It is extraordinary the suffering that some people bear. I attended a wake recently for a young man who died from complications to do with diabetes and alcoholism, he was 45. He died alone with only a few friends who called in on him regularly. When I first knew him at the age of 16 he was the model … [Read more...] about Mourning, Loss, Harm and Injury and, the Need for Everyday Social Resilience
Robert Long
The Easy Attribution of Complacency
Complacency is one of those favourites that Safety loves to evoke when it has no idea what has happened. It’s a projection usually given to others that has no meaning other than an attribution of smugness associated with ‘not thinking’. The truth is, the use of the word ‘complacency’ explains very … [Read more...] about The Easy Attribution of Complacency
Meditating on Dreams and the Unconscious Self
One of the primary ways we know our unconscious is through dreaming. Sometimes in a daydream or lucid dream it is even more real to us. One of the most significant researchers and geniuses that influences SPoR is C. G. Jung … [Read more...] about Meditating on Dreams and the Unconscious Self
How Do You Interpret Safety?
How Do You Interpret Safety? All safety is interpreted. There is no such thing as objective safety. The Act and Regulation are interpreted, just as are the Standards. Lawyers in safety know that precedent, case law and previous rulings give substance to the meaning of the Act, … [Read more...] about How Do You Interpret Safety?
Understanding Ricoeur and Risk
Paul Ricoeur (1913–2005) is a French philosopher that has had a significant influence on the development of SPoR. Other French philosophers like Jacques Ellul, Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Derrida, Michael Foucault, Julia Kristeva and Jacques Lacan have also been influential in the development of the … [Read more...] about Understanding Ricoeur and Risk
No Psychological Safety in Zero
Organisations that identify safety as zero must logically supress ‘speaking up’ in safety. Zero is an ideology of the absolute (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/zero-the-great-safety-delusion/) and any absolute in organising supresses discussion, dialogue, listening and … [Read more...] about No Psychological Safety in Zero
Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk Not to be confused with the Gemba Safety Walk! Safety walks, observations and conversations are foundational to managing safety in organisations. Site walks, office walks or whatever you want to call them are a critical strategy in ‘management by … [Read more...] about Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
It’s Projection, You Bloody Idiot!
It’s Projection, You Bloody Idiot! So often when people don’t understand behaviour they attribute blame to idiocy. This is a tidy technique for not needing to understand or work hard at ‘speaking into’ the real cause and motivations for behaviour. As soon as I know that someone is a ‘bloody idiot’ … [Read more...] about It’s Projection, You Bloody Idiot!
More Pop-Psych on Failure and Other Safety Entertainment
I read the latest pop-psych instalment from Edmonston on the ‘science’ of failing well. It’s amazing how gullible people are when someone throws in the word ‘science’, when what follows has nothing to do with science. Heinrich used this strategy (https://safetyrisk.net/hoodwinked-by-heinrich/) years … [Read more...] about More Pop-Psych on Failure and Other Safety Entertainment
The Naivety of Psychological Safety
One of the fascinating things about the Discourse of ‘psychological safety’ is its many silences. This is despite the fact that the advocates for psychological safety argue that silence is the problem. Apparently, the test for psychological safety is speaking up and being critical. Yet, most of what … [Read more...] about The Naivety of Psychological Safety