Must it be measured?

Managers focus on numbers, and in safety that means injury records and compensation costs. When I discuss People-Based Safety principles and procedures with managers, I inevitably get the question, “What’s the return on investment?” Managers want to know how much the process will cost and how long it will take for the numbers to improve. This analytical approach is obviously inspired by the popular management principle, “You can only manage what you can measure.”

Leaders certainly appreciate the need to hold people accountable with numbers, but they also understand you can’t measure everything. There are some things you do and ask others to do because it’s the right thing to do. Leaders believe, for example, it’s important to increase self-esteem, self-efficacy, personal control, optimism, and a sense of belonging throughout a work culture.