Open culture in practice: Lessons from aviation
The aviation industry operates something called 'Just
Culture', an ongoing progressive part of the fabric of that
industry. They say it takes years to establish, but only a moment
to destroy.
An effective and open reporting programme depends on how
organisations handle blame and punishment, which is where the Just
Culture concept began. People needed to know that they had a voice,
and if they felt uncomfortable about something, no matter what,
they could share their concern without fear of retaliation - even
if their concern was unfounded.
What is needed to drive an "open culture" is a
"just culture", an atmosphere of trust in which people
are encouraged to speak up when something isn't right, or they
just sense that something isn't as it should be. It is
important that an environment exists where concerns can be raised,
necessary processes are in place for investigation and for the
development of preventative
