for your EHS program.

So – which type of employees do you need in your daily work? Which category do YOU fall into?

As to Environmental Health and Safety being a Cult or Religion – Well, I’ll let you look up the definitions, you draw your own conclusions…

Be Safe My Fellows