Being Human in safety-critical organisations by Dik Gregory & Paul Shanahan

Author:Dik Gregory & Paul Shanahan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Stationery Office

Plans, goals and priorities

An important aspect of being on target is planning. In most working situations, we have more things to do than it seems we have time to do them in. Without a plan, we run the risk of drifting, focusing on the wrong thing or jumping erratically from task to task. Some people would argue that a goal without a plan for how to achieve it is not a meaningful goal, just a vague aspiration.

Human brains have the unique capability to imagine a range of future scenarios, choose the most desirable, and then consider how best to bring this about. To make a plan, you clearly need to decide how and when you are going to carry out a particular task. This can be considered tactical planning. But in addition to this, you need to consider how you are going to organise individual tasks into a higher-level, strategic plan that takes account of task priorities.

In thinking about priorities, it is helpful to distinguish between importance and urgency. A task may be important but not urgent – so it can wait. Another task may be urgent – it must be done now or very soon – but not important. The highest-priority tasks are those that are both urgent and important.

Scheduling must also reflect the dependencies between tasks. Some tasks may require the same resources, technical or human, or one task must logically be completed before another can begin.

We will not go into precise planning methods here; there are countless good books on planning your working day and the related topic of time management. 30 These days, there are also a variety of helpful apps for smart devices.

Setting goals and making plans are plainly necessary but some words of caution are needed. The military devotes huge effort to planning operations, but it also bears in mind the old adage “ No plan survives first contact with the enemy ”. When things start to go wrong, it is a matter of fine judgement whether to stick with the plan or to change. It can help if, in drawing up the plan, you have thought about things that could go wrong and have identified ‘if–then’ options. 31

Within the complex systems in which safety-critical operations take place, it is always likely that the unexpected will occur, but the mental exercise of thinking about alternative actions will help you remain flexible. However, be aware that there are risks associated with having a Plan B. Research has shown that having a Plan B can cause people to not try their hardest to make Plan A succeed. 32 For example, you go to an interview for a job you want, having also arranged to go to an interview for another job elsewhere (your ‘Plan B’). If things get difficult, it is easy to slip into the attitude “ Well, if I don’t get this job (and maybe I don’t want it so much after all), I always have this other possibility ”.

Research also shows that having a plan with a clear goal makes you more sensitive to information relevant to this goal.

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