No Way Out Reorienting Safety: Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) with Todd Conklin
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Jul 16, 2025 In a thought-provoking conversation, Todd Conklin, a renowned professor in Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), discusses transforming safety from mere harm avoidance to building organizational capacity. He emphasizes that workers are not the problem, but rather the essential problem solvers, urging a paradigm shift in safety management. The talk critiques traditional safety practices and highlights the importance of context, psychological safety, and adaptive risk management, advocating for a more collaborative approach to enhancing workplace safety.
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Origins of HOP Framework
- Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) originated about 27 years ago in high-risk environments like Los Alamos National Laboratory.
- HOP emphasizes system interfaces with people over behavior, moving beyond blaming workers for errors.
Redefining Safety and Workers' Role
- Safety should be seen as an active capacity organizations build, not merely the absence of harm.
- Workers are not the problem but the problem solvers, adapting imperfect systems continuously.
Situational Awareness Misconceptions
- 'Loss of situational awareness' often blames workers unfairly without considering system constraints.
- Workers act on what they are aware of, which may exclude critical elements due to task demands.