In safety, many are familiar with Hudson’s expression ‘chronic unease’ or Weick’s ‘preoccupation with failure’ but in SPoR we prefer to use two expressions: ‘Entertain doubt’ and ‘suspend your agenda’ to convey a similar meaning. Of course, none of this aligns with the HOP con of ‘blame fixes … [Read more...] about Suspending Your Agenda to Begin Learning in Risk
Social Psychology of Risk
The De-Ethicization of the Object in Safety
The De-Ethicization of the Object in Safety It’s obvious that objects attack people. When anything happens in an industry, the first response is to ban the object. That naughty object jumped out from nowhere and attacked me. So, it’s because objects attack people that we need to register as many … [Read more...] about The De-Ethicization of the Object in Safety
Weick’s Organising as ‘Consensually Validated Grammar’
Registrations for the Weick and HROing workshops for June have now closed. Weick’s definition of organising evolved over the years. In 1969 is was: ‘the resolving of equivocality in an enacted environment by means of interlocked behaviors embedded in conditionally related processes’ Ten years … [Read more...] about Weick’s Organising as ‘Consensually Validated Grammar’
How to use signs, symbols and text effectively in communicating about risk
How to use signs, symbols and text effectively in communicating about risk The power of symbols and signs to communicate to the subconscious was first systematised by Goebells in 1937. The power and effect of these symbols and signs to create identity and belonging was captured systematically by … [Read more...] about How to use signs, symbols and text effectively in communicating about risk
If You Know, You Know (IYKYK)
Great thanks Matt, you have shown me a photo of a sandwich. This is not a sandwich! Then it’s a Salad Roll? This is not a Salad Roll! Then what is it? Well, this is a Ham Salad Double-Cut Roll. And if you live in South Australia, this is considered normal. This is part of our Culture. … [Read more...] about If You Know, You Know (IYKYK)
Safety Methods Emerge From Methodology
We have just started our Philosophy and Risk workshops and it’s good to have many who want to learn about how philosophy drives method, in relation to risk. We started our workshop with an overview of the language, discourse and Discourse of philosophy and so we asked all in the group to come up … [Read more...] about Safety Methods Emerge From Methodology
Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink – Improving Safety the SMART Way
Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink - Improving Safety the SMART Way By Dr Robert Long The idea of improvement via a ‘nudge’ is now in popular discourse. The idea is based on the work of Thaler and Sunstein’s book Nudge. Sunstein’s work in particular is a valuable read for any safety person. The idea of … [Read more...] about Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink – Improving Safety the SMART Way
Incommensurability and Discourse in Risk
Incommensurability and Discourse in Risk One of the most important concepts discussed by Feyerbend, Laktos, MacIntyre and Kuhn is that of incommensurability. Incommensurability refers to incongruence and misunderstanding between linguistic structures. What this means is that disciplines are limited … [Read more...] about Incommensurability and Discourse in Risk
Why Personify Safety?
Why Personify Safety? I spoke at a conference last week and had the unfortunate experience of following a presentation by a regulator. When will safety people get sick and tired of being bombarded with statistics, injury rates, graphs and charts? I have no idea why safety people would want to hear … [Read more...] about Why Personify Safety?
Weick’s Poetics
Weick uses three poems in critical positions in his book The Social Psychology of Risk (https://archive.org/details/socialpsychology0000weic_2nded), including his opening grook (https://safetyrisk.net/weicks-grook-and-the-authority-power-myth/). Understanding Poetics (all that is un-measurable) … [Read more...] about Weick’s Poetics