Zero Accident Culture

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WasteAdvantage
The Advantage in the Waste Industry

Leveraging Communication: Clarity Consistency Continuous - Celebrate

John Wayhart
In todays wIreless world, there are numerous ways to communicate, yet, we oftentimes overlook, misinterpret or take for granted how important the gift of communication is, especially from our senior leadership team. A real game changer for an organization is how effectively the CEO and other senior leaders communicate the importance of workplace excellence initiatives through actions, words and holding people accountable. When a communications strategy is precise and consistent, the impact can be significant. It is time for the waste industry to call upon every senior leader to strategically communicate the importance of workplace excellence, therefore creating a Zero Accident Culture (ZAC) within each and every organization. Note: Accountability to achieve workplace excellence is a competitive advantage. behavioral role model, you can have a lasting effect on an organization. As we discussed previously, a few of the ways senior leaders can emphasize workplace safety through their actions include: conducting workplace excellence operational tours, meeting with the Safety Committee three times per year, become a small part of the new employee orientation process, actively celebrate and hunt for success within your operations.

An overview of the ROle cOmmunicAtiOn plAys in Achieving A ZeRO Accident cultuRe.

Continuity Takes Discipline

As a leader, finding ways to continuously advance the objective and goal of workplace excellence will be a guiding value that your organization expects and wants to be recognized. Employee newsletters, companywide e-mails, letters sent home, office posters, bulletin board messages, payroll stuffers, local newspaper press releases on safety achievement and mission statements are multiple ways to continuously set forth the strength behind the ZAC message. Employees, families and stakeholders want to know their company cares about them. Sending this kind of message never gets old.

Provide Clarity
Today, we have communication overload. There are so many ways to communicate to employees that oftentimes important, critical and meaningful objectives can be overlooked. When setting forth organizational goals and responsibilities regarding workplace excellence, it is important to be abundantly clear as to what your expectations are relative to workplace excellence. This is where a Corporate Safety Mission Statement could be helpful in communicating the corporate objective and goal of workplace excellence. When signed by senior leaders, it begins to shape an organizations value toward employees, their family and importantly customers.

Celebrate Success
When was the last time your company celebrated success for workplace excellence? There is no greater value or clearer message to celebrate success than when someone is being recognized by peers and management. This year, make it a point to begin considering how your company can begin to celebrate success. This can be the most important part of the continuous improvement process in advancing to the next steps of workplace excellence in safety, prevention of loss and workplace efficiency. A few examples of celebrating success include: Take the time at a company gathering, picnic or holiday party to dedicate a few moments to the success of the operations working towards workplace safety. Recognize an individual, department or location for their contribution. Strategic cookouts where the senior leaders visit at a location and cook hamburgers and hot dogs to help further the ZAC message.

The discipline of wriTing someThing down is The firsT sTep Towards making iT happen.

Lee Iacocca, former Chief Executive of the Chrysler Corporation

Consistency is Key
With so many methods available to communicate to your employees, be sure to leverage every one of them to emphasize the critical skillset of workplace excellence, and the importance of getting home safely. It is important that the written and spoken word is consistently telling the same messagehow a person in a leadership role needs to have consistent behavior (i.e., consistently acting in a safe manner). This form of communication can be the most impactful since as a

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WasteAdvantage Magazine January 2012

leveraging Communication: Clarity Consistency Continuous - Celebrate

Create a special plaque, parking space, gift, local newspaper article or company newsletter to memorialize the individual successes. Celebrating success and the recognition of those who make it happen becomes critical in defining moments throughout the course of the year. Its just like what your mother or father used to say, Its not only what you say; its how you say it that really matters. The discipline of communication will provide the discipline, focus and advancement of workplace excellence. make, whether youre a senior leader or safety director. With discipline and leadership, everyone can achieve Zero. You just need to believe in it and execute. I hope this has inspired you to aim high and come together as an industry to make a different listas one of the Top 10 Safest occupations in the future. | WA John Wayhart is a Senior Vice President at Assurance (Schaumburg, IL). With more than 29 years in the insurance and risk management industry, his expertise lies in providing solutions for a wide range of businesses including the waste and recycling industries. For 2012, John will provide a series of articles that will provide further guidance, insight and focus to continuously improve safety efforts within your workplace. If youd like to share your feedback, ideas, examples of workplace safety efforts or obtain a sample corporate safety mission statement, call (847) 463-7161 or e-mail jwayhart@ assuranceagency.com. Zero Accident Culture is a registered trademark.

why does the ceo or leader of a company have such an impact? Because of the relationship between leaders and followers. Think about this: 15% of the population will
follow an idea because they think its a good idea it becomes a rule or law

Predict, Prevent, Prosper

By getting leadership involved, setting the appropriate goals and developing a strategic communication plan focused on results, youll be on pace to creating a Zero Accident Culture within your organization. I hope these messages and ideas over the past few months have helped you realize the impact you can

40% will follow that idea when 80% will follow the idea when
that law or rule becomes enforced will not follow a law until a leader whom they respect demonstrates the value of the idea

The final 20% of the population

2012 Waste Advantage Magazine, All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Waste Advantage Magazine. Contents cannot be reprinted without permission from the publisher.

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