Staying Focused on Performance

When times are tough – and they sure are tough today – it’s awfully easy to become distracted.

With all the bad news we’re hearing, it’s no wonder so many people have started worrying about the economy or their job. 

And those feelings of uncertainty grow even faster when we start asking questions about the future that no one can answer.

Rather than letting ourselves get carried away by feelings like these, I believe it is essential to stay focused on the things we can control. 

Ops focus

For our operations employees, that focus begins by working in accordance with our MBM^® Guiding Principles, starting with integrity and compliance. 

These principles are the backbone of our approach to environmental, health and safety issues.

Whether you call it EH&S or SHE, the need for continuous awareness and our desired goals is always the same.

First and foremost, we want to ensure that no one gets hurt.  We also want to ensure we understand all our regulatory requirements and execute them flawlessly.

To do this, we can’t afford to be complacent or comfortable.  We always need to check, double-check and question our actions.

For instance, we should always be asking questions such as: Do we have the right people in the right roles?  Do we have a shared vision when it comes to compliance?  Are we normalizing deviations that create EH&S risk?

We must maintain this kind of continuous awareness if we are to achieve our goal of 10,000 percent compliance.  

The challenge

Because of today’s exceptionally challenging economic environment, we are more determined than ever to eliminate waste and inefficiency in our operations.

As you well know, we have been scrutinizing our operations at every site in every country as never before.

At many global operations, cutting EH&S costs can often be done quickly. 

That’s why, when it comes to EH&S, too many companies are tempted to cut corners when faced with tough times. 

Those shortcuts don’t work for us. 

As KII’s president and chief operating officer, Dave Robertson, wrote in the January issue of Discovery, “we refuse to cut corners on safety or compliance.”

We believe EH&S performance is essential.  It cannot be compromised.

If you’re worried that spending some extra money to address an EH&S issue at your site might put your job at risk, think again.  Not spending that money is probably far more dangerous. 

Commercial concerns

Our commercial leaders face a different but equally important challenge.

Their focus needs to be on an ever-growing list of regulatory compliance issues, such as anti-trust and anti-corruption laws, trade sanctions and the like.

In today’s global economy, knowing what’s legal in your home country is not enough. 

We also need to be aware of the laws in the nearly 60 countries where we do business. 

Nations are often joining in joint investigations – such as one recently launched by the United States, Brazil and Germany – that involve overlapping and enormously complex regulations and expectations.

We must be vigilant and very cautious about how we interact with others, especially government officials and our competitors.

This requires knowing your business “footprint,” including where you do business and through which channels your products or services go to market.

Leaders, it is essential that you educate your co-workers so that everyone knows their legal requirements and the company’s expectations. 

Resources

Koch companies are blessed with great resources, including tens of thousands of dedicated, skilled employees.

Regardless of whether you work all day at a computer or spend all day on your feet, your commitment to 10,000 percent compliance is essential.

If you are concerned about a potential compliance issue, you must speak up and let someone know.

If you are unsure about a procedure, process or practice, stop and ask for help.

And if you have a better idea for controlling costs or improving our capabilities, again, speak up!  Ours is a company that fosters a challenge culture and values innovation.

After spending more than 20 years at Koch, I can assure you that we need both – a willingness to challenge and a desire to create value – more than ever before.

This article originally appeared in Discovery Newsletter. To read the entire edition, click here.

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