You have probably heard the phrase, "You Can't Fix What You Don't Measure," right.?
Of course you have, or you may have heard it as, "You Can't Fix What You Can't Measure." Think of the things that you have tried to improve in the past. Were all of your attempts at doing something good for your company or workforce, or just doing the right thing at the right time, received well by managers and employees?
What were the results?
Were they all a huge success?
How many are alive & well today?
Example: Stretch Programs
Let's say that you or someone you know started a stretch program 3 years ago. It's not uncommon for warm up & stretch program to fade away over time or even become extinct, unless you are one of the people that took the time and effort to PPEE - Plan, Prepare, Execute & Evaluate™ for success.
Now let's fast forward a bit. Looking back or looking at today, ask yourself a couple of additional questions:
Is your stretch program effective or not?
Has it improved or declined over time?
What could or would have made it better?
How, what, why and where did you measure?
Most programs like these, which are supposed to improve health and safety outcomes, are not implemented or tracked in a way that keeps today's actions aligned with future and sustainable goals. If you recall, the first rocket ship to the moon was off target over 90% of the time, but by measuring and making timely adjustments we hit the target as planned.
When we ask leaders and employees what happened to your stretch program, the answer we hear most often is, "I don't really know."
I could make a list of what to do and what not to do, to start or bring back to life a SAFE stretch program. I could even sell you a complete DIY package, but that's not the reason for writing this blog.
One reason for this blog is to point out that everybody has their own opinions and beliefs, about everything. You may have heard the saying, "There are 9 billion people on the planet, and we all think we're right." These often get in the way of identifying goals, measuring progress and achieving success. To start with:
What is success?
Who defines it?
How do you know when you get there?
What are the failure points and barriers you need to overcome?
Can barriers be broken down into smaller pieces?
How do you sustain positive behaviors and healthy outcomes?
Every company should have the same goals when it comes employee Health & Safety:
Do No Harm
Reduce Loss
Prevent Injuries & Illnesses (Harm)
Define or Redefine Success
Improve Output & Outcomes
There are some lagging indicators of success or failure, such as the number and cost of lost time incidents, workers' comp costs, and DART days... But what numbers need to tracked in order to improve health and injury outcomes for every employee, especially the top 10 causes of disabling injuries?
Top 10 Causes of Disabling Injuries
Better yet, how do you get employees age 18 to 75, people with their own individual perceptions, habits, behaviors, struggles and interests, to embrace change for their own health and safety - as well as that of their coworkers and families?
Musculoskeletal Injuries and same level Slips, Trips & Falls account for about 65%-70% of direct & indirect costs and losses, so why not Measure & Improve What Matters?
. . . What was your first thought?
. . . Was it a barrier, or an invitation?
What we can tell you from years of experience and thousands of surveys and observations, is that the numbers of an average workforce don't look good - and will continue to produce negative and costly outcomes until a company gets proactive and integrates a system and process that will ensure sustainable success.
Not another "Flavor of the Month" or "Flash in the Pan," like Step Trackers or Cell Phone Apps... Things that take even more time out of a work day.
Many leaders think that they don't have the time and/or money to prevent negative outcomes (Back Injuries, Slips, Trips & Falls, Etc.), or say that's why they have insurance. What we can tell you is that many people, really just about every leader (Manager, Supervisor, Etc.) do not thoroughly understand the dynamics at play in prevention, or the intrinsic value of prevention. This is not their specialty.
Many times, these types of thoughts are overshadowed by messages that are delivered every day by Medical, Treatment, Pharmaceutical & Insurance Companies. For the most part, all of these are reactive fixes, not proactive & sustainable solutions.
Let's look at another example of Numbers That Matter:
The health and efficiency number of the average workforce is about 30%. Not a good number! Even if that number is 50% in your workforce, there's still a lot of improvements that need to happen, and the sooner the better for everyone's sake - including your budgets and bottom-line.
Accurate has spent thousands of hours developing education and skills training courses that incorporate "Measuring What Matters" from the employers point of view and engage employees in their own self-improvement and goal-achieving process. Not a software program or an app on a cell phone, like a sleep tracker (Another Gimmick). After all, nothing says "I Care" more than a new app, right? Wrong!
Accurate has also developed a patented method that includes specific measurements to take, plus how to improve and track desired goals and results. No apps are needed!
There are 2 programs and several courses to choose from. Courses for people with physical jobs (P.O.W.E.R.), seated & standing jobs (P.A.U.S.E), and for people that work remotely, or work from home (W.F.M.).
AE training courses increase efficiency scores from 30% to 90% or better!
That means the same or more work can be performed, with better results, fewer incidents and lower labor, absenteeism, presenteeism (Costs 10X More than Absenteeism), and turnover costs.
You don't need to spend a lot of money on researching and developing your own training program, and you don't need to hire another employee. You also don't need to hire a vendor that wants you to pay to have one of their employees on-site, such as an Ergonomist or Exercise Coach, who may also just so happen to be a Physical Therapist or other Treatment Provider with offices near you. Ask us why when we talk next.
Accurate can train your leaders and trainers via a Train-the-Trainer program (Online or On-Site) on why and how to measure and achieve sustainable success in the areas that matter most. You can also purchase one of our DIY packages or have one of our specialists kick off your program.
There is no time like the present to get started or "Plan for Success in 2022!"
Read the blog Major Shift in Employee Mindsets, or contact Accurate to find out more about how we can help you and your valuable team, prevent costly injuries, improve health outcomes and increase the efficiency of every employee, not just injured workers.
