2025 Community of Human and Organizational Learning 31st Annual Conference

BREAKFAST BUFFET
Orange, Grapefruit, Apple and Cranberry Juice
Seasonal Fruit Display |Individual Fruit Yogurt (GF)
Assorted Boxed Cereal | 2% | Soy | Almond | Whole Milk
Hot Oatmeal | Brown Sugar | Cinnamon | Raisins (V)

Croissant | Assortment of Muffins | Lemon Poppy Bread

Cage Free Farm Fresh Scrambled Eggs (GF)
Plant Based Sweet Potato Hash |Crumbled Sausage
Onions | Peppers | Garlic | Butternut Squash | Kale

Apple-wood Smoked Bacon
Thick-Sliced Hickory Ham

They say time flies, but for those of us who have been around since the beginning of this conference- it has REALLY flown!  Let's take a trip down memory and learning lane and start the next 30 years right.  
If you believe:
- Error is Normal - lets talk about some of the mistakes and fixes along the way
- Blame Fixes Nothing - Let's discuss how we had to manage blame along the way to get where we are
- Systems Influence Behaviors - Discover how we went from a few to hundreds
- Response Matters - How did the leaders of the CHOL change the trajectory
- Learning is Essential - That is why we are here!

Apple Bread
Banana Nut Bread
Tea
Coffee

When intelligently designed and deployed this effort will positively impact the complexity around serious injuries and fatalities.   By leveraging Enterprise Safety and Health Software that is built on the Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles, allows organizations a more detailed modeling approach to identify groups of individuals, processes, or conditions that may create an unsafe event or SIF accident.  In the absence of having software solutions that incorporate HOP Principles, safety professionals are often forced to conduct concurrent manual processes that take away precious capacity to apply the right resources as the right time to prevent SIFs.

Up until now, we know that the basis of most safety data to date has been lagging based on historical incidents and observed data. The very nature of how traditional software solutions have been organized focus heavily on prevention and truly little on recoverability and resilience. This creates significant challenges for organizations to evolve their SIF prevention process and align the organization on the principles that matter most.

This session will walk through how one organization is applying software differently to achieve better insights and better results. The software improvements that will be shared are based on the presenters’ experience regarding operationalizing HOP in numerous organizations they support and a longer history working with traditional software applications. What this story will tell attendees is how software supports better leader observations and their discussions in keeping the conversation of risk alive, how controls are measured to understand if you are “lucky” versus “good” and how event reviews are supported to shift the focus away from fixing “who” versus “what.”

Course Description for APP: (50 words)

Armed with the insight from safety data captured with these software changes organizations can now focus limited resources on the things where the greatest return can be maximized, i.e., preventing workplace serious injuries and fatalities. Setting the right performance metrics ensure the right information is delivered to the right level at the right time so leaders can act.
Relevance:

Safety and health performance is traditionally measured by lagging indicators that rely on injury and illness statistics. Unlike processes such as production, safety is consistently measured by failure instead of accomplishment. A proactive approach—utilizing enterprise safety and health software designed with Human and Organizational Performance as its foundations focuses on tracking safety and health performance on the things that can cause and prevents serious injuries and fatalities.

Objectives:
1.    How leader observations focused on three simple questions captured through software can be harnessed to address the most significant risks for an organization.
2.    Efficiently capture and report how controls contributed to or prevented the SIF or SIF Potential to identify weaknesses and reinforce for leaders are we "lucky" or are we "good".
3. Align HOP language to support event reviews that focus on fixing "what" versus "who"

Apple Bread
Banana Nut Bread
Tea
Coffee

Join Ben Goodheart, Ron Gantt, and Dave Provan on an adventure through some of the BS that permeates the world of safety. Whether it’s platitudes, half-truths, or fiction, Ron and Ben will look at a few common safety practices with a focus on stripping away noise and doing what works for the folks doing the work. By choosing a few key topics with the audience, we’ll share stories and experiences to provide practical ways to keep safety human-centered, effective, and fun.

