episode 5 - curating your resilience engineering 101
Dec 22, 2024
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Dive into the intriguing world of resilience engineering, where insights from skiing mishaps lead to a discussion on complex system failures. Explore the evolution from Safety One to Safety Two, emphasizing learning cultures and practical safety measures. The hosts critique resource challenges in the field, advocating for concise guides over vague narratives. They also tackle the pitfalls of unrealistic safety expectations, using real-world examples like the Exxon Valdez spill to highlight the gaps between planning and reality.
The discussion emphasizes the importance of using accessible resources, such as Richard Cook's work, to effectively introduce resilience engineering concepts to newcomers.
Personal experiences in navigating challenges highlight the necessity of balancing confidence and preparedness when approaching new skills, as demonstrated by the speakers' skiing anecdote.
Deep dives
Skiing Adventures and Family Dynamics
Ski season has begun, and the speaker shares experiences from an opening day at Mammoth with their eight-year-old daughter, who is still developing her skiing skills. Despite the daughter's previous experience on more difficult slopes, her hesitation on that first day led to a minor incident that was safely resolved. The family spent the remainder of the day focusing on easier bunny slopes, which helped them regain confidence. This experience highlights the importance of balance and readiness when tackling new challenges after a break.
Introduction to Resilience Engineering
A listener's question about effective ways to introduce resilience engineering to newcomers sparks discussion on teaching methods. The speakers emphasize the significance of making complex concepts accessible, sharing their diverse backgrounds in this field. One impactful approach involves referencing the classic paper 'How Complex Systems Fail,' which provides a clear introduction to the nuances of resilience, especially for those unfamiliar with the topic. The discussion underscores how personal experiences with these materials can lead to a deeper understanding of resilience engineering principles.
Key Insights from Richard Cook
Richard Cook's teachings are highlighted, particularly his insightful presentation at Velocity 2013, where he discusses resilience in complex systems. His concepts resonate particularly well in tech contexts, offering valuable insights into why systems sometimes fail and how to handle those failures of understanding. A memorable quote from Cook emphasizes that anticipating system failures can lead to better preparedness and resilience. This perspective encourages a shift from reactive to proactive thinking, inviting deeper conversations around risk management in complex tech environments.
Practical Applications and Resources for Learning
The speakers advocate for practical resources that provide concrete steps for applying resilience engineering concepts in real-world scenarios, noting a gap in accessible guides. They share suggestions for materials like 'The Howie Guide' and case studies that outline effective practices in resilience engineering, particularly for newcomers. The conversation includes the challenge of finding good starting points and supporting materials that resonate with those new to the field. They also emphasize the value of sharing experiences and resources among practitioners to foster collective learning in resilience engineering.
We talk about our favorite recommendations for someone who's just getting into this whole resilience engineering thing.
A small note: Clint's voice is a little low in this one! We tried to do audio magic as much as we could to fix it, but hopefully you'll forgive us with your holiday spirit and we'll do better next time. <3