November 23 2020
By: Terry L. Mathis
I continue to be called in by clients who are struggling to solve a particular safety problem. These are not uneducated or unintelligent people, and the problems are not unsolvable. So, what is the issue? It is less often a lack of solutions and more often a lack of accurately identifying the problem.
I often hear that people are not thinking before they act or not doing their best. When I examine the situation, I find that people are thinking but not accurately, and they are trying their best but don't have clear expectations of what they should do or what good performance looks like.
Problem identification is prone to oversimplification and clichés. All too often, people fail to solve a problem because they are trying to solve the wrong problem.
Terry Mathis, Founder and retired CEO of ProAct Safety, has served as a consultant and advisor for top organizations the world over. A respected strategist and thought leader, Terry has authored five books, numerous articles, videos and blogs, and is known for his dynamic and engaging presentations. EHS Today has named him one of the '50 People Who Most Influenced EHS' four consecutive times. Business leaders and safety professionals seek Terry's practical insight and unique ability to introduce new perspectives that lead to real change.
