Lessons for Leaders from West Virginia

America held its breath, offered prayers and wept while witnessing the events unfold in a small church across from a coal mine in West Virginia. The incident resulted in a series of tragedies that we will not soon forget. In its aftermath, many living away from the coal mine area returned to regular activities, sympathetic for those most affected and happy that the incident did not affect them. Many will come to realize that the coal mine disaster in West Virginia will affect them in the coming year. It is likely what we have experienced vicariously will result in increased government regulations, liability insurance premiums, and watchdog activity. Some marginal mines may be temporarily shut down which will likely result in a reduction in supply on the coal market leading to another increase in energy prices this winter. Within every crisis, challenge or tragedy looms opportunities to grow, learn and improve. For those of us who watched from an uninvolved distance, our opportunity resides in applying the following lessons of the tragedy to our local situations. Organizational change must be well managed. According to published reports, the mine had been purchased just six weeks prior to the accident. Organizational shifts at the top of the chart will be reverberated throughout. Changes cannot be over managed. Every supervisor, shift leader and manager must be brought into the change management process. Changes cannot be over communicated. Communication must be repeated in multiple formats so that everyone has the opportunity to rehear the change message. Change management experts can make the difference between winning and tragic results. A culture of safety must pervade all areas of the organization. The regulatory track record of the mine was less than acceptable according to published reports. Safety slogans posted throughout the work areas and widely distributed safety e-mails are not enough. Safety as the #1 priority begins at the top. The priority placed on safety can usually be judged by the amount of human and financial resources dedicated to it within the budget. Safety must be rewarded at every level. Every supervisor, shift leader and manager must encourage and support injury, near miss, and safety hazard reporting. A high level of safety must not only be expected but rewarded. Professional development is an essential element of producing results. According to published reports, state regulators had cited the mine for failure to provide mandated safety training within year leading up to the disaster. Managers looking to reduce expenses generally cut training and travel budget lines first. Organizations succeed because the people within them succeed. If human resources are the greatest assets an organization possesses, then cutting their development diminishes the organization's future profitability. Increasing competencies and capabilities add to the bottom line. The more competent employees feel about their ability to do their jobs well, the lower the organization's turnover rates, workers compensation claims and time out of the office. Quality professional development must not be viewed as optional. Lessons from the nationalized West Virginia coal mine tragedies require local action. Make workplace safety priority one, manage change throughout the organization, and build competency and capacity in your greatest resource: your human resource.