Leadership and HROBecoming the Culture We Want

Michael DeGrosky, CEOGuidance Group, Inc.

Effective Fire Operations and Safety

Learning OrganizationsEffective Safety CultureHighly Reliable Performance

LCES

Human Factors

Leadership Development

A Group of People with a Common Ideology Who Try Together to Achieve Certain General Goals

Movement

Leadership and HRO

Becoming the Culture We Want

HROOrganizational CultureLeadership

Challenges

Extremely Dynamic Environment Lots of Decisions to Make Simplified DecisionsComplex, Variable, Nearly UnknowableDysfunctional Momentum

Reliability

Depends on Consistent Performance

Avoids the: Unwanted Unanticipated Unexplainable

What’s HRO Look Like in Real Life?

HRO Principles

Build Capacity More Than They Solve Problems

Five Lessons Learned

1. Watch for Weak Signals of Failure2. Suspicious of Simple Interpretations3. Focus on Ongoing Operations4. Locate and Defer To Expertise5. Capacity to Flex and Bounce Back

Effective Fire Operations and Safety

Learning OrganizationsEffective Safety CultureHighly Reliable Performance

Culture

A Pattern of Shared Basic Assumptions a Group Learned as it Solved Problems of External Adaptation and Internal Integration

(Schein, 1993; 373-374)

Culture

Worked WellConsidered Valid Taught to New Members as Correct Way to

Perceive, Think, and Feel

(Schein , 1993; 373-374)

HRO as Part of Safety Culture

A Set of Established Attitudes, Values, Beliefs, Norms, and Practices Where Safety is Revered, Promoted and Treated as an Overriding Priority

Core Values and Behaviors Resulting from a Collective Commitment by Leaders and Individuals to Emphasize Safety Over Competing Goals Source: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Characteristics

Informed CultureReporting CultureJust CultureLearning CultureFlexible Culture

Adapted from James Reason, “Managing Risks of Organizational Accidents”

Leadership

An Influence Relationship Among People Who Intend Real Change that that Reflects Their Mutual Purposes

Change

Relationship

Influence

Mutual Interest

Four ComponentsLeadership is Influence Leadership is a Relationship Leadership is About ChangePursuing Mutual Interest

How a Movement is Made and…

How a Lone Nut Becomes a Leader

Role Modeling

Be the Change You Want to See in the World

Leadership and HRO

Keep Simple - Make Easy to FollowNurture Early FollowersBe Public – Followers See Followers

Leadership and HRO

Be Strategic – Pursue Tipping PointIf Not Lone Nut, be the 1st FollowerCourageously Follow/Show Others How

Changing Culture

More than Formal, Punctuated Events Change Hearts & Minds of Majority HRO a Conscious Set of Values

The Role of Leadership

Leaders Create Culture Culture Creation - Essence of LeadershipCulture Mgt - Essence of Leadership

(Schein, 1997)

The Role of Leadership

A Leader Wanting to Start Evolutionary Change Must First Understand the

Dynamics of Culture

(Schein, 1997)

Cultural Facilitators

Highly ApplicableDirectly Related to Other Concepts“Already Doing”

Cultural Barriers

Academic SkepticismBias for Action/Can-doOrganizational ADHD

We Lead Others By

Treating Them IndividuallyStimulating Them IntellectuallyInspiring and Motivating ThemBuilding Trust and Commitment

Characteristics

Informed CultureReporting CultureJust CultureLearning CultureFlexible Culture

Adopted from James Reason, “Managing Risks of Organizational Accidents”

Informed Culture

Understand Variables Affecting Whole System

Human Reluctance to SimplifyTechnical Sensitivity to OperationsOrganizationalEnvironmental(Hopkins, 2002)

In Reporting Culture: Employees

Encouraged to Report Assured Information Will be Acted On

Preoccupation with (Preventing) Failure

(Hopkins, 2002)

Learning Culture

In Short, The Organization is Able to Learn and Change From its Prior Mistakes

Commitment to Resilience

(Hopkins, 2002)

Just Culture

“An atmosphere of trust in which people are encouraged (even rewarded) for providing safety-related information, but in which they are also clear about where the line must be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behavior”

Sensitivity to OperationsCommitment to Resilience

(Hopkins, 2002)

Flexible Culture

• Adapt to Changing Demands• Reconfigure in Face of High Tempo Ops• Shift Authority Structure

Commitment to ResilienceDeference to Expertise

Toward a New Philosophy

Accept That Error And Failure Are Expected And Will Happen

Contact Information

Michael T. DeGroskywww.GuidanceGroup.org