April 04 2022
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Hired to coach and advise a new plant manager in developing a plant-specific safety excellence strategy, one of the priorities we chose focused on improving communication. Despite being a well-liked leader, the plant manager he replaced due to retirement was not the most effective communicator. I've long taught that with culture, whoever has the loudest and most influential voice shapes perceptions, and narratives will form in the absence of the correct information. Usually, it will not be the narrative you want.
As a result, the rumor mill was strong at the plant and often incorrect. One of the priority communication objectives was to "reduce the misinformation list." As we later developed a balanced scorecard to monitor the execution of the strategy and the efficacy of the choices made on their ability to yield sustainable improvement, in the engagement and perception category created, reducing the number of items on the misinformation list became a key leading indicator. While the rumor mill hasn't completely gone away two years later, it is significantly more accurate today.
The more timely, consistent, and personal our communication is, the more effective the communication, and the stronger and more trustworthy your company relationships will be. How are you monitoring the effectiveness and accuracy of communication within your culture? Within the different levels or groups, how long is your misinformation list?
"Misinformation destroys trust. When you destroy trust, you destroy the bonds that hold society together." - Laurence Overmire
"It isn't what we know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so." - Josh Billings
"It's okay to be honest about not knowing rather than spreading falsehood. While it is often said that honesty is the best policy, silence is the second best policy." - Criss Jami
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.
