Human Performance and Human Factors can seem complex. Principles are an easy, 'plain language' way for people to understand what human performance is about and how it can make a difference. They are also a powerful way of tipping an organisation gently towards a new way of thinking.
At Operability we’ve learned by doing; working with talented people to apply human factors and human performance into real operations, companies and industries. What have we learned about Human Performance Principles?
1) There are some essential themes.
There are lots of different versions of principles and some great books written about them. We've learned that there may not be a 'right' number of principles, but there are some essential themes that run throughout them.
About people.
People make our operations work and fill in the gaps when systems fail, things get complicated or the unpredictable happens. At the same time, even the most diligent and hard-working of us forget things, misunderstand, and do things that (with hindsight) we wish we'd done differently! Human variability is a fact of life and we need to start taking account of it
About the context people work in
The tasks people do, the systems they work with and the tools they use can all be designed to reduce the likelihood of errors and tackle the issues that people may be just 'putting up with'.
About learning from those who do the job.
When we look at the systems and conditions people work with we can tackle error-traps and situations where people are making the best of what they're given. Working with those that do the job helps you understand and address these conditions to make work safe and efficient.
About leaders.
Leaders have great influence over the processes and systems people use. Most importantly, leaders need to be open to hearing about the problems from those that do the work, especially when something goes wrong. If leaders respond with eagerness to learn and avoid blame, then people are more open about the problems. Hearing about the problems before they become accidents is where we want to be.
2) It's about discussion, not posters
We've learned that it's more than pulling a list off the web and putting them out there. The magic happens when you begin discussing the first draft of your principles.
People engage with the principles, try them out, satisfy themselves that they represent a view of the world that they support. That's why it's essential groundwork to work with leadership and teams through the organisation, helping them to reflect on what the principles mean, and tweak and poke the wording until everyone feels ownership.
3) Principles can have a transformational effect
Your principles begin to shape how you talk about people, how you look at problems and how you evaluate solutions. You begin to see the contribution that work issues make. You start tackling systems and conditions, rather than resorting to punishment for individuals. The culture begins to change as people open up about the issues they're facing.
In short, you start supporting people to be successful.
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