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Learning is Vital... What Now? Applying Human & Organizational Performance (HOP)
- The HOP Nerd
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
Tired of just talking about Human & Organizational Performance concepts and ready to actually do something? This series is for you. Each episode breaks down a key HOP principle and delivers concrete, practical actions you can take to operationalize it in your workplace.
Sam, known for blending real-life sharp-end know-how and strategy with a keen eye for workplace absurdity, draws on his experience helping numerous businesses successfully implement Human & Organizational Performance (HOP).
So, If you've ever asked "Okay, I get the theory... What Now?", tune in as Sam guides you through some real steps to make HOP happen in real life.
We all hear it, nod along, maybe even say it ourselves: "Learning is vital." Especially in our complex, complicated, ever-changing workplaces, understanding how things really get done is crucial. We know this principle, one of the 5 Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles, is foundational.
The 5 HOP Principles
Error is Normal Blame Fixes Nothing Context Drives Behavior Learning is Vital How We Respond Matters
But there's often a gap between knowing learning is vital and actually doing something about it consistently. We talk about learning after an incident, but how do we make it a fundamental, ongoing part of how we operate before things go wrong? How do we move from just saying "learning is vital" to embedding it into our daily work?
When a significant event happens, we often see a flurry of activity. Calendars clear, resources are mobilized, corporate jets get fueled (okay, maybe not always jets, sometimes its helicopters - Cool!) – we reactively scramble to learn after the failure. We might not even be great at that, but at least there's usually some effort.
But are we anywhere near as deliberate about learning before the event? About understanding the context of normal, everyday work? Often, the answer is no. And here’s the key: Proactive operational learning is a choice. It doesn't just happen. As organizations, we must deliberately choose to invest in understanding the context of work proactively.
On Today's episode, Sam is tackling Learning is Vital... What Now?
Operational Learning Isn't a Nice-to-Have, It's a Must-Have:
Complexity is Reality: Our workplaces aren't simple assembly lines anymore (if they ever were – even those were pretty complex and complicated). They are complex, often complicated, dynamic systems where people constantly adapt, make tradeoffs, and deal with emerging situations, almost always successfully.
The Work-as-Done Gap: What's written in the procedure (work-as-imagined) is rarely (if ever) a perfect match for how work actually gets done in the real world (work-as-done). Learning bridges this crucial gap.
Seeing Drift Before Disaster: Without active learning, we're blind to the subtle ways work deviates and adapts over time ("operational drift"). Learning helps us understand these changes before they contribute to an unintended operational surprise.
The Cost of Stagnation: Organizations that don't learn effectively often see repeat events, investigations ending in blame ("retrain the worker"), plateaued performance, and a workforce hesitant to speak up. Learning is the engine of improvement.
Discover 'Failure in Motion': Learning isn't just about preventing failure; it's about understanding how success actually happens every day despite challenges. This understanding builds operational resilience because it reveals not only strengths but also where adaptations are occurring. Often, these adaptations or minor struggles are the 'whispers of failure in motion' – faint signals indicating potential weaknesses or unrecognized risk. Proactive learning helps us discover these signals before they grow loud, allowing us to intervene effectively while failure is still in motion, rather than waiting for a harmful outcome. This allows us to identify areas where critical risks may be un- or under-controlled, giving us the chance to strengthen defenses, minimize potential consequences, and bring worst-case operational possibilities back within acceptable limits.
So, if we accept Learning is Vital, how do we move beyond the slogan?
"What Now?" Action 1: Change How You Investigate Failure (Seriously)
Idea: Your approach to failure dictates what you learn. Shift focus from finding fault to understanding context, how things made sense, and system contributors.
Action: Stop hunting for a single 'root cause' or the 'guilty party'. Facilitate Learning Reviews or Learning Teams. Discipline yourself and your team to ask "How did this make sense to the people involved at the time?" relentlessly before even thinking about "Who failed?". Focus curiosity on the process, conditions, tools, pressures, and system dynamics.
"What Now?" Action 2: Actively Seek Out Stories of Normal Work
Idea: Learning shouldn't be reserved only for accidents. Understanding how everyday work succeeds despite complexity is incredibly valuable.
