April 17 2023
By: Shawn M. Galloway
How much training focuses on what to do when things do not go as planned?
Finding an industrial location without posted signs encouraging a safety mindset is odd throughout the developed world. Moreover, the more mature the organization, the more often leadership routinely urges employees not to put production over safety. These same individuals express frustration when learning of an employee who took a shortcut or behaved incongruent with expectations when things do not go as planned, such as an upset condition.
In the military, we would train like we fight and fight like we were trained. This training includes developing vital contingency planning skills and responding as a team in changing conditions or encountering additional unanticipated difficulties. In many occupational environments, most training focuses on normal operations or how to perform the work as planned. However, for many reasons, work will often not go as planned in each of these environments throughout the day. The risk of deviations from the plan increases significantly with less experienced workers.
Work to create a culture with your teams where it is safe and expected to discuss when work did not go according to plan, even when outcomes didn't yield any damage, defects or injuries. Embrace those conversations as they are significant operational learning opportunities. Use case studies, events videos, and what-if conversations to develop contingency thinking and habit strength on what to do when things do not go as planned because they will, somewhere, every day. How prepared are your workers?
"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." — Robert Burns
"You fight like you train." — George S. Patton Jr.
"No battle plan survives contact with the enemy." — Helmuth von Moltke.
Shawn M. Galloway is the CEO of ProAct Safety and an advisor to leading organizations across all major industries. With over twenty years of experience in safety systems, strategy, culture, leadership, and employee engagement, he is a trusted advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness.
He is the author of several bestselling books and has multiple regular columns in leading magazines, with over 400 articles and 100 videos to his credit. He also created the first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence, with over 800 episodes. Shawn has received numerous prestigious accolades and has been featured in Power 101 Leaders of the EHS World, Top 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS, Top 40 Rising Stars, Top 11 Health and Safety Influencers, and Top 10 Speakers.
He serves on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and the Fast Company Executive Board. He has appeared as a guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, The Daily Mail, Dubai One, U.S. News & World Report, Sirius Business Radio, Wharton Business Daily, and leading safety magazines and podcasts, reinforcing his status as an authority in the field of safety excellence.
For more information, call +1.936.273.8700 or email info@ProActSafety.com.
