Principles don’t work when safety is not a value among the people they are meant to guide.
In the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People“, Stephen R. Covey discusses the difference between principles and values. He does so to show the difference in those “highly effective people”. I want to use the same framework, but through the lens of “highly effective safety”. Many of us have heard the concept of making safety a value rather than a priority. This concept is CORE to building lasting momentum in our safety improvement efforts. But it is VERY DIFFICULT to do; mostly because most people do not understand the difference between a “principle” and a “value”. Let’s discuss the differences and how they impact a shifting safety culture.
So I asked Ai to explain the difference between principles and values, and it actually was a great response: