Organizations that make real progress on safety culture tend to share a common shift in focus. They move from asking whether people know the rules to asking whether the environment makes it easy to follow them.

The real choice leaders face is not whether to focus on culture or strategy. Culture is being created every day regardless. The choice is whether leaders are intentional about shaping it, or whether they allow it to shape strategy in ways they may not like.

Psychology tells us uncertainty is not a neutral state. The human brain finds uncertainty just as aversive as receiving bad news.