Mind-Shifting Into Safety Excellence

In their book, Enlightened Leadership, Ed Oakley and Doug Krug identify a concept called the net forward energy ratio. They define this as the relationship between the positive mental energy pushing us towards our goals and the negative mental energy pulling us away from them. This force is calculated by the following equation:

Net forward energy ratio = Productive mental energy (can do) divided by non-productive mental energy (can't do).

An organization with a negative net forward energy ratio focuses on obstacles and is:

• Focused on what's wrong
• Resistant to change
• Argumentative
• Defensive
• Blame oriented
• Divisive (them vs. us)
• Energy sapping
• Quick to make excuses
• Stressful

An organization with a positive net forward energy ratio focuses on the goal, and is characterized by:

• Can-do speak
• Emphasizing what works
• Openness
• High trust
• Enthusiasm
• Free-flowing communication
• Being fact oriented
• Creativity
• Focusing on what feels good

Let's assume an organization is highly negative (say 80 percent negative) in its orientation about some safety issue. Entering this into the net forward energy ratio equation (80n/20p) produces a 4-to-1 negative ratio, which is a strong force pulling the organization away from a goal of safety excellence.

Now, let's assume that with some concerted effort we can change some key organizational factors for the better, such as better communication, employee involvement, positive reinforcement and quicker response to suggestions. These changes improve organizational mindset by 30 percent. Look what we've achieved. This additional 30p percent creates a net forward energy ratio of (50/50) or a 1 to 1 ratio. Now, we've got a fighting chance at success. And, if we can just shift it another 10 percent positive (60p/40n) we've now created a 1.5 to 1 positive ratio. Odds are now in our favor!

Safety excellence organizations focus on “can do.” Managers believe that all accidents are preventable and that being 100 percent safe is an attainable vision.

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Larry L. Hansen, CSP, ARM, is principal of L2H Speaking of Safety Inc. and author of The Architecture of Safety Excellence, ROC Your Organization: 52 Ways to Instigate Radical Organizational Change for Safety and A Universal Model for Safety ‘X’-cellence. He can be reached at (315) 383-3801, LLHSOS@dreamscape.com or http://www.L2HSOS.com.

Insight on Excellence

Insight on Excellence — “The problem is so many managers are tied to accident numbers because OSHA requires them to be. It's a lousy measure. You're measuring stuff over which you have damn little control. Much of what OSHA requires flies in the face of what really improves a safety system.” — Dan Petersen

Question of Excellence No. 1 — What metric are you using to measure the success of your safety efforts, and why?

Insight on Excellence — “An organization can never improve its process if it believes people are the problem.” — Fred Manuele

Question of Excellence No. 2 — What do managers in your organization believe to be the primary cause of accidents?

Hint: To get an honest answer, summarize the causes cited on your accident investigation reports for the last 6 months. If you're average, you'll most likely find some derivation of unsafe act, carelessness or, as one human resource director (battling high workers' compensation losses) put it: “Employees doing dumb, stupid, human idiot tricks.” Hey, that would make an interesting acronym!

Insight on Excellence — “Understand that what we believe precedes policy, procedure and practice.” (I'd also add performance) — Max DePree, past CEO of Herman Miller Co. and author, Leadership is an Art

Question of Excellence No. 3 — Where on the risk management strategy continuum does your organization currently focus the majority of its time, energy and resources?

Insight on Excellence — Without solid core values to guide our actions in times of stress and question, we end up victims to the preponderance of rules, regulations and standards imposed by the rules trolls.” — Mark Sanborn, author of Teambuilt

Question of Excellence No. 4 — Does your organization invest more time generating rules and disciplinary standards, or working with employees to forge shared self-policing values?

Insight on Excellence — “Training is only the beginning, the first 30 percent of learning. The other 70 percent comes from the environment, actions, interactions and consequence systems of the organization.” — BLS Report

Question of Excellence No. 5 — What are the predominant consequences being used to manage safe behavior in your organization?

Hint: Compare the number of write-ups vs. atta-boys on file, and if that ratio is predominantly punitive, changes may be in order.

Insight on Excellence — “I'll see it when I believe it” — Joel Barker, futurist

Question of Excellence No. 6 — What is the energy ratio concerning safety in your organization?