PARKWAY

Soup of the Day
Greens | Kale | and Spinach | Carrots | Cucumbers | Tomato and Olives Tossed | Ranch Dressing and Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette on the side (GF) (VG) | Fruit Salad (V) (GF)

ENTREES:
Roasted Teriyaki Chicken
Seared Salmon | Artichokes and Lemon Cream Sauce

SIDES:
Roasted Root Vegetables (GF) (V)
Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (GF) (V)
Sautéed Baby Vegetables

DESSERT:
Assorted Chef’s Selection

Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. At Tesla EHSS we are laser focused on integrating HOP mindset into everything we do. HOP helps us ensure safeguards are based on the blue line. We are building our own Tesla EHSS data management system and HOP mindset is embedded into the system from Design to Reporting. MyEHS is our one stop shop for all EHSS activities. It integrates all EHSS information into one Tesla system. System deployment also enabled HOP aligned language in how we manage events.
For event learning, we have two approaches. SAFE Tool (Safeguard Analysis for Events) and Learning Teams. SAFE tool is simple with three questions 1. What safeguards existed and worked? 2) What safeguards existed and did not work? 3. What safeguards did not exist but could have worked). Learning teams are conducted on events as well as successful work. Environmental Social Governance is moving companies to report non-financial indicators on the 10k. For our lagging indicators, we are moving away from OSHA lagging indicators as lagging metrics and moving towards ASTM as the global metric for safety success. This allows us to focus on what is important rather than focusing on everything.
For our leading indicators, we have our Take Charge program. Take Charge program promotes a culture of improvement by empowering those closest to the work. Take Charge is used in 44 countries, 1616 locations, in 16 different languages. By January 2024, we had 1,136,000+ Take Charge submissions globally with more than 70,100 unique submitters.
We continue to track the traditional lagging indicators only within EHSS. However, we do not set targets for them, we do not include them on our executive dashboards, and we do not include them in our external reporting. They are for tracking/trending purposes and internal EHSS use only. Our focus tells the world what we prioritize.
As a key takeaway, we recommend the following: 1) Hire people that have HOP mindset so that systems, and processes naturally align as you move in your journey. 2) Focus on building capacity to fail safely over preventing all events. 3) Don’t set goals against lagging metrics. 4) Implement tools that enable learning from those closest to the work.

Introduction: In an era where safety and culture within organizations are paramount, traditional methods of engagement and education often fall short of making a lasting impact. This keynote presentation explores an innovative approach: utilizing stand-up comedy techniques to foster a culture of safety and enhance organizational culture.

Objectives and Scope: The presentation aims to demonstrate how storytelling, humor, and engagement techniques derived from stand-up comedy can create meaningful 'Aha' moments, fostering an environment where safety and culture thrive together. By dissecting elements such as the rule of three, audience engagement, callbacks, analogies, metaphors, and self-deprecating humor, we will delve into how these strategies can be effectively applied in non-comedic contexts to influence behavior and attitudes positively.

Main Arguments or Findings: Through a series of examples and case studies, we will uncover how humor can be a powerful tool for good, enabling everyone to find their unique comedic voice to create connections and act as influencers within their organizations. The presentation highlights the intrinsic link between truth and humor, showcasing how finding humor in everyday situations can enhance communication, creativity, and human connection.

Implications or Contributions: The implications of adopting stand-up comedy techniques extend beyond mere entertainment, serving as a catalyst for cultural transformation within organizations. This approach not only improves safety awareness and practices but also contributes to a more engaged, cohesive, and resilient workforce. By embracing humor as an essential element of communication, leaders and employees alike can foster a more inclusive and positive organizational culture.

Conclusion: Stand-up comedy offers more than just laughs; it provides a unique lens through which we can enhance safety culture and organizational engagement. By learning to wield humor effectively, we can create a workplace where safety is integrated seamlessly into the culture, and every individual feels valued and connected.
I can be contacted on +61 410 746 786 in Australia

All Speakers, please check in with the Tech team upon arrival or at least the day before you are scheduled to present.

Conference Presentations: Please bring your actual presentation to the conference on a USB DRIVE (PowerPoint or whatever) and connect with the Tech's upon arrival so that we can assure EVERYTHING RUNS CORRECTLY on our computers and your AV needs are met.

This is a critical step to assure our conference program is executed flawlessly.

To arrange a meet-up, stop by the registration desk, Piazza, or reach out by calling or texting:
JOSH INGERSOLL at 303-919-7984
MIKE INGERSOLL at 720-810-6093

Cinnamon Churros
Tea
Coffee

Successfully implementing Safety 2.0 requires strong understanding and support from an organization's executive. This presentation covers how to orient executives to ensure first, that their organization is ready for change, second, to understand the origins and concepts of Safety 2.0 and finally, a forward look at the principles and practices of successful learning organizations.

Laughter and learning share a profound link, a truth that remains largely underutilised in the domain of safety communication. "How laughter can lead to learning" is an innovative workshop designed to bridge this gap, offering a fresh perspective on engaging safety professionals. This session delves into the evolutionary roots of laughter, its health benefits, and its capacity to foster an environment conducive to learning and retention. By integrating humour into safety messages, we can enhance their memorability and impact, ensuring that crucial information is not just heard but retained.

