3 Subcultures of Shipping
I have made an attempt to map the three subcultures of the maritime industry – Display, Formal and Informal. I admit it’s a sweeping generalisation. But it came from listening to the discourse of safety across the three subcultures of the maritime industry. At the heart of many safety initiatives lies a common denominator – […]
Is the Hudson Model still relevant for (Safety) culture change?
How ladders and staircases can help in improving (safety) culture: a zoom conversation Notice the two staircases in the pictures. The first staircase repetitively reads: Watch your stepsMobile phone not in the stairs What this means:➡️ Mantras: How mindless and excessive repetition of simplistic language leads to brainwashing;➡️ Propaganda: How meaningless slogans distract us from […]
The delusion of controlling risk
Overloaded trucks with men, burnt switchboards, lone workers at height without a fall protection. The first thing that comes to mind is – oh my god, are these people going to kill themselves? If this is your first reaction, you are not a risk manager or a safety leader, you are a safety priest. Is […]
What ancient wisdom can teach us about managing talent
While Brahma creates the Cosmos and Shiva destroys it, Vishnu takes us through the cycle between creation to destruction whilst ensuring Cosmic order. In this picture, Vishnu can be seen lying on his serpent Ananta on his coiled bed. His wife Lakshmi is at his feet. On the face of it, this does not make […]
Do you know how to listen?
Do you know how to listen? And more importantly, what to listen to? In the last two weeks, I’ve had two consecutive sessions at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad teaching social entrepreneurs and leaders about the power of listening. Despite that true listening is a life changing experience, so few of us have learned […]
Hidden meaning in warning signs
Much can be learned about Culture by observing prohibition signs: what a society considers pure and impure; normal and taboo; acceptable and unacceptable; safe and unsafe; and good and bad. Excess use of warning signs also reveals the struggle of the powerful and the rebellion of the powerless against compliance and conformity. While you are […]
What’s wrong with positive psychology?
I have been touring South Asia/India for over a week now. One thing that has left me stunned is the incessant yearning for feedback in the service sector. Every restaurant, cafe, hairdresser, and car rental company wants feedback. Typically, feedback involves careful attention to customers perception and a calculated response for process improvement. But this […]
Not getting enough value from audits? Replace your doormats
Last week I visited an Indian company with a branch office in Norway. Unlike all of their offices worldwide, I noticed there was no Ganesha at the reception – the Hindu deity half elephant and half human. Upon asking, the receptionist pointed me to the doormat with the company logo at the entrance. ‘We don’t […]
Accidents, near misses and non-events
When it comes to learning, one should think carefully about expressions like ‘normal work’, ‘everyday work’, ‘what goes well’ or ‘success’. In a world increasingly becoming focused on measurement, control and reputational risks, positive psychology can easily become a spin. Be gentle, focus on what you can fix and leave the rest. And do not […]
Why we struggle to understand safety culture
Researchers and academics struggle with the notion of (safety) culture. Most begin with defining Culture. They try really hard but the harder they try, the more it tends to slip away. Frustrated by the C word, they start mocking it. Some become bitter and defensive and others replace it with ‘Systems’. And then there are […]
The Assertiveness Paradox – Why don’t people speak up?
In this picture we have seafarers sitting outside the Captain’s deck in the middle of the night. Their reasoning: the Wi-Fi routers on the Crew deck are turned off during the night. ‘We come here to catch phone signal so we can communicate with our families, sir.’ Not only the internet, this rationing also applies […]
Understanding takes
Just last week, I was with a group of ship managers, and I gave them a metaphor ‘𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗮’. I asked them what words came to their mind when they heard the phrase ‘man-overboard’. One of them responded by listing:1. Panic2. Man-overboard button3. Swift response4. Alert5. Release a buoy6. Public address system7. Orange smoke8. […]