International Intensive SpoR Workshops August 2019

The Centre for Leadership and Learning in Risk (CLLR) held the first International Canberra-based workshops in August 2019. Participants flew in from Austria, Sweden and Canada as well as across Australia for this unique suite of workshops in the Social Psychology of Risk (SPoR). CLLR is the only institution globally offering this unique course of study.

The 12 participants took advantage of the 2 week intensive structure to make the most of their trip including a number of semiotic and culture-focused walks. Canberra is ideally placed to offer such opportunities to learn.

The four modules studied were:

· Holistic ergonomics

· Learning, Community and Risk

· The Social Amplification of Risk and

· iThink.

Return trips to Europe and Canada are planned for March to May 2020. WE will keep you posted on this blog for those who might like to come along most likely to be held in Slovakia, Belgium and Calgary. A huge demand is on for the SEEK and Culture programs.

The workshops covered many aspects of risk that are simply not available anywhere in the risk and safety world. The use of SPoR tools throughout the workshops enabled the focus on many practical ways to move forward in risk and away from the many simplistic and naïve approaches to risk common in industry. It was great to see everyone using the tools and enacting, practicing their use. For many it was their eighth or more module of study and great to award diplomas in SPoR and Masters to so many.

At the end of the two weeks our International guests were glad they had made the long trek to Canberra to study and enhance their knowledge and experience in tackling risk. They take back with them all the SPoR tools available to make a real difference in their workplace. So much fun, positive and constructive exchange was had between all those who participated and in deconstructing ways forward beyond the confines of the Safety archetype.

An important part of SPoR is experiential learning and semiotics. It is through guided immersion that we learn how signs, symbols, performance, images, messaging, space, place and graphics speak to the unconscious. This was certainly discovered in visits to The Australian War Memorial, National Museum, National Art Gallery, Design Centre, Tidbinbilla Tracking Station, Lanyon Cemetery and other places of significance. Some images from the two weeks are below. Who thought learning about risk could be so much fun.

Discovering the design of the Museum and why it is such an odd shape

Outside the Art Gallery

Experiencing Turrell’s Skyspace

Many dinners over some cold nights

Brian from Mondi Group (Austria) Presents on WS, HS, GS

A tour of Tallagandra Hill Winery was a bonus. Thanks Mary for opening up for us and the guided tour.

Matt (Adelaide) presents of WS, HS, GS

More dinners

A Concepts map from Holistic Ergonomics

A mandala from Barbro (Sweden) captured people’s imagination.

Brian’s mandala explains his vision to move away from zero to humanizing risk

Frank (Canada) and Barbro (Sweden) work though a mandala to demonstrate the dialectics in Holistic Ergonomics

Frank’s (Canada) spiralling mandala captured the tensions in helping move his organization towards humanizing risk in the workplace.

Some would think these guys had not seen snow before!

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Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions

Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)

• If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health - September 23, 2023
• Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk - September 23, 2023
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• The Meaning of Myth in Risk - September 20, 2023
• Myth Making and Why it Matters to Safety - September 20, 2023

PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.