Participants in this workshop will gain:

An understanding of how humour can break down barriers and create a more receptive environment for safety training across diverse audiences.
Practical techniques for crafting and delivering safety messages that use humour to engage and stick with the audience, without undermining the seriousness of the content.
Insights into the effective use of personal storytelling, structure, and delivery in safety communication, tailored to resonate with everyone from frontline workers to senior management.
This hands-on session is structured to encourage participation, practice, and real-time feedback. Through a combination of brief lectures, interactive activities, and group discussions, attendees will learn how to use humour as a strategic tool in their safety communications toolkit.

Facilitated by:

Steve Harvey ( No, Not him!)

Looking for ways to engage frontline employees? This session will provide hands on learning techniques that have been practically applied to engaging the workforce in the utility industry. Topics will provide attendees with skills to facilitate with their workforce and apply to a host of topics ranging from procedure comprehension to human performance techniques.    
Participants will be able to:
- Model practical learning solutions to help facilitate their own learning activities for their specific work group and industry.
- Identify ways to incorporate different styles of learning for increased engagement which results in higher retention of information.
- Apply learning techniques to illustrate complex content such as human performance methodology and safety information required of a workgroup.

The business case for a diverse workforce proposes that diversity can help organizations perform better by promoting innovation, and improving decision-making, adaptability, engagement, and retention. Further, research on elite teams emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives in dealing with emerging, complex circumstances. This 'diversity of thought' helps form as complete an operational picture as possible as members of the team bring their distinctive backgrounds and experiences to bear on the situation at hand. However, diversity of personnel does not automatically create diversity of thought. Instead, teams (or workgroups) invite diverse perspectives when they create a local culture defined by psychological safety, where members feel welcome to communicate freely. In this talk, I’ll discuss concrete ways to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in teams; these techniques in turn, contribute to a culture of psychological safety. This talk first defines psychological safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion, then operationalizes those terms according to what group actions you would observe if you were seeing these concepts working well versus working poorly within a group. I will then walk through an example, drawn from the US federal wildland firefighting service, of how to intentionally re-design team practices to incorporate inclusion and psychological safety into the regular workflow of the group. This approach is different from common DEI approaches that rely on organization members to gain personal awareness about implicit bias and difference. Instead, my framework trains leaders on how to design an inclusive team culture by making small changes to existing group routines and practices, and intentionally designing new ones.

Part I
In the past, it has been up to writers, reviewers, and approvers of technical procedures to learn the error traps and drivers and to write effective procedures. Often they are not trained and certified, so they do the best they can with what they are provided. When something happens in the field and management suspects that a procedure wasn't followed, they tend to blame the worker and never even look to see if the procedure or process contained systemic drivers. Most managers don't even know what those are. The first half of this session will introduce the Top 5 procedure error drivers and how to recognize and reduce them. The second half will provide a "deviation analysis" tool for understanding why deviations occur and putting actions in place to correct the real problems. In addition, we will introduce a Word add-in called CAPTUER (Completely Automated Procedure Tool for User Error Reduction) which reduces procedure review times by up to 65% while identifying error drivers and making suggestions for resolution. Each attendee will receive a free copy of the CAPTUER add-in and the deviation anlaysis guide.

So you’ve started your exploration of the New View and HOP. Maybe you’ve started the conversation about avoidance of blame and even dabbled in some learning teams. You’ve read a few books and articles and somewhere along the way you heard about Resilience Engineering. It sounds interesting so you pick up some of the Resilience Engineering books. But those seem written more for academics than for people actually doing the work. Some of it makes sense, so you assume there’s something there. But you can’t quite figure out what it all means.

If this sounds like you then this session is for you. I’ll discuss my own exploration of Resilience Engineering, where it came from, and how I have tried to put it into practice in the work I do on a daily basis in real world organizations. It’s more than just learning from everyday work. It’s about supporting people in coping with the complex, messy, sometimes chaotic-ness of work.

Spend enough time discussing safety and human performance, and you’re bound to hear complacency enter the conversation. It’s a convenient boogeyman when things go wrong, but what if complacency isn’t all bad? What if the rituals and repetition we create for ourselves actually make us more adaptable and resilient? Or, maybe it’s not that simple…

In the dynamic world of safety science, adapting and evolving is not beneficial - it's essential. The Incident Cause Analysis Method (ICAM) rooted in James Reason's groundbreaking Swiss Cheese Model, has served as a staple in high risk environments globally for decades. Yet, as we navigate the ever-evolving landscapes of industry and technology, it's vital to recognise that the Swiss Cheese Model, despite it's historical importance , may not capture the entirety of complexity leading to safety events.

