I downloaded the FAA ACRM guide yesterday like many of you and
spent last night reading it cover to cover. I want to make a comment or
two on it but before I do I want to recognize the exceptional dedication of
the authors and thank them publicly for their efforts. Well done! Having
said that . . .
The CRM guide appears to take a one track approach -- the creation of
procedural guidance. Many of the "skill-based" crowd (a group in which I
often count myself) are no doubt delighted with this government
validation of the approach. I see a real danger, however, associated
with it, but I'm not exactly sure how to communicate it. I'm a storyteller
so humor me for a moment.
The story goes that a CRM grad student was trying to answer the
question "What is the biggest inhibitor to good CRM practice - ignorance,
apathy, or isolation?" He finally found the perfect man to ask at a
smoke-filled bar called the "Hangar Queen." After mustering up the
courage to approach this leather clad icon of aviation who was leaning
on the bar with a Sam Adams in his throttle hand, the meek grad student
popped the question. "Sir, what do you think the biggest challenge is to
effective CRM training - ignorance, apathy, or isolation?" The grizzled
pilot fixed the young interloper with his steel grey eyes and responded "I
don't know, I don't care, leave me alone."
Therein lies the problem I have with the procedure-only approach to
CRM. It doesn't address the three demons of ignorance, apathy or
isolation. Let's start at the top, with ignorance (perhaps too strong a
word). An old philosophy instructor once told me there are two ways to
know things - with your head and with your heart. A procedure-only
approach that doesn't include a healthy portion of "why" these
procedures work or are being added sells the head but not the heart, and
I think that this is an important point. Under stress, intrinsic belief or
"gut feel" often makes the difference between recall and forgetfulness.
When coupled with procedural requirments it may be doubly effective.
Second, apathy. We in the human factors industry must continually find
motivational tools to create a "pull" for this knowledge/skill/CRM-thing as
opposed to the traditional "push the training" mentality that has been the
default position from the beginning. The guide does some selling to
management but leaves out the motivation for the crewdog. I believe
that this is a serious oversight. Finally to isolation. Training instructors
and evaluators is critical, but some thought to developing a set of
resources for continuing reinforcement of these procedural principles will
be key to keeping the crewmember motivated to internally
accept/promote the new procedures after the initial training and
procedural requirements are put into place.
Once again, I commend the authors of the project, but I believe it is still
only one piece of a much larger puzzle to win the not only the hands, but
the hearts and minds of the crewmembers to the desired state.
Just my two cents worth
Tony Kern