Larry Wilson Live: Conversations with Real Safety Experts

Transforming a "Culture of Blame" with Pierre-Jean Paumard

April 09, 2021 Larry Wilson Season 1 Episode 9
Larry Wilson Live: Conversations with Real Safety Experts
Transforming a "Culture of Blame" with Pierre-Jean Paumard
Show Notes

Even world-class companies can be hard pressed or have their progress stalled by “blame”. But for other companies, the problems blame can cause have been crippling: employee engagement goes close to zero, and as a result improvement at ground level is close to zero. 

Another problem blame creates is the perception of unfair or biased penalties being administered as punishment. And this could be anything from forcing the employee to take a safety training course to being fired for a safety violation or breaking a rule. 

Rarely is punishment seen as being fair and just—which then furthers or perpetuates the negative spiral.

Okay, so blame creates negativity and apathy, both of which are counter-productive to any company’s safety efforts. But what if you “inherit” or are already working in a culture of blame—what do you do? What can you do—that works, or that did work?

Pierre-Jean can tell you.

He got a job at a company that had a culture “steeped” or “deeply-rooted” in blame and punishment. It was the most negative safety culture he had ever encountered…and yet, he managed to turn it all around.