A series addressing the top reasons you are having problems with your behavior-based safety system.
1. You did not do your homework.
2. You got an off-the-shelf behavior-based safety system instead of a customized process.
3. No pickles, no lettuce—Special orders do upset us: You chose an inflexible consulting firm.
4. You bought complexity instead of basic tools.
5. Your leaders are not involved.
6. You did not know when to ask for help.
7. You don’t know how to deliver effective feedback, recognition, and celebrate success.
6. You did not know when to ask for help. Your gut tells you that your organization’s behavior-based safety process is not working. Employees are not enthusiastic; heck, they’re not even involved. Meetings are not being held and observation sheets are being pencil whipped. You don’t trust the data. Your process is dying; atrophy is obvious but you keep looking for a quick fix.
What you need to do is find an experienced freelance or small group of credentialed behavior-based safety implementers and pay one of them to come in for a day and take a look around. Talk to them, ask them questions, and let them talk to the employees, because there is no substitute for third-party objectivity. There are plenty of experienced behavior-based safety consultants who have implemented dozens of behavior-based safety processes who are willing to spend a few days with you to give you some guidance.
Allowing your employees to meet with a behavior-based safety consultant and do some course correction and problem solving can energize them. It allows them to make changes their experience has identified and to make improvements that will customize the process to the work, the company, and the culture.
