Why people take our IOSH Certificated online courses

Tracey interviewed Lyn in April 2021 to discover why she chose to study with us on our IOSH Certificated online programs and share some of the things that she enjoyed most. Here are just some of the things that Lyn and Tracey discussed.

Which program did you do, Lyn?

Both! The first one was Behavioural Science for Leadership in Safety and then I did Performance Psychology for Safety and Health Professionals.

What were the drivers for the training and the outcomes?

With Behavioural Science, I was keen to understand the best way of addressing behavioural issues. At the time, we were working on a big job involving a lot of agency staff and we were having a few issues. I applied what I learned from the course to influence them to see the bigger picture. I used one of the learning techniques and developed a quiz and got all the agency staff to do it. I translated it into their language, so they could easily understand it and sat with them while they did it. It worked brilliantly. It helped to open them up and break down barriers. They started to understand that when I turned up on site, I wasn’t there to watch them – I was there because I genuinely cared. It was this that changed their attitude – there were good reasons why we wanted them to work safely – and it made a huge difference.

With Performance Psychology, I’m genuinely interested and fascinated by the subject. On a personal level, I got a lot out of it. I used it to challenge my own beliefs and mindset – it helps to focus you on a positive and healthy ‘I can do this’ mindset. The program really helped me to believe in myself and my own abilities. This is powerful stuff, especially if you’re trying to break a cycle of negativity in the workplace.

What were your biggest take-aways?

Definitely changing the way I approach things as a leader. The difference within your team when you involve them in making decisions, gives you a far better outcome. Something so small creates a very noticeable difference. Sometimes people can’t see a reason for doing something. But by being a different type of leader – for me, becoming a Servant Leader – it opened up lines of communication, showed that I was approachable and that I was there to support them. They no longer saw me a health and safety professional who was there to pick at them. It was a big shift.

What were your top three highlights?

1. Developing belief in myself – and in others.

2. That I’m actually a Servant Leader – and by leading from a different perspective, it creates much better outcomes for the people who work with me, and for the business. I’m there to work with people. I’m not there to dictate.

3. How great the programs were. I loved the mix of videos, text and quizzes. It was well set-up – a little bit of reading, listening and doing.

What is it about Darren that you're buying into?

He’s got such a calming and soothing voice, hasn’t he? You actually want to listen to him. His intro videos at the start of each module are great. I still remember the stories he told about basketball and being lost in Europe. He comes across as totally believable and passionate about this subject. He instils confidence in you – you trust what he’s saying and because you know he believes in what he’s saying – you also know that if you do what he’s suggesting, it’s going to change your life. It has mine.

What would you say to someone thinking about doing the course?

If you want to understand more about changing your own attitude when it comes to health and safety – and positively influencing the attitudes of the people around you, then these courses are definitely for you.