MARCH OF THE PHANTOM BRIGADE 4E REVIEW SERIES

The CAA created a вЂ Just CultureвЂ to assure the industry lived up to the open standards set.

MARCH OF THE PHANTOM BRIGADE 4E REVIEW SERIES

It didnвЂ™t just happen that way.ДЄfter a series of problems in the 1970s the Civil Aviation Authority created a programme that would break through hierarchy and ensure that a concern would reach the person who could make a difference вЂ“ this includes a third party advice line to offer pathways to raising concerns. The airline industry is anВ example where the dominant culture is one where the workforce has becomeВ the early warning system of potential disaster, and where everyone feels safe, and is safe, to speak up. Many do no speak because they вЂ knowвЂ™ they will be shot down, or вЂ imagineвЂ™ that they will. The care of children became вЂprocess-drivenвЂ™ with with large numbers of people attending any meeting: if an issue belongs to 35 people in a room, who is actually taking ownership of the issue? TheВ complexity of inter-agency relationships, the exhaustion of competitive social workers, coupled with a climate of fear created a condition where no-one had the clarity, energy or will to speak up. Young people being abused in Rotherham belonging to everyone, yet belonging to no-one.ДЄ vast array of safe-guarding plans and protocols in Rotherham were never checked as to whether they were being implemented, or were even practically useful. It is a pattern sadly all too recognisable in Rotherham, where there were seventeen reports over sixteen years and so many people involved: parents, teachers, doctors, voluntary organisations, police and Council. And because they know everyone can see problems they imagine someone will do something.

Obedient, conformist, and unwilling to rock the boat with the knowledge they harbour. TheВ organisations within which theyВ work become placesВ where it isnвЂ™t felt to be safe to raise concerns, or ask challenging questions. Too many people from same background share same biases, beliefs and blindspots. Individuals are overstretched, distracted and exhausted. The podcast highlighted common patterns in such cultures. Language was used to create plausible deniability. In language, donвЂ™t say вЂ problemвЂ talk about вЂ the issueвЂ, donвЂ™t say вЂ conditionвЂ, say вЂ matterвЂ, and do not say вЂ defectвЂ but instead вЂ does not perform to designвЂ. Employees were told to вЂ write smartвЂ and not to use вЂ judgemental adjectives and speculationвЂ. In the the cost-cutting, deeply competitive, culture that developed within the automotive giant, its steep hierarchy and sheer size (so large and complex where an assessment of consequences is almost impossible)В anВ internal reviewВ of problems at corporate giantВ concluded that although everyone had a responsibility to fix the problem, nobody took responsibility.ДЄt GM a whole language was created so as not to face up to responsibilities or consequences. An ignition problem existed for eleven years, resulting in 13 deaths, 54 crashes and at the вЂcostвЂ™ of millions of dollars in vehicle recalls. In that environment, where the goal was cost-cutting, ignorance is essential to avoid having to deal with the consequences. The Analysis podcast opens with an example from the commercial world, General Motors in the 1990s, when it was clear that commercial profitability depended on cutting costs rather new car sales. Banks вЂ“ Libor, FX, and who knows what else.The вЂfor exampleвЂ™В list is long, and not exhaustive: вЂњWhere there isВ nowledge that you could have had, and should have had, but chose not to have, you are still responsibleвЂќД®ssentially, you could have had, and should have had, but somehow managed not toвЂ¦

Wilful blindness is a legal term associated most closely with Enron: There was something about this particular BBC Radio 4 Analysis podcast on вЂJust CultureвЂ™ which rang some bells (link at end of post). The counter is вЂJust CultureвЂ™, essential in a challenging and changing environment. At the core of Wilful Blindness is theВ question as to вЂwhy are factsВ ignored?вЂ™.

March of the phantom brigade 4e review