>> and now for something completely different.
I am a believer in humans defaulting back to what they are most
comfortable with when their job, safety, or heaven forbid, their lives
are in jeopardy. That comfortable behavior may or may not be the best
behavior for effective crew performance. A major effort has gone on
through the last decade or two under different names where by
instructors are trying to teach good behavior characteristics (ie. be
a good listener, don't be overbearing, don't jump to conclusions until
you hear from everybody, don't act alone, be able to lead, don't fall
to group think, etc). Unfortunately, when humans get themselves into
a bind they can't force themselves to perform these somewhat new
foreign concepts but instead go to an instinctive survival mode where
they do what they have always done (again whether it be bad or good).
Recently CRM has made headway where they have concentrated less on how
to train the crew to more on how management can implement CRM rules and
tools to help all crewmembers (regardless of their CRM quality) act and
perform the best possible way as a crew when appropriate. By rules and
tools I mean things like:
--Mandatory prebriefs where all crewmembers have a speaking part and
input to brief.
--Mandatory debriefs where all crewmembers have a speaking part and
input to brief.
--Evaluations where crewmembers can help each other.
I guess it can be summed up in the statement, "Standard Operating
Procedures must specifically force CRM behavior through required
steps." If management enforces adherence to the SOP they will, by
default, force pilots to work as CRM dictates. This will become
easier to enforce in the future as Management hires humans with CRM
behavior in mind.
I would like to see a discussion on what are these new tools and rules
to force CRM practices as compared to how we are attempting to change
set behaviors to the average 'Joe Pilot' with a class once every six
months. Any feedback?<<
Robert,
I think you are right on point about humans reverting to that which they know
best or “are most comfortable with” when they are threatened. Even though it
may not be the right or best reaction for their situation, they go with what
they know best. Our job as CRM developers is to design the program that
effects that behavior, in fact all their behavior, in the aircraft. A perfect
program would function at all levels of human activity in the crew (or lone
aviator) situation.
Training and management by SOP, rules, or whatever are irrevocably linked.
One without the other is doomed to failure. The best training program in the
world without the support of management is for naught, as some of us have
found out over the last several years. Management’s espousal of rules and
regulations have minimal effect if there is no training program to articulate
to and inform the crewmembers what is expected of them.
I think your remarks about rules and tools gets very close to that point.
The prebriefs and debriefs are very important, but are before and after the
fact of the mission. What is needed in addition is a set of “tools” that are
immediately, maybe intuitively, available to the crew in the aircraft and are
specific to common aircrew situations.
I do not think that appropriate CRM behavior can be “forced” by “required
steps” or rule, without thought to training the crew and getting their buy-in
on the purpose and utility of the rule. Otherwise, we are back where we
started with a dual standard: the one they follow during check flights, etc.,
and the one that they fall back on under stress.
I think the tools and the rules are in the system, the trick how to get them
into the aircrews so that tools and rules become a part of their culture.
That is no easy trick. I had a Captain say to me the other day: “CRM? Oh
yeah, that’s where everyone is the Captain, right?” Obviously, we haven’t
gotten the point across to him. Since he is a Check Airman in his company,
how many others are influenced by his attitude? His corporate management is
sort of behind the CRM program, but obviously something is missing.
Behavior changes will not take place over night. Those of us who have seen
the benefits, designed the programs, done the research, etc. just have to
keep hammering away. Hopefully, and eventually, the good words will spread,
even to Joe Pilot.
Regards,
Dave Wilson
CRM Program Manager
HTI