Build a Strong Food Safety Culture from the Top Down

When decision makers in an organization are faced with changing a process to support food safety, influence is one of the most valuable tools for success.  The challenge of adapting the right choices to support solid food safety processes is one that requires the ability to influence commitment throughout the organization, allowing for those choices to be supported across leadership.  Next comes the challenge of managing those food safety choices across the organization to ensure they are implemented correctly. 

Most often, the recommendations for these choices will come from a director who is responsible for a piece of the business. For a director (or manager) that makes purchases for; trains to support; or operationally implements the decisions regarding food safety, there will always be a challenge to influence what course of action the company should take.  The path to influence the right choices when culture clearly supports doing the right thing is an easier path.  Nevertheless, directors/managers will still need to create a case for change, thus further securing cultural commitment. When the culture is not fully supporting sanitation as a key tenet, the director/manager must become a builder of culture through influence, which is a much more difficult challenge.

This webinar will review key considerations within food safety, procurement, merchandising, operations and training/human resources, at the director/manager level, offering techniques to influence the right choices and building culture, therefore helping to manage the change associated with gaining commitment and follow through.

This webinar will:

•       Offer participants the opportunity to understand elements within their own culture and commitment, thus defining their particular path and role as a ‘Builder of Culture’.
• Identify key considerations for each type of culture: Leading, Trending and Mentioning.
• Discuss methods for culture shaping available at the director/manager levels.
• Pinpoint processes for influence within the director/manager role, defined as one which is responsible for leading a team to accomplish a set of objectives that is a part of a larger set of company objectives.

The greatest challenge directors have when trying to make the food safety right choices come to fruition, is presenting a strong case to the people who can actually make the change happen.  Likely, the director bears the most burden when influencing upward within the organization, across their peer groups and within the group they directly manage or oversee. Often times, their influence reach will be required cross-functionally.  This involves a well thought out influence plan for communication upward, outward and downward, as well as an understanding of organizational readiness for food safey changes.

Finally, our speakers will discuss specific ways to manage changes effectively:

• Ensuring people accept the change and are willing to make it happen
• Share methodologies to manage change and hold people accountable for follow through
• Review the importance of alignment to the Job Description, Performance Review and the Rewards to support the change.

As a strong influencer, with the ability to have your voice heard by the other leaders in your organization, you’ll position yourself as a ‘Builder of Culture’.  The workshop will allow you to apply the learnings to influence the food safety challenges you face within your workplace, so you can immediately start working towards influencing the right choices.

Speakers

Ken Leith, co-author, Food Safety, A Roadmap to Success

Ken spent his career in production, procurement, customer service and quality assurance. He held top level business unit management positions which relied heavily on influencing the corporate commitment to quality and service. 

 Patti spent much of her corporate career in food retail at Food Lion, Inc and Walmart/Sam’s Club. With experience in operations and human resources, she held executive level positions responsible for large scope strategic change. 

 Ken and Patti Leith own and operate EDGES, Inc., a firm that specializes in corporate growth and culture shaping. Together with Gary Ades, they authored “Food Safety, A Roadmap to Success” which takes a look at methodologies to shape culture and influence commitment so that food safety choices can be supported fully within the organization. Together, they are passionate about helping people to grow their influence of right, allowing them to get their voices heard with impact.

Message Presenter

Patti Leith, co-author, Food Safety, A Roadmap to Success

Patti spent much of her corporate career in food retail at Food Lion, Inc and Walmart/Sam’s Club. With experience in operations and human resources, she held executive level positions responsible for large scope strategic change. 

 Ken and Patti Leith own and operate EDGES, Inc., a firm that specializes in corporate growth and culture shaping. Together with Gary Ades, they authored “Food Safety, A Roadmap to Success” which takes a look at methodologies to shape culture and influence commitment so that food safety choices can be supported fully within the organization. Together, they are passionate about helping people to grow their influence of right, allowing them to get their voices heard with impact.

Message Presenter