In this episode, I chat to Human Organizational Performance Manager James Newman. James dives into a memorable story from his days in the nuclear industry, where a seemingly simple task—replacing O-rings during a refueling outage—escalated into a high-stress situation. With incomplete briefings, unexpected challenges, and mounting pressure, James and his team had to think on their feet to avoid critical delays. This incident highlights the nuances of human performance under stress and the importance of clear communication, proper preparation, and systemic support.

Throughout the conversation, we reflect on how assumptions, biases, and resource limitations shape workplace dynamics. We explore how leaders can create environments that encourage curiosity, transparency, and continuous learning to navigate complex challenges effectively. Whether you're a safety professional, leader, or curious listener, this episode offers insights into balancing operational efficiency with human-centered approaches.

Recommended Resources:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

In this episode, I am joined by Becky Ray, founder of Culture Kick, to explore how context, culture, and unseen dynamics lead to decisions that might, on the surface, seem irrational.

Becky shares a gripping story of a technician working under an unsupported load, leading to a devastating injury. Together we unpack how systemic pressures, missing processes, and organizational norms shaped the conditions that led to the event. We challenge the "should have, could have" judgments that dominate early narratives and highlight the importance of curiosity and non-judgmental inquiry in discovering actionable insights.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move beyond blame and into real learning, this episode is packed with stories, insights, and practical takeaways for building safer, high-performing cultures.

Tune in to hear how curiosity, empathy, and storytelling can transform the way we approach safety and leadership.

Links:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

In this episode, I explore a striking story with Andy Barker, a strategic leader with decades of global experience. Together, they examine a workplace incident where quick judgments labelled an action as “stupid”—a worker losing fingers after grabbing a running machine belt.

But as Andy reveals, the story is far more complex. He digs into organizational pressures, systemic failures, and cultural patterns that led to this moment. Instead of stopping at blame, they uncover insights about leadership accountability, competing priorities, and the need to align teams for safety and success.

Listen to discover how leaders can move from blame to learning, ask better questions, and create environments where collaboration thrives and systemic risks are resolved. If you want actionable insights into leadership, workplace safety, and cultural improvement, this episode is for you.

Resources Recommended:

Andy Barker’s Website: 

Gap in the game 

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

In this episode of How Did It Make Sense?, we explore the deeper story behind a scaffolder’s dismissal for violating fall protection rules near an active edge. While the surface narrative suggests a simple case of rule-breaking, the second story reveals a web of personal challenges, organizational dynamics, and overlooked systemic issues. My guest, David Wollage, a New View safety coach, shares his firsthand experience investigating the incident and reframing it as an opportunity for learning rather than blame. We delve into how stress, fatigue, and personal circumstances impact decision-making, the role of leadership in shaping safety culture, and why systemic issues like unreported scaffolding modifications create hidden risks

Find David Here:

New View Safety Coach - YouTube

New View Safety Coaching | Organisational Coaching Perth | Perth WA, Australia

Recommended Resources:

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier: A guide to implementing coaching-led leadership.

Coach the Person, Not the Problem by Marcia Reynolds: A deep dive into organizational coaching and its transformative potential.

Find Gareth Here:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

Today I am joined by Ben Cattaneo, founder of The Decision-Making Studio, to explore the fascinating world of decision-making under uncertainty. Ben shares a compelling first story about an organization entering the Chinese market, drawn by opportunity but ultimately facing challenges they didn’t foresee. It’s a classic case of a simple narrative—“they didn’t understand the market”—but as we unpack the second story, we explore the deeper factors at play: local rationality, fear of missing out, internal pressures, and incentive structures that drive decisions in complex systems.

Find Ben Here:

Website: The Decision-Making Studio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-cattaneo/

My "FOCUS" decision-making framework: https://thedecisionmaking.studio/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FOCUS.pdf

Recommended Resources:

Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke

Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke

Gary Klein's Works on Intuition and Decision-Making

Find Gareth here:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

In this episode, I'm joined by Mike Mason, an experienced fast-jet pilot, flight instructor and The Human Diver trainer, to explore the often-overlooked complexity of human factors in high-risk environments. Mike brings a fascinating perspective, blending his experience in the Royal Air Force and his passion for diving, to shed light on how decisions are made under pressure. We dive into a reported incident involving an MQ-9 Reaper UAV crash and dissect the layers of context that often go unnoticed in simple “first stories.” Together, we discuss fatigue, local rationality, and the influence of organisational culture on decision-making in critical situations.

