By Mark Snow, EdD, ATC
Area Manager, Fit For Work
Key Insights
- Common barriers to behavioral change include inconvenience, misunderstandings, and language barriers.
- Strong relationships improve communication and overcome barriers, resulting in more effective behavioral change.
- Human connection is achieved through body language, relationship-building, and collaboration.
Achieving behavioral change is a significant challenge in the workplace. In injury prevention, even the best recommendations may be ineffective if employees do not understand them, trust them, or feel invested in the outcome. Human connection is foundational to driving that change through strong relationships.
Common Barriers
In the context of injury prevention, one of the most significant barriers to behavioral change is weighing risks against inconvenience. Prevention measures that require time or habit changes present challenges for employee buy-in and long-term adherence. Injury prevention professionals must build strong relationships with the employees they serve to overcome those obstacles and increase the likelihood of successful behavioral change.
Misunderstandings due to differences in perspective and life experience make it important to find common ground. For example, an employee and supervisor may view the same workplace challenge differently based on their roles, experiences, and priorities. Maintaining a genuine desire to connect and understand the other person’s experience is key to navigating those interactions successfully.
Language barriers present another substantial challenge. In fact, OSHA estimates that language barriers are a factor in about 25 percent of job-related accidents. Human translators are the most effective solution but are often not available. Heavy reliance on bilingual employees as translators in addition to their regular role places pressure on their time and performance. Translator apps can fill the gap as long as they effectively convey the original message. Solutions with an offline mode are preferable since they remain functional even if cell service is not available.
How Human Connection Supports Behavioral Change
People need connection to develop trust and a sense of belonging, not only between individuals but with the teams, leaders, and organizations they interact with every day. Think of how a negative interaction with one company representative impacts a customer’s view of an entire organization—the impact is significant. Understanding body language, relationship building strategies, and collaborative planning support the development of positive relationships.
People don’t know how much you know until they know how much you care. – Theodore Roosevelt
Body Language Basics
Body language is a significant indicator of connection in conversations. Eye contact, facing the other person, leaning forward, and nodding along demonstrate active engagement. However, when body language and other nonverbal cues indicate disconnection, the individual may have their head down, shoulders forward, or sigh. Shaking the head often shows disagreement, while rapid blinking demonstrates confusion. Leaning back with arms crossed over the chest can reveal distrust or unwillingness to engage. All of these scenarios immediately signal a need to re-establish connection, understanding, and trust. Buy-in from the employee is key to successful behavioral change and may take multiple conversations to establish.
10 Relationship-Building Strategies
Basic strategies are applicable in almost any interaction, from injury prevention providers evaluating employee concerns to supervisors, safety professionals, and leaders working to support employee well-being.
- Allow the other person to speak without interruption.
- Demonstrate interest through comfortable eye contact, facing the speaker, and nodding to acknowledge what is being shared.
- Parity is important—ideally, both parties should be either sitting or standing so they remain at eye level.
- Overcome language barriers with the assistance of a translator but remember to look directly at the other person instead of the translator when responding. Facial expressions and gestures support connection despite language differences.
- Summarize what the other person has said and repeat it back to them, asking for clarity. This technique demonstrates attention to their words while ensuring that their meaning was accurately conveyed.
- Ask open-ended questions to uncover more context and detail.
- Conversations should take place in quiet spaces that provide some privacy when possible. Floor settings are often loud and distracting for meaningful interactions.
- Provide a clear outline of the process when beginning structured conversations such as injury evaluations or performance reviews. Setting those expectations relieves uncertainty, allowing the employee to fully engage.
- When using specific terminology or acronyms, consider whether the other person is familiar with their meaning. Avoid confusion by providing definitions of the terms or using more commonly understood phrasing (e.g., collar bone instead of clavicle, or shoulder blade in place of scapula).
- Avoid rushing conversations, even if that means scheduling a better time to reconnect with the employee or recommending an alternate contact for urgent situations. Hurried, distracted conversations negatively impact relationships, often causing people to shut down.
Plan for Success
Successful behavioral change plans require employee buy-in from the start. Explain the desired outcomes and process clearly, including positive feedback. Remember—the goal is to achieve change through positive human connection. Ask for their concerns and questions along the way. Are they uncomfortable with any elements of the plan? Do they anticipate barriers to success? If so, work collaboratively on solutions.
Willingness to work together builds trust, leading to better outcomes. As the conversation ends, summarize the interaction to demonstrate understanding and address any additional questions. Finally, show genuine care when closing the interaction by asking if there is anything more you can do for them.
Human Connection: A Real-World Example
Navigating language barriers can be extremely challenging, especially in injury prevention settings. A Spanish-speaking employee reported soreness to an onsite injury prevention specialist. The soreness was treatable with a self-care plan, but the language barrier made it difficult for the provider to communicate that effectively.
The employee became increasingly anxious during the interaction. Fortunately, another employee was able to assist as a translator. To maintain connection, the provider’s body language remained focused on the injured employee even while listening to the translator. Clear understanding of the plan and compassionate human connection promoted trust and a positive outcome for this employee.
This interaction highlights how trust and effective communication can support early intervention and positive workplace outcomes.
Conclusion
Human connection is the foundation of strong relationships and effective behavioral change conversations. Through relationship-building techniques, understanding of body language, and collaborative planning, barriers can be overcome to support employee buy-in, successful behavioral change, and better injury prevention outcomes.
Human connection can help drive lasting behavior change. Contact Fit For Work to learn how our injury prevention solutions can support your workforce.
Mark Snow joined Fit For Work in May 2021 and serves as an area manager while providing onsite injury prevention services throughout the Omaha-Council Bluffs region and surrounding areas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education and physical education from Midland University, a master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training from San Jose State University, and a doctorate in kinesiology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Mark is passionate about helping organizations improve employee health, safety, and performance. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three sons, golfing, and coaching youth sports.
