May 23 2022
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Hired to assess a company's culture, strategy, and system effectiveness, I had to have a frank conversation with the leadership team. The team was putting forth the correct level of effort. Moreover, after reviewing the data, they were also focused in the right direction. The problem? Employee engagement was not increasing, the culture was not improving, and there were problems with employees adhering to the safety rules.
On day one of my visits, immediately when entering the parking lot the direction was visible and apparent throughout, reverse parking only. I noticed maybe twenty percent of the vehicles complied each day. When giving my feedback to the leadership team regarding my findings and recommendations, I asked the leadership team, if we were to all go out in the parking lot right now, please stand if would find your vehicle reverse parked. Only one individual stood.
While this was not the only influence on the culture, it was representative of a huge one. If leaders do not comply with the first rule faced when entering the complex, why would we expect the employees to follow it or others? If the leaders don't lead, the followers won't follow.
"What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Every person has a legacy. You may not know what your impact is, and it may not be something that you can write on your tombstone, but every person has an impact on this world." — Dara Horn
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.
