Avoiding Safety Conversations

May 02 2022
By: Shawn M. Galloway

A large plant in the United States had been an OSHA VPP (Voluntary Protection Program) Star site for many years. They were coming up for renewal. Corporate leadership felt the culture under current leadership was going in the wrong direction. They hired me to find out. They were right. I have led hundreds of similar projects to determine the current state of culture and what the focus needs to be on for continuous improvement. I will never forget this one lady and what she said to me. During one focus group conversation led across the plant, we landed on the topic of safety conversations and feedback. When asked what the safety conversations were like and what was discussed, an hourly associate responded: "You know, I'll be retiring in a few months after thirty years here. The only time they talked to me about safety is when I'd done something wrong. Just once before I retire, I wish they would tell me when I've done something right." Unfortunately, safety was a conversation this employee avoided, not something she sought out.

Is performance feedback a neutral, good or bad conversation within your company? Conversations are a significant part of shaping culture. What conversations are shaping yours?

"One good conversation can shift the direction of change forever." - Linda Lam

"Positive reinforcement changes behavior for the better, while criticism stabilizes negative behaviors and blocks change." - Virginia H. Pearce