Organizational culture fuels the engine that makes things happen in the workplace.  This holds especially true in environmental, health, & safety (EHS).  Moreover, top management commitment in EHS organizational culture makes all the difference in the level of accomplishment.

 

Strong cultures provide clarity, support, and willingness to succeed.  Lacking cultures display apathy, resistance to change, and an uncooperative spirit.  The former invites flexibility and growth.  The latter stifles the organizational change needed to attain EHS goals.

 

The ability of top management to lead by example defines the blueprint for EHS organizational culture.  As such, the blueprint can be rewritten to help guide the culture toward desired results.  So, read on for actionable steps to defend against the deficient EHS culture we all dread.  

 

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Build Trust

 

According to experts, business success goes hand in hand with trust.  Great Place to Work® studies organizational culture in the marketplace and concludes organizations with high-trust cultures enjoy the following:

 

• Higher returns in the stock market (2-3 times greater than average).
• A 50% lower turnover rate than competitors.
• Greater organizational agility, employee engagement, customer satisfaction, etc.

 

So, how do you get to an organizational culture that engenders trust and reinforces top management commitment in EHS?  Authenticity is key.  Those around you can sense when your words and demeanor/body language don’t align.

 

Furthermore, top management must work to develop strong relationships.  These robust associations should exist across functions and throughout all levels of the organization.  Show genuine interest in workers as people, and provide opportunities for employee access to senior leaders.  This will help the “us and them” sentiment grow into the “we” attitude needed for true collaboration.

 

Additionally, allow everyone respect and dignity.  Remember, trust is simply faith in another to do no harm.  Treating individuals poorly causes them emotional and mental damage.  So, live by the golden rule and interact with others in the same manner you expect them to interact with you.

 

Stay Accountable to the Same EHS Standards as Workers

 

The best leaders, those who show the truest commitment, lead from the trenches alongside their people.  They play by the same rules and sink or swim with their teams. 

 

It’s no different when speaking about EHS organizational culture.  Those displaying the deepest top management commitment in EHS keep themselves accountable to the same standards as workers.   

 

Okay, how do you stay accountable?  Know and adhere to EHS rules.  Also, remain open to constructive criticism with regards to your personal EHS performance.  Finally, take responsibility for mistakes and maintain a positive attitude and implement self-correction when necessary.

 

 

Nurture Frontline Supervisors & Managers to Keep EHS a Priority

 

In a 2011 CareerBuilder survey, 58% of managers reported not receiving any management training upon starting to manage others.  So, how can top management commitment in EHS be cultivated if frontline supervisors and managers aren’t provided guidance on the roles they play in EHS?  Simple . . . It can’t.

 

Providing appropriate training and coaching to frontline supervisors and managers with regards to their EHS roles within the organization gives validity to top management’s commitment to EHS.  It shows top management’s willingness to invest in employees and the EHS program.  Moreover, the action gives an opportunity to align top management’s and the frontline’s EHS message.

 

 

Show Commitment Instead of Speaking to Commitment

 

Walking the walk instead of just talking the talk goes a long way in showing the authenticity critical to the strong EHS organizational culture we discussed during the Build Trust section.  Showing top management commitment in EHS can be accomplished in many ways including:

 

• Provide proper and adequate resources for the EHS program.
• Ensure appropriate follow-up on employee’s EHS suggestions.
• Take an active role in the EHS program by making observations, assisting in investigations, providing EHS moments during meetings, etc.
• Make decisions that position EHS as a core value within the organization.

 

 

Use EHS Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Drive Decisions

 

Finally, workers respond best to rational, value-added decisions.  Thus, data, i.e. key performance indicators, should drive the EHS decisions of senior leaders.

 

Top management commitment in EHS benefits by showing employees a sound decision-making strategy.  Additionally, the EHS program will have the opportunity to grow through continuous improvement initiatives based on identified need, not speculation.

 

Furthermore, KPI data will provide the information necessary to set SMART goals.  Top management and the organization deserve the creation of specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound targets to build a foundation for future EHS organizational culture success.

 

Knowing how and which indicators to use for decision-making is crucial to ongoing success.  Do you need a little help shaping an EHS key performance indicator strategy to attain your goals? 

 

You can reference the following articles to get you started down the right path:

 

• Proactive Leading Indicators: Striving for the Spectacular EHS Results You Desire
• Safety Key Performance Indicators to Guide Your Improvement Efforts
• Key EHS Performance Indicators Every Organization Needs to Track
• Leading and Lagging Indicators: How to Measure Workplace Safety to Reduce Workplace Incidents

 

 

Other EHS Articles of Interest

 

Start Negotiating for EHS Management Systems Like the Pro You Are

 

Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace: Plan, Implement, and Practice to Win at Safeguarding Your Employees

 

Simple Ways to Dip Your Toe into Environmental Sustainability in Business Today

 

Improve EHS Performance by Resolving the Poor Leadership People Never Tell You About

 

Shielding Success: The Vital Role of EHS in Small Business Operations

Final Thoughts

 

The impact of top management commitment in EHS cannot be underestimated in organizational culture.  Senior leaders must lead by example through building trust, staying accountable, nurturing a strong frontline, walking the walk, and using KPIs in EHS decision making.

 

In doing so, they create an extremely robust blueprint for success and defend against a deficient EHS organizational culture.

 

Prorsa Consulting prides itself on offering Honest Efficient Intelligent environmental and safety services to help businesses discover and reach their EHS goals.  You can find more information concerning our offerings on the Services page. Feel free to email contact@prorsaconsulting.com with questions concerning Prorsa Consulting’s services.

 

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