June 08 2026
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Culture isn't your values on the wall. Culture forms from what people see consistently rewarded and consistently tolerated. It becomes the group's collective habit.
That's why, when values are truly shared, you need less supervision. People self-correct because the standard is real. People learn from experience. "I'm never doing that again." They also learn from the story inside the organization. And the loudest voice often writes that story.
So if you want to change culture, you have to change two things: the experiences people have and the stories people repeat. When what gets rewarded and tolerated shifts, trust can start to build through positive, consistent behavior over time.
If you want safety to be "how we do work," not "something we do," it comes down to leader behavior at every level, from the top to the frontline supervisor.
This week: Identify one experience you need to create, and one story you need to stop reinforcing. Then act on both.
Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety, is an expert in safety excellence. With almost thirty years of experience, he is a highly sought-after advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. Shawn has become a trusted partner to leading organizations across various industries worldwide. He ranks in the top 1% of the most prolific writers in his field, having authored over 500 articles and several bestselling books. He also launched the world's first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence©. As a recognized authority in safety, Shawn has received awards such as being named among the Top 50 People Who Most Influence EHS and a Top 10 Speaker, among others.
He is a regular 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. Shawn also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, Forbes Business Council, and Fast Company Executive Board, enabling his influence to shape safety thinking and strategy at the executive level.
