In this episode of the Leading & Learning Through Safety Podcast, Dr. Mark French explores the psychological importance of the home-to-work transition (HWT) — the intentional process of mentally and physically unwinding after a workday. Drawing from a recent article in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Mark examines how continuous activation of stress systems throughout the workday requires a deliberate unwinding process to maintain long-term wellbeing.

Mark reflects on his career as a frontline safety professional, often serving as the lone point of responsibility for a 24/7 operation. He highlights the reality many safety leaders face: constant availability, middle-of-the-night calls, and difficulty fully disengaging. He discusses how organizational structures often reinforce this imbalance and argues that leaders must implement clear escalation policies, flow-based decision tools, and supervisor accountability to protect both safety teams and operational continuity.

The episode also explores the research surrounding cognitive, emotional, and physiological recovery — including how poor transition habits can impact rest, alcohol use, and tobacco consumption. Mark emphasizes that unwinding must be intentional, not accidental. Whether through exercise, gaming, nature walks, meditation, or small rituals like grounding at a favorite tree, each person must find their own meaningful method of decompressing.

Ultimately, the episode is a reminder that leaders cannot pour into others if they are continually depleted. To lead effectively — and safely — we must prioritize our own recovery so we can show up fully for the people who depend on us.

In this episode of the Leading & Learning Through Safety Podcast, Dr. Mark French continues his exploration of how organizational culture is built through both action and inaction. Drawing from research published in the Consulting Psychology Journal (APA, Sept. 2025), he highlights that while values are abstract, culture becomes real through observable practices—what people actually do every day.

Mark explains that every organization operates within three behavioral zones: actions that align with values, actions that work against them, and inaction, where leaders or teams choose to do nothing at all. He connects this framework to safety leadership, showing how emotional intelligence is cultivated not through lofty ideals, but through small, consistent behaviors—like making safety the easiest and most natural choice.

Using his own story about misplaced PPE and the challenge of convenience, Mark illustrates how organizations must remove friction from doing the right thing. The easier it is to act safely and ethically, the more those abstract values become tangible culture. Ultimately, emotionally intelligent organizations are built one decision at a time—rewarding the right actions, correcting the wrong ones, and never ignoring opportunities to reinforce what truly matters.

In this episode of Leading & Learning Through Safety, Dr. Mark French dives deep into one of his favorite topics—organizational culture—and how emotional intelligence shapes the environment where people truly thrive. Drawing from research published in the Consulting Psychology Journal, Mark explores the concept of an EI-supportive organizational culture and unpacks what it really means to live out corporate values instead of merely displaying them on paper.

Through his signature “garden analogy,” Mark illustrates how culture, like a plant, flourishes only when the environment provides nourishment, care, and room to grow. He breaks down the research that defines culture as both abstract values and observable practices, challenging leaders to ensure their teams experience those values in action—not just in orientation binders.

Mark also examines how real behaviors—what gets rewarded, promoted, or tolerated—ultimately become the building blocks of culture. He connects this to safety and HR, emphasizing that professionals in these fields often lead through influence, not authority. Their courage to challenge leadership and uphold values defines whether an organization practices damage control or genuine continuous improvement.

This episode is a thoughtful reminder that culture doesn’t happen by accident—it’s created every day by what leaders choose to value, model, and reinforce.