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I t seems
every few years there’s a new fashionable management method emerging.
Management by Objective, Management by Committee, Management by This and
Management by That. These short-lived management crazes usually are effective in
only one area.... Making their authors wealthy.
Although we live in a quickly changing
business environment we must continue to deal with one constant that most of
these methods don’t take into consideration very well.......People.......
No matter how sophisticated our society
becomes or how technologically advanced our businesses become they will always
be based on people and people never change...
I’ve always been an advocate of building
effective safety cultures within business. These cultures are the only
sustainable means of maintaining acceptable levels of safety and cost control.
But when you talk to most folks about safety cultures you get one of two
reactions. You either get the "deer in the headlights look" or the
"boy, the 60’s sure were good to you look".
Believe it or not, a company culture is the
most fundamental structure within your company. All companies have cultures,
whether they want one or not. This culture can be created by management through
a concerted effort or in can be created by your employees through default. If
you don’t work to create one, the employees will be more than happy to create
one for you. However, you may not like the results.
Have you every looked over a company that
operates like a junk-yard dog. Their equipment is pieced together, their offices
are filthy and their employees could use a good shower. Why is this company like
that? It’s their culture...... They don’t see that they’re different from
any other company because that is the way they are... That is the way they
operate.... They are a junk-yard dog....and proud of it!
I’m sure you’ve seen just
the opposite type of company, also. Their equipment is clean and well
maintained, their offices are meticulous and their drivers professional looking.
They don’t think much about the way they
operate either. It’s just the way they do business. The way they take care of
their equipment, perform their jobs and represent their company.
These two diametrically opposed companies are
identical examples of the power of "company culture". You be the judge
as to which culture is the most profitable.
Safety within your company is part of your
company culture. Have you created a "safety is an expense" culture, a
"safety is pain in my a__" culture, a "safety is compliance"
culture or have you done what many companies do and let your company’s culture
develop itself, and hope for the best.
The safety culture you develop within your
company will have far reaching effects. It will affect your safety performance
and resultant costs. It will affect your productivity, your employee turnover
and your legal position, just to name a few impact areas.
Effective safety programs can be the
foundation for the culture you want in your company. No single area has a
greater impact on your company’s overall culture than does safety. It’s the
one cohesive element that brings employees, drivers and management together
towards a common goal.
When looking over the culture of your
company..............
Do You Like What You See?
If you believe your company culture could be
improved...remember the best way to get there is through .....Safety!
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