What struck me in this conversation is how much we focus on blame rather than curiosity. Mike and I unpack the gaps in traditional incident reporting and the missed opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow. It’s a thought-provoking discussion on the messiness of real-world operations and why understanding the conditions that shape behaviour is key to improving outcomes. Whether you’re in aviation, diving, or any other high-consequence industry, this episode is packed with insights on how we can move beyond ticking boxes and start building a culture of genuine learning.

Resources Mentioned:

Accident Report from USAF: https://www.afjag.af.mil/Portals/77/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=rE1pY1KpuPw%3D&portalid=77

Research:

What you look for is what you find - Lundberg et al. 

What you find is not always what you fix - Lundberg at al.

Connect With Us:

Find me here:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

Today, I’m joined by Ben Goodhart, founder of Magpie Human Systems, a consultancy working in high-stakes industries like aviation, energy, and healthcare. Ben’s background as a pilot, accident investigator, and lifelong adventurer makes him uniquely qualified to dig into the nuances of risk and reward, and he does so with humor, insight, and honesty.

In this episode, Ben shares some fantastic stories—from a near-disastrous glissade on a snowfield (while wearing crampons!) to a high-speed mountain bike crash that left him with a neck brace and a powerful reflection on risk. These stories are more than entertaining; they dive into the deeper questions of why we take risks, how we manage them, and what we learn when things don’t go as planned.

We discuss the idea of risk not just as a negative concept but as a pathway to adventure, growth, and self-discovery. Ben brings fresh perspectives on the balance between control and surrender, the evolution of safety technology, and the ways adventure sports can teach humility, curiosity, and resilience. Along the way, we draw parallels to high-risk industries, exploring how decision-making under pressure and the negotiation of trade-offs applies to both work and play.

Find Ben Here:

Resources Mentioned:

Find me here:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Ken Wylie, an incredible adventure educator and risk management expert from Vancouver Island. Ken’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and learning from the toughest experiences life can throw at us.

Ken shares his journey from a young adventurer passionate about the mountains to his work in human hazard management. We dive into one pivotal event—a tragic backcountry skiing accident—that shaped his perspective on risk, decision-making, and the social and psychological factors that influence our choices. Ken doesn’t just tell a first story, the surface-level narrative most of us default to—he unpacks the deeper, second story, challenging us to reflect on how we navigate uncertainty and growth in our own lives.

We explore some big ideas, including the Hero’s Journey and how archetypes shape how we show up in challenging situations. Ken’s perspective on balancing logic (Logos) with intuition and emotion (Eros) is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the greatest adventure is understanding ourselves. Plus, we dig into the emotional and social pressures that influence risk-taking and why it’s so important to turn adversity into a learning opportunity.

This episode is full of thought-provoking insights, personal reflections, and some actionable takeaways for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of human systems—whether that’s in high-stakes environments or just everyday life.

Find Ken here:

Archetypal (Human Hazard Management)

Book Recommendation

Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell 

Find me here:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

In today’s episode Gareth and Abhijith delve into the complexities of maritime safety, focusing on the audit process and its implications. They discuss the dichotomy between first and second stories in safety management, emphasising how audits often fail to capture the true dynamics of operations at sea.

The conversation highlights the challenges faced by auditors, the influence of regulations on safety practices, and the need for a shift towards a more nuanced understanding of safety that goes beyond mere compliance. Abhijith shares insights from his experiences in ship management and safety, advocating for a more holistic approach to auditing that considers the realities of the maritime environment.

In this conversation, Abhijith Balakrishnan discusses the challenges and limitations of auditing practices in the maritime industry, emphasising the need for a shift in focus from compliance to understanding the context in which seafarers operate. He highlights the judgmental nature of audits, the lack of innovation due to strict adherence to procedures, and the role of auditors in system improvement. The discussion also touches on the importance of building trust and fostering open communication within organisations, as well as recommending resources for further learning.

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here

Gareth and Josh Bryant talk through a hand-crush injury. The incident serves as a case study for exploring deeper causes of workplace events and shifting the focus from blaming individuals to understanding systemic factors. Josh details how the company responded to the event by implementing the “4Ds” (what's dumb, what’s difficult, what’s different, and what’s dangerous) as part of their operational learning. Josh emphasises the importance of learning teams, a method they adopted to foster open communication and understand the context behind worker actions. This approach led to a more positive safety culture and a shift from blame to curiosity. He also stresses the importance of safety not being proprietary and the need for sharing best practices.

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

Contact us here