I frequently run experiments with video clips and images of what some might think of as 'at risk' behaviour. I then ask people what do you see? Often, their reactions are instant and reflexive; some will even have a story in less than a minute.
Interestingly, once they have created a story, they look for even more nuances in the image to support their stories.
As a thought experiment, ask anyone (preferably an expert), what they see in the picture above and chances are you may experience the same issue (or not). It is so critical for us, risk managers, that we understand how human perception works and how our past experiences and motivations can mislead us.
Rarely would you see someone saying, 'I don't know' or 'what more can you tell me about this ...?'
In Social Psychology of Risk, we call this kind of a response an indication of risk intelligence. These are people who become aware of the limits of their perception, they realise how past experiences can influence their decisions, and when faced with the unexpected, they slow down to observe what they are observing and invite a conversation.
As I share this picture with you, we are in the middle of an online series of 6 sessions with 20 people from around the world to improve our observation and conversation skills.
I invite you to take a look at the program flyer. The program focuses on improving our observation and conversation skills to better engage with people with the view to make leadership visits, audits and investigations less bureaucratic and more effective for managing the risk.
This is a 1-day program delivered in person or 6 sessions online over two weeks.
There is also an option to join the first session for free to check if you will find the course helpful.
Details of the program are here:
Online - https://novellus.solutions/mec-events/edinburgh-human-factors-and-safety-culture/
Edinburgh - https://novellus.solutions/mec-events/edinburgh25/
London - https://novellus.solutions/mec-events/london25/
About Novellus
We are a niche consultancy offering leadership, safety culture and accident investigation programs in high-risk industries.
Nippin is the CEO of Novellus, a UK based company and the host of the podcast Embracing Differences. He and his colleagues use a range of visual (semiotic) methods to help organizations improve their decision making and cultural intelligence.
Dr Nippin Anand is a former master mariner (ship captain), an anthropologist and the author of the books, Are We Learning from Accidents? based on the true story of the Costa Concordia accident and 51 Stories in Culture.
Visit us at https://novellus.solutions/