ABA

An old adage in quality improvement efforts was, “Do it right the first time.” That statement is particularly relevant when it comes to behavior-based safety. As a good friend of mine likes to say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This statement is also relevant because behavior-based safety is much harder the second time around.

Safety is about Leadership: Placing employee behavior at the frontline in establishing a culture of company safety. For many years, leadership as it relates to safety has often been defined as support, which at times translates to just don’t impede the process.

The phrase “leadership support” has become a cliché in discussing safety. We always hear about the importance of leadership support and “walking the talk.” The reason we hear so much about such support is because it is important. Yet it is too often poorly defined. Leadership support is often seen as just delivering a series of messages about the importance of safety.

We as humans behave the way we do for one reason: to get what we need and want. This is quite a bold statement, I know, but it is pure science, the science of behavior. Although the focus of this article is driver behavior, what you will read can be applied to any behavior.