I have never been with a CEO who did not think safety was important. All of them always make a point of reinforcing how much it really matters.
But what they need to decide is whether that is a value or a priority.
We know that profit is important, in fact it is the fuel for any business to continue to exist. However, if we do not take care of our people, if we cannot translate this value in a way that speaks to the personal values of our people, how attractive will we be as a company for people to come and build our business with us?
We know that the safety culture will demand from us blood, sweat, and tears, and for this reason, we cannot believe that the CEO’s real stance on the subject should go unnoticed.
Surely when we get the message from the CEO saying: Come to our company here we will take care of you and together we will grow. To me this is a thousand times more attractive than: come and grow with us.
Priority or value, this is not a play on words. This needs to be proven by the time, the choices, attitudes, behaviors, and habits we perceive from our leaders, including the CEO.
Finally, I want to reinforce that one of the most relevant roles of CEOs is to be the spokesperson for the company’s beliefs and values.
It is up to each spokesperson to be genuine and always share their personal experience so that they inspire, encourage and build trust among all.
CEO’s, you are and always will be the first heroes of Safety Culture.