116 Introduction to Safety Accountability

Element 5: Appropriate Application of Consequences

Without the expectation of consequences, accountability has no credibility and will not be effective. In other words, no consequences - no accountability. Consequences need to be appropriate as well as effective. This is the element with which everyone is probably most familiar. Unfortunately, in some companies, consequences are either not appropriate, not effective, or both.

Criteria for Appropriate Consequences

• They are justified.
• They correspond to the degree of positive or negative results of the behavior.
• They are applied consistently throughout the entire organization.

Justified Consequences

Negative consequences are justified when the person administering discipline has fulfilled their own accountabilities first. Positive consequences are justified any time employees meet or exceed expectations. Here's an important principle (We call it the 5-R principle):

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.