(145a) Risk Awareness: The Key to Operational Discipline

Operational Discipline is defined as conducting each task the right way, every time. The effectiveness of a management system requires Operational Discipline and rigor in execution. Typically, the ‘right way’ is interpreted as adhering to procedures. While adhering to procedures is certainly an important characteristic of Operational Discipline, it is not the only one. In our work with organizations in diverse industries, we have encountered many organizations that conduct tasks according to procedures. However, incidents still happen. Why is that? Based upon our experience, we find that a second critical characteristic of Operational Discipline is neglected - risk awareness and sensitivity. In order to reduce incidents, organizations must ensure that employees are aware of and sensitive to risks that may occur in the work places and have the procedures and processes in place to mitigate those risks. In this presentation, we share our experience in building cultures that exhibit Operational Discipline through employee engagement strategies and the use of simple tools.