Confront the brutal facts

A management guru once said we must confront the brutal facts. This can be depressing, especially when the facts convey bad news, but it will set us free to take the appropriate action.

For example, I've coached many leaders to be better safety leaders simply unaware of the safety challenges they face. They don't even know how many people are being injured or even killed on the job! It's essential they confront the brutal facts.

But people can have different reactions to the facts:

1. Ignorance: 'I never knew so many people were getting hurt on our jobs.' ?
2. Avoidance: 'I focus so much on delivery and cost, safety hardly gets a look in.' It’s not discussed internally nor with customers or suppliers.
3. Separate oneself from the problem: 'If the people getting hurt are contractors, well it’s too bad but it’s not really my problem.'
4. Resignation: 'We enforce the rules but the workforce doesn’t comply…?It’s impossible to influence contractors to influence the sub-contractors ….Hundreds of thousands of people die on the road every year – how can we change that??Especially in countries where compliance with road safety rules is lax and not enforced'.

I understand these reactions. No one wants to hear this kind of news. It’s horrible.

But confronting the facts with courage, ownership and a willingness to learn sets us free. We’re dealing with reality, not a made-up story or something we’ve just ignored or shoved down the list of priorities. Or blamed on someone else.

The magic starts when we own the problem, even if it seems insoluble. And owning the problem is the first step to solving it. Seeing leaders confront the facts and then choosing to own the problem is the highlight of my work! Nothing changes except their attitudes! And I feel their commitment.

Obviously confronting and owning the facts is relevant not only in safety. In every area of life, we can choose to ignore the problem or blame someone else or give up. Taking the courage to face reality allows us to be free and start searching for a solution.

I hope you found this helpful. If you want to talk about the brutal facts you’re facing get in touch with me. I also have this on video, you can check it here.