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BLUF: This post returns to the review of the sequence of events associated with the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. The series uses my perspective on HRO to illustrate key concepts that are hard to identify from the investigation reports.
BLUF: This post continues the description of the high workload on the Bridge before the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. The series is devoted explaining key concepts of HRO in context. The prior post emphasized the attention an OOD must devote to the environment external to the ship. This post describes the internal focus the OOD has to maintain as well (post 9g).
BLUF: This is a brief departure from the sequence of events associated with the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. The series is devoted explaining key concepts of HRO in context. This post helps non-Navy Surface Warfare Officers understand the high mental workload on the Bridge before the collision. It emphasizes the attention an OOD must devote to the situational features external to the ship.
An introduction to a series of posts about the email system I describe in my book, How to: Become and Email Ninja. A thorough and lavishly illustrated guide to getting better results in electronic communications, including texts.
Being clear in your own mind about why you are sending an email is the first step for making that purpose clear to your readers. Most email falls into four basic types: meeting requests, event announcements, questing action, taking action. Your ability to accomplish one of the four purposes is enhanced by tactics tailored to each purpose.
This post describes step 2 of the PAASTUB (pronounced “paystub”) email process: Action. Make what you need and when you need it explicit in your email messages.
Only send email to recipients that need to know the content. The Addressees of your email message should only be the people who will be truly grateful for receiving it. Use the Cc: field of email sparingly. NEVER automatically “reply to all.”
Only send email to recipients that need to know the content. The Addressees of your email message should only be the people who will be truly grateful for receiving it. Use the Cc: field of email sparingly. NEVER automatically “reply to all.”
BLUF: After several forwards and replies, the average email contains an enormous quantity of non-value-added text. “Take out the trash” from your emails means to remove all unnecessary text before sending. Take a little bit of extra time to improve clarity and focus readers on just what is important for accomplishing your purpose.
BLUF: Delete or paraphrase ugly (insensitive or intemperate) remarks in email from yourself or others to avoid future pain and embarrassment. Send a separate note to people that write such things asking them refrain in the future.
This is Part Five of the sequence of events associated with the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. It is part of a series devoted explaining key concepts of HRO in context and continues with the day before the collision.
BLUF: The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) describes the essence of your email in three sentences, plus or minus one. Reading the BLUF alone should be sufficient to understand both the action and its importance. Creating a good BLUF also helps you clarifies your thoughts about the message.
BLUF: I have received many comments on LinkedIn about my posts thus far (thanks a lot). They raised several good issues that are worthy of discussing in a separate post.
BLUF: This is Part Four of the sequence of events associated with the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. It is part of a series devoted explaining key concepts of HRO in context. This is the second of two posts that uses the sequence of events to examine value conflicts associated with Highly Reliable Organizing.
This is Part Three of the sequence of events associated with the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. It is part of a series devoted explaining key concepts of HRO in context. This is the first of two posts that uses the sequence of events to examine value conflicts associated with Highly Reliable Organizing.
BLUF: This is Part Two of the sequence of events associated with the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. It is part of a series devoted explaining key concepts of HRO in context and continues with the day before the collision.
BLUF: This is Part One of the sequence of events (SOE) associated with the collision of the USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. There were many things from the SOE that present opportunities to learn so there will be many parts.
The USS JOHN S MCCAIN (DDG 56) collided with Motor Vessel ALNIC MC on 21 August 2017 in the Straits of Singapore. Ten Sailors died, forty-eight more were injured, and both ships were damaged (DDG 56 seriously). This is the first in a series of posts devoted to the application of HRO for analyzing the accident.
The complexity and risks involved in safety-critical work are managed with role systems. The work is divided among groups or separate organizations with defined roles. Each is important to the mission of the organization. A role consists of defined behaviors and responsibilities required of people because of their position in the organization.
In this post, I summarize the main points of Charles Perrow’s Normal Accident Theory (NAT). I consider NAT to be the main counterpoint to HRO.
