What is necessary to build an organization resilient to unexpected situations?

Establishing a shared understanding of what is considered an emergency within the organization

How should we respond when faced with an unexpected situation? According to the theory of high reliability organization, which studies what makes an organization resilient to unexpected situations, the basis is to have a shared understanding of what is considered to be an emergency within the organization.

For example, in the case of a fire, do you leave it alone thinking it is just a small fire and not a big deal, or do you take action quickly to put it out fearing it could turn into a big fire? Differences in judgment can lead to completely different results. First of all, can you recognize that it is a fire and then take the necessary steps to put it out? In a sense, it might be a way of saying, “Let’s properly do what should be obvious.” However, looking at recent news, there are quite a few cases where even the shared understanding as an organization is lacking.

An organization is dangerous if, when something happens, a single member cries out “danger” but their message does not get through. Of course, it is necessary to investigate the cause and clarify where responsibility lies. However, if discussions like “It wasn’t me who started the fire” or “Who lit the fire?” come first, and the organization cannot immediately move on to putting out the fire, that is a problem. The key is to build an organization that can create a shared understanding from the voices of each individual and take action immediately.

Everyday and unexpected situations, peacetime and emergencies are connected. In other words, emergency and peacetime cannot be separated; sometimes, without realizing it, peacetime turns into an emergency. An organization that can respond to unexpected situations is one that always pays attention to small mistakes, minor abnormalities, and near misses in places like factories, sharing the recognition that something is wrong, and squashes problems.

In order to cope with an unexpected situation, you should have a policy to follow in such situations. For example, prioritizing security may sometimes require halting services, leading to business losses. In such cases, it is important for the management to have a relationship with the front line where they can say, “If you say it is dangerous, we’ll stop.” To build mutual trust and enable implementation on a daily basis, communication is indispensable. An organization that has not been communicating regularly will likely find it difficult to work together when suddenly responding to something.

Psychological safety is essential to be able to say what you want without risk.

What is necessary to ensure effective communication to respond to unexpected situations?

The key to this is psychological safety, which has been attracting attention in the field of management in recent years. According to Dr. Amy Edmondson, the organizational behavior scholar who is an advocate of the concept, an organization where people can say what they want without fear of risk is one that has psychological safety.

The concept has been around since the 1990s, but it gained particular attention from Google’s 2012 research, Project Aristotle. The finding that psychological safety is important for building and revitalizing creative organizations has led to its spread in the business world. In the 2020s, in Japan, the term “psychological safety” started to be used in discussions about whether the inability to say what you wanted to say might be the cause of organizational scandals.

Recently, reports from companies involved in fraud, scandals, or accidents have used expressions such as “there was a lack of psychological safety” or, as a recommendation for the future, “psychological safety should be ensured.” In any case, what is important is having an environment where you can speak up about things that feel a little strange or mistakes you have made, without hiding them.

Then, what should be done to instill psychological safety in an organization or team?

The larger the authority gradient in an organization, that is, the more disparity there is between bosses or leaders and workers, the less likely members are to speak freely. To prevent this, it is essential to have humble leadership that can bring out workers’ awareness, rather than Showa-style leadership that says, “Follow me.” To adopt an attitude that makes it easier for people to talk to you, communication training may sometimes be necessary.

However, no matter how encouraging the leader is, there are cases where the workers still cannot speak up or lack the skills to do so. The ability to assert oneself – expressing what you want to say while respecting the other person – can also be improved through training. If you are not confident in your speaking ability, it is also essential to improve that skill.

An organization lacking psychological safety is one where you cannot ask for help when you are in trouble. Situations like “Why did you wait until this happened to tell me?” are problematic even in regular business. There are often cases where, overwhelmed with work, additional instructions come in and cannot be refused, leading to trouble.

Both leaders and workers must work together to ensure and improve psychological safety, creating an environment where it is possible to openly say what is not acceptable or what cannot be done. This can also be considered a preparation for emergencies.

Questioning and changing organizational culture in response to changes in society is necessary

The basis of the shared understanding of what constitutes an emergency lies in the organizational culture unique to that group. The most deeply rooted aspect of organizational culture is the norms within the organization.

The behavior and mindset of individuals in an organization tend to be controlled by its organizational culture. First, you need to check what your current organizational culture is like, and then you may need to change it in some cases.

For example, in an organization where it is considered normal to neglect quality to prioritize delivery deadlines, you may become desensitized to the sense of “that’s wrong.” You need to start by noticing it and then develop what you notice in an organized way. In addition to ensuring psychological safety in the workplace, it may also be necessary to establish organizational systems such as compliance hotlines and whistleblower protection programs.

To become aware, it is essential to stay alert and pay attention to the external environment. Gathering opinions from stakeholders, such as customers, investors, or even new employees in some cases, can also be effective. The feedback from mid-career employees is not always just negative, such as “This is different from how we used to do things.” Sometimes, it can also be a big eye-opener, such as “This approach is out of step with today’s society” or “There are safer ways of doing things.”

It is also important to engage in dialogue with people from different cultures. In this sense, diversity is very important, as it helps uncover blind spots in safety and security, as well as creative potential, which cannot be discovered by people who have become steeped in the same organizational culture, or in other words, within homogeneity.

Whether you reject differing opinions with the response “This is the way we do things” or create a system to effectively incorporate them will determine the future direction of the organization. As society continues to change, organizations, as part of society, must also change in order to respond to these changes in the social environment. While talking about past history is important, it is crucial to first recognize that both individuals and organizations, as well as the world, are changing every day. The ability to adapt flexibly to these changes is essential.

Additionally, safety and security are not as simple as being careful not to press the wrong switch. By using your imagination, you can quickly anticipate potential risks, such as what could happen in a given situation, and prevent problems or accidents before they occur. On the other hand, you should always be aware that imagination has its limits. With limited imagination, grasp what you can understand and take action. While making every effort towards security, we are not gods, so maintaining a stance of “there is no perfect solution” and approaching things with that mindset helps in minimizing potential damage.

The types of unexpected events to consider are increasing, and their scope is expanding. Global pandemics, massive natural disasters, and similar issues are not problems confined to a single organization. National-level challenges, such as cyberattacks, are also emerging. In order to respond to unexpected situations, we may have reached an era where we must expand our assumptions to include relationships with inter-organizational networks, stakeholders, and the social and environmental context, and review them.

* The information contained herein is current as of June 2024.
* The contents of articles on Meiji.net are based on the personal ideas and opinions of the author and do not indicate the official opinion of Meiji University.
* I work to achieve SDGs related to the educational and research themes that I am currently engaged in.

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