This session will provide attendees with an overview of ICAM as well as modern safety science tools and techniques to help you and your organisation shift from a culture of blame to a culture of learning.

Cinnamon Churros
Tea
Coffee

In an effort to obtain more understanding of and buy-in for Learning Team use in Georgia-Pacific, I asked our CEO to join me to co-facilitate learning teams at 2 sites with safety opportunities. Session will share the details of what led to that, how the learning teams went, and what the outcomes were, as thoughts for others to consider as they continue their HOP journey.

We’ve all felt it: the sense that we’re pushing against some invisible force that keeps us from doing our best work. For a lot of organizations, that friction is baked into the way we organize, and creating safety, resilience, and a culture that supports it is often in spite of the organization, not because of it. In this session, we’ll talk about how purposeful design can support adaptation and expertise by re-thinking the traditional org chart and focusing on what works.

The journey of organizational change begins as a lonely pursuit. To be successful, it cannot stay that way. This is a practical overview of building community both within your company and beyond to gain, receive, and give support to those focused on the organizational change. Regardless of leadership buy-in, nurturing community and sustaining dialogue through both internal and external communication channels is a crucial, albeit often overlooked, aspect of operationalization. Change leaders, especially those operating as a team of one, need the support of peers. That support and council is an accelerant for successful change. The presentation will provide the audience participants with stories, experiences, trials, errors, and good ideas to build support and direct change through the overlooked but highly practical and effective means of building relationships to understand readiness and promote the organizational change that we know will make an impact within our companies and beyond.

Implementing Human Performance isn’t always easy, but the journey doesn’t end at implementation. This session will allow attendees to hear a testimonial of a continued Human Performance journey at an electric utility. Conversation will include pitfalls, false starts, case study and successes along the way. Attendees should walk away with some helpful ideas on what works, what doesn’t work and a refreshed perspective for defining success in their own human performance journeys.

Part2
In the past, it has been up to writers, reviewers, and approvers of technical procedures to learn the error traps and drivers and to write effective procedures. Often they are not trained and certified, so they do the best they can with what they are provided. When something happens in the field and management suspects that a procedure wasn't followed, they tend to blame the worker and never even look to see if the procedure or process contained systemic drivers. Most managers don't even know what those are. The first half of this session will introduce the Top 5 procedure error drivers and how to recognize and reduce them. The second half will provide a "deviation analysis" tool for understanding why deviations occur and putting actions in place to correct the real problems. In addition, we will introduce a Word add-in called CAPTUER (Completely Automated Procedure Tool for User Error Reduction) which reduces procedure review times by up to 65% while identifying error drivers and making suggestions for resolution. Each attendee will receive a free copy of the CAPTUER add-in and the deviation anlaysis guide.

This is a case study in how to manage SIF risks for work in a highly variable environment.
Many times, in many forums, I asked rooms full of line clearance workers the question “How many of you have run from a falling tree or limb?” Almost all raise their hands. Being struck-by wood kills many line clearance workers every year. As Director of Safety and Human Performance for a line clearance company, I heard early on: “if you do this job long enough, you will get seriously hurt”. We didn’t accept this. We took the approach to learn everything we could about the risk of being struck by a tree or limb…and we discovered some surprising things that helped us better manage the risk of being struck by wood.
A traditional safety approach to managing this risk is: stay out of the drop zone and use 3-way communication before entering. Rules are important but rules are not enough to manage the risks that emerge from quick changing situations that are common in highly variable environments.
Several months into our HOP journey, we had a key insight from Ohio State University Safety Researcher: line clearance is among the most highly variable work he had ever seen, he ranked it second only to the special forces. We realized behavior-based safety was not a good fit…so what next?
We needed to expand from traditional safety, which is often a STATIC view of risk: identify all hazards and risks PRIOR to starting work –and you’ll be ok - to practices that supported noticing emerging risks and uncertainty. We needed to learn as much as we could about how work really happens. We found patterns in the responses to the question “What surprised you?” from 50 struck-by wood events and close calls.
In this talk, I will share how to identify patterns in how people are surprised, which can lead to identifying risk factors to enable getting in front of SIF risks. I will share concepts, tools, and practices we invented (e.g., Uncertainty Gauge, Press Pause, and Stack-up of Risks) that are effective in managing emerging risks which are omnipresent in highly variable work.
4. Abstract: Resilience Engineering FUNdamentals
Beth Lay, President of Resilience Engineering Association and Director at Forge Works
RE/HRO track, Breakout session
Reliability is about producing predictable, desired outcomes. Reliability engineers see people as sources of error as they work in stable, repeatable systems. How do we get better – or more reliable - based on past performance?
Robustness is about being strong and sturdy. How can we make the system able to withstand known risks?
Resilience is about anticipating how we could be surprised and preparing people and our systems to adapt to variability. Resilience engineers see people as sources of adaptation as they work in complex, unstable systems. How can we design systems that gracefully extend to manage surprise? (because we will ALWAYS be surprised!)
Note: We need all three: reliable, robust, and resilient systems.
In this session, we will talk about what it means to move from a focus on control to embracing variability. We will explore Resilience Engineering fundamentals and share tools and practices that enable us to work successfully in variable environments and to be prepared for surprise.

