Source: The Safety of Work Podcast
This is episode 127 in the series of safety podcasts from David Provan and Drew Rae at the Safety Science Innovation Lab in Australia. In this episode, they discuss research which challenges traditional distinctions between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills in professional education. They 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.
EPISODE NOTES
Drawing on insights from business leaders and contemporary educational theory, they propose that effective safety professionals require both technical expertise and sophisticated narrative capabilities. The findings suggest significant implications for safety education and professional development, challenging institutions to reconsider how they prepare safety practitioners for increasingly complex organizational environments. Rather than perpetuating false dichotomies between hard and soft skills, they argue for an educational approach that develops both technical and narrative capabilities in an integrated manner, particularly crucial for safety change management where success depends on both procedural competence and compelling storytelling.