Action: Go talk to your frontline folks regularly. Ask open-ended learning-focused questions like: "What's the hardest part of your job?", "What surprises you during a typical shift?", "What requires workarounds or bending the rules to get done?", "What one thing could make your job safer or easier?". Listen intently – this is where you discover operational reality and proactive improvement opportunities WITH those nearest to the work.
Looking to get started with pre-event operational learning? That's why we created Starting Points! We offer the Original Card Decks, Learning Journals, and Licensing options!
"What Now?" Action 3: Make it Safe to Learn
Idea: People won't share information about errors, near misses, frustrations, or even clever adaptations if they fear blame or punishment. Psychological safety is the bedrock of operational learning.
Action: Leaders must consciously model and ensure that reporting bad news or problems is met with curiosity and appreciation, not retribution. Focus the response on understanding and fixing the system, process, or conditions, not the person. How you respond to small failures dictates whether you'll hear about bigger problems brewing.
"What Now?" Action 4: Lower the Bar for Learning Activities
Idea: Make learning a frequent, normal, low-burden activity, not just a massive, formal event triggered by failure.
Action: Integrate simple learning practices into daily work. Implement quick debriefs after routine or non-routine tasks. Try something like Starting Points to help ask better, more operationally curious questions. Make toolbox talks or pre-job briefs short, focused learning conversations ("What could bite us today?") rather than lengthy 'CYA' checklist exercises. Repurpose those stuffy old stand downs in to learning sessions. Create easy, informal ways for people to share insights, flag weak signals, or report frustrations without it becoming a bureaucratic nightmare.
"What Now?" Action 5: Do! Close the Loop (Even When the Answer is "No")
Idea: Learning without action or explanation erodes trust. To encourage ongoing participation, people need to see their input leads to tangible change or, at minimum, a thoughtful and transparent response.
Action: When learning activities generate insights and improvement ideas, ensure mechanisms are in place to evaluate and act on them. Critically, communicate back to the workforce what was learned and what specific actions are being taken. But what if an idea isn't feasible or a good one? Remember, Operational Learning isn't the goose that lays only golden eggs; sometimes suggestions can't or shouldn't be implemented for valid reasons (e.g., cost, risk transfer, impracticality). In these cases, inaction on the idea doesn't mean no action is required from leadership. The necessary different action is to close the loop by clearly and respectfully explaining why not. You owe the workforce that explanation. This transparent feedback demonstrates their input was genuinely heard and considered, reinforces the value of the learning process itself (even if not every idea is adopted), and builds far more credibility and trust than silence or vague corporate speak ever could. Explain the rationale; show the thinking.
Making "Learning is Vital" more than just words requires deliberate, consistent action. It's about embedding curiosity and improvement into the very fabric of how your organization operates.
Need a hand with your Human & Organizational Performance journey? GET IN TOUCH!
Get in touch with Sam Goodman
+1 480-521-5893
Sam Goodman is the founder and independent Human and Organizational Performance practitioner of The HOP Nerd LLC. He is the creator of Starting Points Operationally Curious Questions, a simple and easy way to begin pre-event learning. He has also authored multiple books focused on Human & Organizational Performance, the safety of work, and the safety profession, such as "Aren't You Curious? The Operationally Curious Leader," "10 Ideas to Make Safety Suck Less," Safety Sucks," and more. Sam is also the host and producer of The HOP Nerd Podcast. He is an experienced safety and HOP practitioner, accomplished author, passionate speaker, and respected consultant and coach.
Sam brings extensive, hands-on HOP experience from a wide array of sectors, including commercial nuclear generation, utilities, construction, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and transportation. He has partnered with numerous organizations, guiding them in the practical application and integration of HOP methods. His impact is demonstrated through initiatives like the 'Starting Points' card deck, which alone has reached hundreds of organizations, deploying thousands upon thousands of decks to facilitate learning. Whether you're just starting or looking to deepen your HOP implementation, Sam possesses the flexibility, passion, and expertise to guide your organization's journey.
Sam offers the flexibility, passion, and know-how to help your organization begin, or go further on its HOP journey.
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