Embracing Differences

In this engaging discussion, Ed Schein, an esteemed MIT professor and anthropologist, shares insights alongside his son, strategy consultant Peter Schein. They explore the complexities of cultural diversity, emphasizing the need for situational awareness over rigid frameworks. Topics include the nuances of leadership amid varying command structures, the importance of understanding cultural contexts in decision-making, and the value of personal connections in professional settings. Their compelling discourse urges listeners to embrace ambiguity and foster meaningful interactions.

We are living in interesting and unusual times. People across industries and work sectors are experiencing high degree of uncertainty and stress in their work and personal lives. In this podcast, Chris Turner, an emergency consultant in medicine and a TEDx speaker, raises the importance of civility and respect amongst team members to achieve a culture of high performance in these uncertain times.

I am a brown-skinned man and I have spent most of my working life in the ‘civilized world’ world as an ethnic minority. Listening to other people’s perspectives, paying attention to their words and gestures, acknowledging their presence and needs, and being curious about what others have to say was not my usual reaction perhaps because of my childhood experiences. In fact, for the most part of my early life I was a poor listener, and, in most social interactions, I had a strong urge to prove myself right. This is the story of how deep listening came to me accidentally and how it transformed my life.

In this podcast, systems thinker, and renowned business and safety specialist, Rakesh Maharaj speaks with Nippin to explore how social anthropology, systems thinking and systemic leadership applies to safety within and across organizations. The conversation is a collection of personal experiences about diversity and inclusion and how it informs their thinking and practice. To find out more listen to this podcast.

In this podcast, a world-renowned safety scientist and expert in human factors shares his research and experience about the role of psychological confidence in organizational learning. Psychological confidence, unlike psychological safety, is an emerging concept in safety sciences. What makes this concept unique, and more importantly, how does it improve the quality of learning from accidents. Listen to this discussion to learn more.

There are 3 basic systems in the real world: complex, chaotic, and order. The first two are natural. As humans, we prefer stability,  certainty, predictability and thus have created an order system by imposing policies, standards, structures, rules, best practices, etc. In this podcast, Gary Wong helps us understand the power of embracing differences when working in complex and ordered systems. The Cynefin Framework is introduced to show that how you make decisions and act depends on the context and the system you currently are in.

Clive F. Lloyd, a clinically trained psychologist and author of 'Next Generation Safety Leadership', dives into the crucial role of empathy in leadership. He shares insights on how genuine care for employees fosters trust and organizational success. Topics include the need for a compassionate approach in high-risk industries, the psychological impacts of trauma on workers, and the importance of challenging masculine norms to promote emotional vulnerability. Clive highlights that prioritizing emotional intelligence in leadership can transform workplace cultures and enhance safety.

This podcast is a discussion about social anthropology with maritime anthropologist Dr. Adrienne Mannov. When confronted with the unfamiliar, how do we react and what do we do? In most instances, we discard the unfamiliar and label it as strange, even uncivilized, or primitive when it does not match with our own experiences, norms, values, and beliefs. In so doing we create divisive societies and polarized opinions. Social anthropology helps us understand the unfamiliar by looking at deeper patterns that define who we are as human beings, bridge our differences and connect us with one another as one human race. Listen to the podcast to learn more.

Container ships have become the hallmark of globalization and free trade. In the last two decades, there has been an exponential increase in both the size and cargo-carrying capacity of container ships. The economists argue that the increase in size is justified because of the efficiency gains and scale economies that these giant ships now offer. But at the same time, a series of accidents at sea including the recent grounding of the Ever Given has led many experts to question the assumptions behind the increase in ship size. In this episode, Jan Hoffman from UNCTAD helps us understand the economic imperatives behind the increase in ship sizes and its implications for safety and resilience. Is bigger really better? Find out by listening to this podcast.

In this episode, Dr Kristine Storkensen from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and I discuss our concerns about the increased level of audits that run counter to the intention of managing safety. Kristine suggests that we as a society may gain by reconsidering our approach to audits i.e., through decreased auditability and increased value of un-auditable activities. To unlock the full potential for safety management with practical procedures, thus, may require an audit implosion. Regulators, companies, and operational personnel may benefit by safety measures that are less concerned with auditability and more focused on the safety itself.