Part I - The Costa Concordia Case: The three aspects of a learning organisation

This webinar is part of a series of five webinars and is designed in the form of a workshop. Together the five sessions will narrate the story of one of the most high-profile accidents in the maritime sector – the capsizing of passenger ship Costa Concordia. The workshop is designed in an interactive, documentary style format comprising of video interviews from the captain and black box data from the ship. The workshop draws on multiple disciplines – anthropology, social sciences, psychology and technical sciences to make sense of a complex set of events that unfolded before, during and after the accident. At the end of this workshop the participants can expect to build a sound foundation in advanced concepts in safety and human factors in an engaging and interactive manner.

Part I is specifically designed for leaders. It highlights three key aspects of the Costa Concordia accident that will run through the entire series of webinars:

Alternative perspectives: Effective problem solving starts with understanding the problem by drawing upon different perspectives. Differences exist because we process information differently and perceive the world differently based on our background, values, education, training, goals and priorities. By actively listening to people with different views we become aware of our assumptions and limitations.

Situated expertise: Most problems are solved through dialogue, discussions, approvals and rejections. This tells us that expertise is more than being an expert; expertise is relational. It extends beyond qualifications, certifications or know-how. It is the ability to understand own limitations, forge networks and collaborations to understand and resolve problems. Situated expertise is about locating the relevant knowledge and experience to understand and respond in a specific situation. It is less about cumulative experience and more about fitting experience to understand and respond in specific situation.For instance, two decades of work experience as an engineer may become less relevant than two years' working in a harsh environment or operating a specific type of machinery. Situated expertise is about the ability to couple uniqueness of the situation with decision making.

Meaningful compliance: In an uncertain world, priorities change every minute. With an abundance of policies and conflicting expectations, it is likely that some rules will take precedence over others depending on the situation. Instead of expecting people to follow the rules to the letter we need them to seek clarity and meaning in rules and procedures. Doing so will strengthen our approach to risk and safety management especially when the rule book does not match with the situation at hand.