The claim that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts is an oft
repeated *truth* of CRM. I believe there was a similar claim involving loaves
and fishes sometime ago, but I wasn't there, so I can't be sure of the
outcome. I do draw parallels between some of the claims of the CRM world and
the loaves and fishes people. I think part of CRM has become a religion and
to question it, heresy.
I have challenged people to show me a case where CRM can make the outcome more
than the sum of the individual inputs. So far I haven't been convinced
(although I have a feeling that such a case might be possible when talking
about knowledge-based problem solving...but then again maybe not). I think
that what CRM can possibly do is to make the whole close to the sum of the
parts (in fact Lufthanser even teach this I have been told). I suspect it can
never equal the sum as there is an overhead (good CRM reduces the overhead) in
the crew process that takes resources but doesn't contribute directly to the
task in hand. That is the theme of the SuperPilot, DreamTeam, SuperbPilot
paper that will come out in RAAF Safety Spotlight later this year (the title
is CRM: More than just talk,talk, talk, talk...). I have a PDF version that
could be put on the web if there is interest.
Cheers
Keith
Fully paid up member of the Flat Earth Society and sitting on the fence again.
--------------------------------------
Tony Kern wrote,
<snip>Dear brothers and sisters in arms
I am fascinated by the Magic Pill discussion and felt the need . . .
I have always viewed CRM as a "force multiplier," that is to say it acts
to energize and synergize elements that already exist in the individual --
and multiplies them into a "whole that is greater than the sum of its
parts." (A statement that makes Newton roll over in his grave, but one
that I strongly believe true) I'm a pilot, not a mathametician, but if I take
off my shoes I can count to twenty, and this kind of simple math tells me
that the "magic pill" exists in training INDIVIDUALS to a level of
competence and capability that allows the force multiplier to have a
greater effect. This was the thesis of the airmanship model (for those
that missed the discussion last fall, the model is the result of 5 years of
historical research into what good aviators DO and what they KNOW.
For more info see "Redefining Airmanship" McGraw-Hill, 1997) which
suggested that there are specific components of expertise that can and
should be trained and educated BEFORE formal team training -- furtherer,
that individuals can -- and should -- take care of this on their own if they
are provided the roadmap and resources to do so. As CRM folks, what
can we do?
<snip>