To establish a just culture within the workplace is to foster a standard of accountability and trust that values learning over accusations. As businesses are comprised of humans, and humans are naturally predisposed to make the occasional mistake, errors in the workplace are bound to occur. As these mistakes are unavoidable, it is the way we handle them that dictates their resolution. And, by establishing a just culture, businesses can learn to avoid the perils of unnecessarily and harshly blaming employees, which ultimately results in distrust, lowered workplace morale, and further incidents.
The Importance of Building Trust Among Your Staff
Incident reporting is vital when it comes to analyzing and, ultimately, rectifying workplace errors. When handled properly, businesses can work with their employees to identify the underlying causes and factors that lead to these errors. However, if a business has created a retaliatory and rigid environment where workers are inclined to fear repercussions, that business can surely expect a reduction in incident reporting, incomplete reporting, and, unsurprisingly, an overall lack of cooperation among its employees.
On the other hand, establishing a just culture in the workplace offers employees the freedom to speak their minds and address incidents freely without the looming anxiety of reprimands. A just culture helps establish trust among staff members and can greatly strengthen employer/employee relationships, which, in turn, increases productivity and morale, as well as other benefits.
Emphasizing Accountability
Promoting a trustworthy environment and minimizing blame is not to say that a just culture is free of accountability. On the contrary, accountability is essential in addressing errors and preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future. It is important to note that within a just culture employees are not only responsible for their own actions, but also the actions of their coworkers. By emphasizing both personal and shared accountability, businesses can hope to boost work ethic through mutual enforcement of the rules, guidelines, and procedures set forth by employers. This heightened sense of responsibility and cooperation causes employees to perform more diligently while encouraging coworkers to strive for the same standards.
A Just Culture in the World of Healthcare
The factors surrounding a just culture in the workplace will vary greatly depending on the scope of the business. For some, an incident may be defined as a misplacement of shipped materials or a client being unnecessarily billed for services they did not receive. In the field of healthcare, however, these incidents are often very serious, and, if not properly addressed, can lead to worsened complications in a patient’s health and even death. By promoting just cultures in hospitals, clinics, specialized medicine, and doctors’ offices, healthcare providers will not only increase productivity and staff relationships, but also – and more important – save lives.