More importantly, Hugo wrote, "CRM principles work perfectly in compatible
cockpits and very bad in the opposite situation." If we look at all the
subcultures in the list, there is a good chance that many cockpits are "in
the opposite situation." I feel that we have two jobs in CRM development:
1. To increase the awareness of sub-cultures for our constituencies,
particularly the negative aspects and consequences.
2. To establish an organizational culture that knows how to recognize and
transcend the sub-cultural issues when required. For example, a crew facing
critical fuel and deteriorating weather requires collaborative thinking and
decision making, regardless of the organizational, national, or vocational
culture of the airline and despite the multi-faceted sub-cultures in the
cockpit.
Theoretically it sounds easy, but there are such powerful personality forces
that opposes our ability to go beyond these "simple" issues. Recently I
chatted with an F/O friend who is the essence of professionalism. On a
recent trip, the captain chastised him within five minutes of their first
meeting. For four days the F/O performed minimally - doing only the
requirements and avoiding dialogue as much as possible. He was embarrassed
by his own response; he knew that he was reneging on his strong human
factors principles; and he has since decided to handle similar situations
differently. BUT IT HAPPENED! The flights were safe, but....
How do we go about defeating these very powerful forces that drive human
beings apart when they need to work together? I'd like to hear some
suggestions.
Greetings, Guy
Ypsilon Associates
Customized Airline Training Programs
Guy M. Smith, Ed.D.
Managing Director
9370 207th Street West
Lakeville, MN 55044-5999
(612) 985-5853 (Office)
ypsilon_at_concentric.net