A culture of safety as a living part of the work organisation
Samurai at Work helps organisations to expose hidden dynamics and patterns within teams and departments. This anchors safety, cooperation and sustainable growth as a natural part of the work culture.
Safety requires more than rules and procedures
Working safely goes beyond following procedures or minimising risks. A systemic approach views safety as a dynamic part of the organisational culture. In an organisation, employees, teams and the organisation’s history work together in a network of invisible and often unconscious patterns. These patterns influence behaviour, communication and the way risks are assessed.
What is systemic work?
Instead of looking for direct, technical solutions, systemic work focuses on non-judgemental observation. This provides insights into the underlying causes and dynamics that lead to unsafe behaviour. Examples of questions that are central to this are:
- ‘What wants to be seen and recognised in the system?’
- ‘What does this safety problem solve for?’
By zooming out, underlying forces become visible, such as:
- Loyalty to unwritten rules.
- A culture of pressure and speed, in which safety fades into the background.
Practical example: reporting unsafe situations
An employee feels uncomfortable reporting an unsafe situation. A systemic view asks:
- Does this behaviour stem from a personal pattern (such as loyalty to authority)?
- Or is there an organisational dynamic (such as a culture of silence around critical issues)?
By answering these questions, the organisation can apply targeted interventions and improve safety on a deeper level.
The three basic principles of systemic work
- The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Safety is a collective responsibility. - Systems are interconnected.
Every team and individual is part of a larger system. - Patterns are repeated unconsciously.
By recognising and breaking patterns, safety becomes a natural part of the work.
Safety culture and systemic working: past, present and future
A systemic approach creates space to bring together the past, present and future:
- What should be recognised from the past?
- What requires balance in the present?
- How can the organisation build a secure future?
By answering these questions, a sustainable culture is created in which employees work together on safety, openness and resilience.
A brief history: systemic work and Bert Hellinger
The German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger discovered that people are often bound by unconscious family patterns. His insights extended to organisational systems, in which dynamics such as unwritten rules and loyalty also play a role. By working systemically, deep-rooted tensions and invisible problems within organisations can be resolved.
Conclusion: The connection between a safety culture and systemic work
A safety culture can only grow sustainably when we understand and recognise the invisible dynamics in the organisation. Systemic work offers organisations the opportunity to tackle not only the symptoms, but also the real causes. This leads to an open and safe work culture in which employees are aware of their role in the whole.
Want to build a safe organisation together?
At Samurai at Work, we combine our expertise in systemic work with years of experience in organisational development. Discover how we can strengthen your safety culture and enable sustainable growth together. Contact us today and take the first step towards a safe and resilient organisation.
