Business Culture Fueled by Prevention

Can business culture learn a lesson from the high-priced gasoline culture? With gas prices now upwards of $4 per gallon in the U.S., we’ve seen a remarkable and dramatic change in behavior. SUVs can hardly be given away (there's even a collection of political cartoons devoted to the subject: My SUV is Killing Me!), mass transit ridership has soared, discretionary driving has dropped, and employers are figuring out ways to make it easier for their employees to deal with what seem to be stratospheric fuel and related charges.

We’ve heard about an impending fuel crisis for years, but not until it slammed us sharply in our wallets did we collectively begin to change our behavior. This dramatic change will surely help reduce consumption, but the sudden adjustment is quick and painful, and I suspect it's affecting our national mood, which in many ways feels crimped and edgy. As always, prevention and planning are far less costly than heroic efforts to repair a problem that did not have to surface. I’m sure many of us wish we had addressed this problem earlier as we can see now that it will worsen for some period and will not quickly resolve itself. We’re ready to trade in our SUVs, but no one wants them. Energy efficient hybrids are hard to come by.

Unfortunately, business culture and brewing workplace crisis issues parallel all too neatly with the gasoline problem: we tend to wait until the horse has charged through the stable and loped off into the distance before we act. A major sexual harassment lawsuit, publicity over a high-profile ethics scandal, big fines, embarrassment, even criminal charges -- that's what will lead to change, quick and painful, and often too late.

When it comes to the workplace culture, one of the hardest challenges for HR, legal advisors, and risk managers is proving the costs of delaying a solution or change, particularly when the expenses are hidden -- no immediate taxes, out-of-pocket expenses, or straightforward costs and perceived risks. But what we're all going through now in our everyday lives is a great example in proving that case. Take the actions now -- before they require quick and painful change -- and you can avoid the sting in the wallet and the drop in morale and trust. Don't wait to learn the lesson when you can prevent it now.

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