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During the first year of my presidency, I have followed a single line of thought with each article that I have written for Journal of System Safety: adding value. In my first article, I stated that if we are not adding value to our profession, then we do not have the right to exist. Since then, I have written about the added value that comes through attending conferences, the added value that comes through membership involvement, the added value and success that come from follow-through, the added value of safety-minded leadership, and the added value of technology. Each of these articles has encouraged us to focus on our vision of being "recognized as the international leader in the system safety discipline."
In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins states that greatness is directly related to a company's ability to focus on what it does best, what makes it profitable, and what it is deeply passionate about. This is certainly food for thought. Our expertise and passion for system safety are the keys that will unlock the doors of opportunity to serve our nation and the world as professional safety practitioners.
Our efforts in system safety are not going unnoticed. During my past few months as Society President, I have had the opportunity to meet with several leaders from the safety, health and environmental disciplines. Three government agencies have specifically asked for system safety input into their plans for the future. I attended the Intersociety Forum in Chicago, Illinois, in March to participate in discussions with leaders of 12 national safety and health organizations on how to better serve our profession. Doors of opportunity are opening around the world, as evidenced by the increased involvement of our international members. I believe that we are making a difference in the world through our focus on system safety.
In order to continue adding value through focus, we should focus on the changes in safety practice trends. More and more safety engineers are being asked to provide health, environmental and ergonomic support as part of their jobs. This change will certainly impact all safety practitioners, including those of us dedicated to system safety. We should also focus on practitioner trends. Practitioners are looking for ways to increase their level of education, meet practice changes and demonstrate competency. System safety is valued when added value is recognized. Finally, we should focus on international trends toward standardization in safety practice. Our members need to be able to cross borders easily to address world issues.
These concerns are not just for system safety. They are concerns for all safety and health organizations around the globe. Every safety and health organization wants to be the best in the world at what it does, but only those who can continually add value for their customers, membership and discipline will become great. I want to encourage every Society member to attend the 24th International System Safety Conference and help us focus on the future. I hope to see you in Albuquerque!
— Larry W. Jones
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