You know the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do?” When it comes to company culture, the opposite tends to be true. Because culture isn’t just what you and your fellow leaders say it is; it’s the behavior and actions you allow.
Of course, in an ideal world, your words and actions align to support your company’s goals. Since that’s often not the case, we’re highlighting an area where a gap between a company’s stated goals and the behavior leaders condone could jeopardize your whole company. The area is safety.
All our clients want to create a safe work environment. Yet, when there’s a disconnect between what’s said and what’s done, the physical safety consequences can be serious.
Consider this example. A CEO client recently told us about a terrifying moment when a hand jack slipped from an employee’s hand and started rolling across the floor. The employee ran after it, potentially putting himself in real danger (fortunately, he secured the equipment without getting hurt).
When the CEO found out what had happened, he was alarmed. “I’d rather my employee had let the hand jack go,” he told us. “Equipment can be replaced. People can’t.”
We wholeheartedly agreed—and then asked a burning question.
“What would the supervisor have said about a damaged hand jack?”
Pause. Cringe. “He would not have been thrilled.”
See, that’s the problem. Leaders can talk until they’re blue in the face about putting personal safety first, but if those words don’t align with the behavior and feedback from others, you’re sending a seriously mixed message.
A different CEO told us when a piece of machinery breaks, she wants workers to call the maintenance team rather than try fixing it themselves. Good plan, we told her. But how does maintenance respond when they get such a call?
Another sheepish look. “They usually say something like, ‘Dammit, now what did you do?’”
This kind of response—and it can be real or anticipated—makes it really hard for employees to make smart safety-related decisions.
The best way to “mind the gap” between words and actions is to make sure everyone clearly understands the company’s goals and knows how their contributions move the business forward.
3 strategies to get everyone on the same page
- Ask yourself three critical questions when setting business goals for the year. The answers to these questions will give you a practical, strategic roadmap so that 12 months from now, you’ll be where you want to be.
- Define an intentional company culture. Start by doing a simple two-step values activity to align employee behavior and company culture. Company culture can drive long-term business success and values are the bridge between behavior and culture.
- Tie business goals to behavior. Understand the connection between goals and behavior and get a rundown of “lagging” and “leading” goals. Knowing the difference is a game-changer for employee engagement.
One thing that leaders can do to ensure they’re creating a safety-first culture: recognize workers at all levels who behave in ways that promote safety. Positive feedback is a powerful way to reinforce the behaviors you want to see more of. It also reminds employees that what you say aligns with what you do — so there are no more empty words.
Email Erin Mies, co-founder of People Spark Consulting if you need help assessing or pinpointing your short- and long-term goals. We can provide insights based on our experience with our clients.