This session will give the journey from the early stages of a Safety
Culture development in a Union environment, which became the leading edge for HOP development in a major utility (Consumers Energy). Very descriptive timeline and challenges which moved the team to best in class performance on many levels. Very engaging speakers with about 18yrs in both disciplines and experience in Partnership Team development in a Union environment.

Part 2

In the contemporary landscape of occupational safety, traditional metrics like Total Recordable Injury Rates (TRIR) and Lost Time Injury Rates (LTIR) have dominated the discourse and practice. However, our book, "Random Noise - Measuring Your Company's Safety Performance," challenges these conventional measures, arguing that they represent mere 'random noise' rather than providing a true reflection of an organization's safety performance.

This groundbreaking work is an assemblage of approximately 15 distinct research studies, meticulously collated and analyzed to scrutinize the efficacy and relevance of TRIR and LTIR in safety management. The book begins by dissecting the inherent flaws in these traditional metrics. We demonstrate, through statistical analysis and real-world case studies, that these rates are largely influenced by random variables and external factors, thus rendering them unreliable indicators of actual safety conditions within organizations.

Moving beyond critique, the book offers a novel perspective on safety measurement. It introduces alternative metrics and methodologies that focus on proactive safety management rather than reactive statistical reporting. These alternatives emphasize the importance of qualitative assessments, employee engagement in safety practices, and the development of a robust safety culture.

One of the core arguments of the book is the need for a paradigm shift in safety measurement - from a numbers-driven approach to a more holistic, culture-oriented methodology. This approach not only provides a more accurate picture of an organization's safety health but also fosters a more engaged and proactive safety culture among employees.

The book is not just a theoretical exposition; it is replete with practical guidelines and tools for organizations seeking to transition from traditional injury rates to more meaningful safety performance measures. These tools are designed to be adaptable across various industry sectors, making the book a valuable resource for safety professionals, organizational leaders, and policymakers.

Learning Outcomes for Conference Attendees:

Understanding the Limitations of Traditional Safety Metrics: Attendees will gain insights into the pitfalls of relying solely on TRIR and LTIR as measures of safety performance, understanding how these metrics can lead to misleading conclusions about an organization's safety health.

Exploration of Alternative Safety Measurement Approaches: Participants will be introduced to innovative, more effective ways of measuring safety performance. These alternatives focus on qualitative assessment, cultural factors, and proactive safety management strategies.

Practical Strategies for Implementing Change: The session will provide attendees with actionable strategies and tools for shifting from a numbers-focused approach to a more holistic, culture-centric safety measurement methodology. This includes guidance on engaging employees and fostering a safety-conscious organizational culture.

Got questions after the general and breakout sessions? Bring your curiosity back to the ballroom! Press Pass and Go is your opportunity to come to the stage and have a fireside chat with the day’s presenters. This exclusive opportunity is available Tuesday through Thursday only.

POSITANO
CHEF TO PREPARE:
Ziti | Cheese Tortellini | Bow Tie | Lentil Pasta

SAUCES TO SAUTÉ:
Garlic | Olive Oil
Vodka Pink Sauce

Trio Bruschetta station:
Jumbo Italian Crostini | Tomato, Garlic, Onion Basil
Wild Mushroom | Green Onion | Artichoke
Pesto Chicken

PARK IT HERE
BBQ Brisket Sliced and served to order
Pulled Pork Slider with Pickle Chip
Buffalo Chicken Slider | Blue Cheese
Beyond Meat Slider with Grilled Onion (V)

FIXIN’S
Potato Salad
Mini Corn Cob | Red Pepper Butter | Lemon Basil Butter
House Chips
Tajin Watermelon Skewer