Clare Solomon and Mark Ormond are presenting at Safety and Health Expo on 17th June at 1.45pm in the SHP Legal and Cultural Arena.
Sometimes managers just don’t quite realize the domino effect their actions have on the culture of a business.
We’ve had many debates with people about blame versus no-blame culture, yet in reality both can be as bad as each other. If anything, no-blame means lack of accountability and that’s seriously frustrating for people working in a business. Cultural nirvana lies in one that’s just and the responsibility for creating that culture ultimately sits with the management of the business.
We’ve found that one of the most critical things managers can do is ask the right questions when an incident happens. This makes sure that if and when you do get to a formal investigation people are open-minded enough to examine all possible causes. The worst thing managers can do is assume an individuals mistake caused the incident when they react: “Oh ****! What have they done now?”
Here are five effective questions to get managers to ask themselves when something goes wrong:
These questions help frame a managers understanding that the choices and actions leading up to incidents are rarely as simple as an isolated careless mistake.
Sign up to our free culture change masterclass at www.jomc-hillsolomon.com
While it’s right and proper for managers to ask themselves how they contributed to an accident, unless they have an understanding of how they may have contributed to an incident then answers to this question will invariably be meaningless. While many managers may be well-intended in their actions, unless they have a deeper understanding of their role and sphere of influence their efforts will be suboptimal. Education of managers and their continual commitment (setting a good example) is at the heart of any positive safety culture.