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Five Keys to a Successful Risk Management Program : C-O-A-C-H
Del Lisk, vice president of safety services, DriveCam
DriveCam recently attended the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Expo in New Orleans, La. With an increased focus on driver training at these recent meetings, we thought our readers would value revisiting an article that offers tips for COACHING your organization to a safer and greater 2007!
As part of DriveCam's Safety Services team, I have had the pleasure to visit many of the fleets which manage the 35,000 vehicles using DriveCam equipment. Although each fleet is different, there are common steps many of the most successful organizations have taken to make best use of the DriveCam Driver Risk Management Solution and reduce traffic collisions. I've chosen COACH as an acronym to highlight these steps because these fleets have positioned the program as a management tool designed to coach drivers and foster driver behavior improvement as opposed to a tool used to penalize drivers.
C level support is key
O pen communication with employees is crucial
A pplication of the process must be constant and consistent
C lear set of positive and negative consequences must exist
H ave someone monitoring and measuring program managers
C level support is key. Every organization that has been successful in leveraging the DriveCam Driver Risk Management Solution has had strong support from the very top. The CEO, CFO, COO or other high-level executive directly endorsed the launch of the program. This is crucial to the success of the solution because it signals to the rest of the organization this is an important initiative. It's important to keep the top level support too. High-level visibility is accomplished by periodically reporting back to the original sponsor of the program.
Open communication with employees is crucial. Success requires cooperation throughout the organization. Top-notch organizations involve labor and labor representatives in the DriveCam decision-making process. And, they educate drivers about the program before the first video recorder is placed in the vehicle.
Application of the process must be constant and consistent. To sustain outstanding results, the program application must never take "a breather." This means processes and roles are understood and staffing is sufficient to handle the program tasks. The Driver Risk Management Solution is not treated as a "flavor of the month" program, but is an integral component of the organization's risk management initiatives.
Clear set of positive and negative consequences must exist. Some employees will change their driving behavior on their own initiative, while others won't change without motivation. Consequences don't always need to be heavy-handed. A meeting with a driver to review a video that demonstrates risky driving behavior usually is enough to send a message that corrections must be made. Only a very small percentage of drivers may require more formal action to trigger a change in how they drive. The point is to show drivers you are committed to their safety and the safety of the fleet and will be reviewing events to reduce risky driving behaviors. And, don't forget positive consequences. Acknowledge and reward drivers who rarely trigger the video recorder. This strategy will foster employees' positive feelings about the DriveCam program.
Have someone monitoring and measuring the program manager's performance. The DriveCam solution works without fail when the processes are properly applied. The proper application is in the hands of the local managers. High-achieving organizations collect data from each of their sites on an ongoing basis. This data enables stakeholders to measure success and verify that the program is being applied properly. Track your program managers' performance and coach them as necessary.
Whether you are already using the DriveCam Driver Risk Management Solution program, or getting ready to implement it, be sure to weave "COACH" into your game plan. As so many organizations already have proven, the payoff in reduced collisions and improved safety for your employees will be enormous.
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