> Does anybody have a discussion started yet? If not, I'd like to get one going
> on "LOFT DEBRIEFING." We at NWA, feel that we as an industry have a pretty good
> handle on LOFT briefing and standardizing instructors on that, but debriefing is
> another issue. Tony Sasso and I are trying to put together a "LOFT Debriefing
> Guide" for our instructors. We can put lots of hints in there on how to do it
> and what to say, but we'd like something more standardized. Is that an issue
> that others are struggling with? It's very timely because most of us in the
> industry are developing our 1997 programs.
> Regards to all,
> Guy
>
Hi Guy,
Having seen your work at the RAeS conferences here in the UK, I would have to concur
that you have a pretty good handle on the conduct of LOFT sessions!!! However, I am
puzzled by your desire to standardize debriefings. Perhaps I am confused by the use of the
word "standardized" since it strikes me that the value of the debrief lies in its flexibility...
One thing that might be of interest to you is the approach that we have taken to CRM/LOFT
facilitation when doing Facilitator training at Cranfield. We have deliberately taken what
could be called a 'pure facilitation' approach to the problem of providing a trainer with the
wherewithall to function in the human factors world.
To elaborate, this means that we make a distinction between the process of a session (i.e.
a debrief) and the content of the session. During training, the facilitator provides only the
process of the session (they guide it) and the participants provide the content (to use an
aviation analogy, the facilitator is the control system and the participants are the thrust...).
(However, in practice, the trainer may find themselves providing some of the content as
well).
Where the structure comes in, is that we teach a set of processes which are essentially
series of steps which the facilitator follows in order to extract information from the
participants. In a way, processes can be likened to recipes. If you follow them, you will
probably get the product you desire...however, a certain amount of skill is involved as well
and the process (or recipe) is certainly not the only way to accomplish the end (there is
more than one way to bake a cake).
Thus, trainers have a set of tools to use to "structure" their debriefs which they will
become more proficient with, and adapt to their own needs, over time.
Is this what you mean by structure?
Best regards,
Joel.
*************************************
F.J. Joel Morley
Human Factors Technology Group
College of Aeronautics
Cranfield University