Embracing Differences

There is a very basic need that arises at a human, organizational and societal level every time we are faced with an accident. Whose fault was it? Who screwed up? Who is to blame or who is to take accountability? Welcome to another episode of embracing differences with me Nippin Anand where we will make an attempt to address this question using a very specific accident case. And it goes back to December 2007 when a crane mounted on a barge ran into the merchant tanker Hebei Spirit while she was at anchor which then led to over 10,500 tons of crude oil being spilt into the Yellow Sea off the coast of South Korea. The high court said in its verdict that “the captain could have averted a collision by pulling up the anchor or moving backwards at full or half the usual speed.” And the captain of the ship, Jaspreet Chawla, was sentenced to prison for over a month and ended up in South Korea for almost 18 months. It makes very little sense to blame the captain when the ship is at anchor and hence very limited in her capacity to move and therefore avert a collision. Why then was he sentenced to prison? We blame and scapegoat professionals even when we have reasons to believe that they did everything in their capacity to handle the situation? Why is that so? To answer this question, I invited Captain Jaspreet Chawla along with a panel of experts in safety sciences and human factors from around the world that includes Johan Bergstrom, Rosa Carillo and Ivan Pupulidy for this hour-long discussion. I hope you will find the discussion insightful and informative.

Do you know that documented processes could be undermining your health, safety, and business performance? In this podcast session, Nippin Anand and Greg Smith explore the dangers of bureaucracy in health and safety management, how safety bureaucracy can undermine workplace safety, and what businesses can do about it. While Nippin speaks from an operational and business perspective, Greg brings a legal viewpoint to the discussion.

In a thought-provoking conversation, John Allspaw, founder of Adaptive Capacity Labs, shares his insights on incident analysis in the software world. He highlights the exciting intersection of software engineering and safety science, emphasizing the importance of viewing incidents as learning opportunities rather than just problems to solve. John discusses the nuances between incidents and accidents, the value of diverse perspectives in investigations, and the necessity of adapting compliance practices to foster creativity. His expertise offers a refreshing perspective on organizational learning.

With Pam Walaski. Despite a decades-long increase in the participation of women in the general workforce, women in the occupational safety and health (OSH) field lags behind. In addition, women in overall leadership roles and in the OSH profession remain stagnant. Further, this lack of diversity extends to other under-represented groups. Many organizations profess to want to change, but barriers remain. This podcast will explore some reasons for the stagnation, how it can be changed and what the future looks like for women and other groups in OSH and OSH leadership?

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “be the change you want to see in the world”. In this podcast, Nektarios Karanikas, an Adjunct Professor of Health and Safety at the Queensland University of Technology helps us understand the importance of introspection if we genuinely want to promote learning and change.

As safety management evolves, we have discovered that the language of safety can at times be perceived as something reserved for specialists. Concerningly, the use of language [and associated tools] without a clear overarching objective can legitimize the very issues that threaten safety. There can even be a rejection from having open, honest yet tough debates that managing safety requires. Such ‘tough debates’ and disagreements often reveal a lack of understanding and cohesion amongst all stakeholders yet they must be had if the benefits of Safety Management are to be fully realized.

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.