The Safety of Work

← The Safety of Work9 feb 2025 · 44 min

Ep. 127: Should safety education focus on hard skills

Ep. 127: Should safety education focus on hard skills9 feb 202544 min

In this episode, we examine the role of narrative skills in safety education through Robson, Holgate, and Randhawa's 2021 Oxford study "Storycraft: The Importance of Narrative and Narrative Skills in Business." Based on interviews with FTSE 100 business leaders, the research challenges traditional distinctions between 'hard' and 'soft' skills in professional education. We explore a framework of five core narrative competencies - narrative communication, empathy and perspective-taking, critical analysis, creativity and imagination, and digital skills - examining how these relate to communicating organizational values, achieving persuasive outcomes, and managing change initiatives.