In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Crista Vesel, an academic, author and safety communication specialist whose work focuses on how language influences learning and decision-making in safety-critical environments.
Crista explores why safety professionals often rely on familiar approaches even though they fail to produce meaningful learning. She explains how language used around incidents can steer inquiry in particular directions, narrowing what is explored and what gets left out.
Drawing on her pioneering work on learning reviews, Crista explains how certain language patterns can unintentionally shut down inquiry, reinforce blame and limit understanding. She contrasts this with approaches that support open and collaborative dialogue to give organizations deeper understanding of workplace safety.
This conversation offers EHS professionals practical insight into using language more deliberately, strengthening insights after events and creating cultures where workers share and organisations learn.
The Masters of Engineering program where Crista teaches: Graduate | Advanced Safety Engineering and Management
Her (open access) thesis on agentive language: Language Bias in Accident Investigation
Crista and Ivan’s book: Human & Organization Potential
Find out more about their work: Dynamic Inquiry | All change starts with a question
Kenneth Gergen’s book recommended by Crista: An Invitation to Social Construction
Crista Vesel on LinkedIn: Crista Vesel, MSc | LinkedIn
Ivan Pupulidy on LinkedIn: Ivan Pupulidy, PhD | LinkedIn
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