No Not the magical Sade Hit!!!
I read Phil LaDuke’s blog post of 2009 in which he had written about “Selling ESH in Tough Times”. This was during the 2008 global financial crisis where it was easy for companies to interpret ESH implementation as a “do Just enough to hang out there”.
The 2008 Financial crisis left India with little or practically no impact. Ever since that time, the global economy is kind of stuttering along with no clear sign of fast growth, development happening. The Oil Prices fluctuations, the uncertainties in political environment are all not very comforting. Also, unlike 2008, India is now more globally coupled and so when things go North or South globally, there will be some impact on Indian scenario. I am already hearing murmur with stagnant economic growth, ESH corporate positions are downsized to lower level back fill. ESH Heads are asked to shunt out of Corporate head office to Manufacturing location to save overhead costs. I am puzzled to hear ESH business travel by corporate Head folks require approvals and lot of hairsplit debate, in spite of funds being sanctioned in T& E. This shows squeeze is beginning to show and happening here, alebit a very slow pace.
So what is that ESH professionals can do to inoculate themselves and do a better job to showcase ESH as value add to business and weather out the storm, should one blow across. I am posting from my experience of having weathered one, 10 years back, where we had faced worst impact, first hand.
1)Inner Self:- Unless you have a Sound mind and Sound Body, you can not have energy to manage the challenges that might arise. This picture captures it aptly, sound mind and sound body helps. Keep yourself happy. Respect your body and soul and treat it well. Energy levels are managed through controlling Physical Energy, Mental Energy, Emotional Energy, Spiritual Energy. Set time to exercise, de-clutter your mind, Meditate or take stock of things, maintain a log /journal of happening.
2)Once you bring in your inner self in to a discipline, rhythm, focus on environment around you. Prioritize on tasks to be done as below. This covers Family (Always First), Work, Society, Environment, Community, relationship etc etc etc.
3)To be a successful manager at work, you need to exhibit the following,
A)Business acumen over all sense of what business you are in, what are potential opportunities, threats, challenges, who are our competitor, who can be new entrants who can cause damage. How ESH fits in scheme of things. What value add we can add to the business. 
B)Core Competence:- Always stay strong on Technical excellence, know the regulations, work the best practices from global outreach, think global act local. Be ahead on the steep learning curve. Subscribe to professional journals, newsletter, emails as appropriate to stay current. Keep your network strong, interact with fellow ESH folks across Industry, City, Zone, Country and International forum. Keep an ear to the ground for all the happening.
C)Projects and tasks management:– (Begin with an end in mind) As the memorable saying goes, How to eat an Elephant? “one bite at a time”! In work term, Projects to execute are way to go about the same, (Policy, Overview, Risk Management, Mitigation plan-Which I am not going in to details here) The key in any project management be it capital, financial, ESH, People etc is to identify the key steps that form the back bone as well as critical tasks that are subpart of project, in which failure to complete can lead significant deviation. Also note all projects need to be linked to on time, on budget with a clearly identified owner to lead and execute as Champion.
Hopefully, in your organisation, the projects dont go this way…. (believe me I have been part of such scenarios, not too far back, so shit happens to every one!!!) 
D)Great Salesman:- Always look from other’s perspective, what is in it for them? Why they should listen to you? What benefits they get out of listening to what you suggest? Think and work like a Salesman. (ABC of Selling, seller beware!!)
E)Hallmark of great leaders and ESH Managers who have made an enormous impact in corporate is that they “LISTEN” they seek to understand all point of view, they are open, honest, transparent. Being a great communicator, they don’t feel pressure to be understood, that work effortlessly. Always have an agile mind to change thoughts according to situation. Remember,ESH being staff function is more a servant based leadership. 
F) Great managers develop great team around them and exert enormous influence. It is all about relations at work. Work that through, 1) Coaching, 2)Performance Review & Development, 3)Delegation and develop relations through One on One of 30min/week to know your people. Relationship can go beyond work, deliver stellar results. I recollect with fondness the Quarterly team Lunch with my team at top notch Bangalore restaurants. Good food, good catch up! Always keep in touch. Be Grateful. Always remember as Mark Horstman says in his podcasts, The people you meet on the way up, you will meet on the way DOWN. Be nice to them when you are on the way up! 
So it all works to how you manage your soft skills and make things happen.
Good luck and god bless
Karthik.
31/3/2017 1900 Hrs.
PS: I leave you with WHATSAPP Msg My wife sent me !! That shows Reality of Safety professionals in INDIA!! Sad reality, but can’t have any other views!!! can you???? I have many times heard from my overseas friends on why Indians harp so much only on costs?
Health, Environment, Safety, Sustainability (HESS) 