Agency - Why It’s Important
In Project Management - And life in General
Agency isn’t something we hear a lot about in project management or health and safety, but it really should be. All too often, we meet people who are struggling with their lack of agency. They are technically in charge of a project, but have no decision-making authority, or feel powerless about enacting the changes they think should happen.
This puts them in a stressful situation, where they see important steps that could be taken for health and safety but aren’t sure how to get everyone on board.
At Direct Safety, we are all about empowering people to take control of their own safety – and the safety of those around them. So, let’s take a deeper dive into the concept of agency. What is it, why is it essential, and how can you take control of yours? Read on to learn more.
What Is Agency?
Put simply, Agency is the ability for individuals to act independently and make free choices.
A research study describes it as “the feeling of control over actions and their consequences.” The concept is quite hard to put a finger on, but there have been numerous studies about the psychological concept of agency and how it is developed – or undeveloped, as may be the case.
So, what does this have to do with project management and personal safety? Quite a lot, we think.
When someone has agency, they feel as if they are in charge of things that happen. They are in the driver’s seat rather than having things simply “happen” to them and around them. In our industry, this translates to taking responsibility for covering the worst-case scenarios and believing that you have some control over what happens to you and others. You have the agency to make important decisions about the safety of those you are responsible for instead of sitting back and waiting for someone else to do what needs to be done.
Why Agency Is So Important
While our focus is on safety solutions, agency is important for anyone in life for various reasons. If you don’t have agency, you may believe you aren’t capable of influencing your own thoughts and behaviours. You might fail to take responsibility for your actions or feel unable to try new things or make critical decisions. In essence, agency is the ability to act. And without that, our jobs – and our lives – can be very challenging!
What Does Lack Of Agency Look Like?
Do you know someone who refuses to watch the news because they feel depressed about events they think they have no control over? Perhaps you know that feeling yourself. This is an example of how it feels to lack agency. In a more extreme example, studies around those with schizophrenia reveal that sufferers have an advanced lack of agency – they feel they have no direct control over their actions, as if someone else is in charge of their body and behaviour.
Coming back to our example of project management and health and safety, lack of agency might reveal itself in more subtle ways. Perhaps you have been assigned with the task of improving H&S within an organisation, but have trouble getting the key stakeholders in the room to engage with the project.
Or maybe you don’t have the time to do the research or the power to make decisions.
This puts project managers in a tough position – feeling confused and powerless about how to do the job they need to do. When you are working in a team, a lack of agency is often revealed by people making excuses or looking for reasons as to why something hasn’t happened instead of taking responsibility and taking action.
Getting Your Agency Back
There can be many reasons why someone lacks agency – it can be psychological or internal reasons, or stem from an external challenge of some kind.
A common reason for loss of agency is fear. Perhaps people are reluctant to change systems that have worked well for years as they are afraid of potential negative consequences. We might know that things need to change but feel paralysed about taking action, fearful of making a mistake or upsetting the status quo.
Jurisdiction and ownership are other potential blocks when it comes to agency. If you don’t feel you have ownership over a project, you may not feel like you have the jurisdiction to act.
For example, if you are working on a project and someone else with more experience swoops in and takes over, they are claiming agency from you.
If you can relate to any of these situations, it’s essential to take action. Without agency, we cannot work effectively and can feel disempowered and frustrated.
How To Make It Happen
Luckily, agency isn’t just something that “happens” to us. We can take steps to claim our agency back, even within tricky teams or complicated projects.
Start by being selective about the people you interact with, notice how they affect you, and set boundaries with difficult people. Try to be conscious of how you might be incorrectly perceiving things, or giving in to “group-think” without sticking to your own values.
Keep an open mind and adopt a collaborative approach to your work. Stay curious, ask open-ended questions from those around you, and don’t be afraid to push for the solutions you believe in.
What Happens To A Project When You Nail Agency
Having more agency means taking responsibility for your decisions and acting in accordance with what you feel is right. The next time you feel as if you are not being listened to, or something is happening that you disagree with, don’t ignore it and go with the flow. Stop, speak honestly, and find a way to develop a solution that works for everyone.
The more agency you have, the more you produce ideas and plans instead of excuses. You move from intention to action and have the ability to transform ideas into real change.
Nailing Agency In Your Workplace
Agency is a big part of effective Health and Safety. Which is why Direct Safety supports H&S managers in their roles, helping to find personal safety solutions that make a difference in people’s lives.
With the right solutions in place, the right people are empowered with agency to make the right decisions at the right time, resulting in great workplace Health and Safety!
A large part of that is protecting lone workers and equipping them with the tools to make the best workplace decisions. If you would like to know more about how we can support you, contact us today.