Why Is Management Not Listening?
So many times safety professionals find themselves pushing a rock uphill. Management brings them in because they acknowledge there are safety issues that need to be addressed; however, they seem to ignore or block any initiative brought up by the same professional they hired. It can frustrate the best of us! Are they intentionally trying to sabotage you? Probably not. Do they just not care? Unlikely. So what gives? Too many times we fail to understand and consider the company's motivational level when we talk about safety. As it relates to safety, every company goes through three motivational stages: 1. Financial Responsibility Stage — Generally small and/or start-up companies that don't have the financial or organizational resources to go beyond basic compliance. Although the executives and owners DO care and DO understand that the bare minimum is just that, they simply can't go above and beyond at this time. Strategy: Build a solid program that meets all the needed s...