Closer to the work, closer to the truth

Let’s strip away acronyms and buzzwords for a moment and get back to what really matters. 

In many organisations, the people designing plans, procedures and daily tasks are often far removed from where the real work happens. Well intended decisions are made from offices, in isolation from the realities of the field and from those who live the work every day. 

The people closest to our line of work are the true subject matter experts. They understand the pressures, adaptations and challenges in real time. Yet too often, we overlook this deep pool of insight and experience when we make our decisions. 

At HOPLAB, we help organisations reconnect with that knowledge. We work with leaders to open up conversations, develop curiosity, and learn from the people who know our operations best. Everyone has an important role to play, but it’s those at the heart of the operation who hold the richest understanding of what it really takes to get the job done. 

Our aim is simple: to listen, learn and value the people who make work happen. Because without them, there is no business. 

How do we do this? 

HOPLAB works with a variety of organisations from large to small safety-critical industries (such as healthcare, aviation, and mining). Our role is often to start by challenging the status quo of leaders by asking simple but powerful questions, such as: 

• Are we truly learning from our investigations? 
• Do we really understand how our operation runs day-to-day (when we aren’t there)? 
• Are front-line workers comfortable sharing the realities of work with leaders? 
• Do our people feel empowered to raise concerns? 

Asking these questions helps us uncover assumptions, challenge “normal” ways of working, and explore new approaches.  

We tailor our approach to each organisation, but a typical journey for leaders starts with education, which looks like this: 

Day One: Human & Organisational Performance (HOP) Fundamentals Course 

• Learn the essential principles that underpin this approach to work. 
• Explore the five key principles of HOP and see how they play out in real workplace situations. 

Day Two: Operational Learning & Learning Teams 

• Build on foundational knowledge to explore the application of these principles. 
• Introduce operational learning: how to effectively learn from the realities of our operation. 
• Focus on one practical tool: Learning Teams. 

Day Three: Learning Teams in Practice & HOP Integration 

• Apply skills in practice by running a short Learning Team session. 
• Explore HOP Integration: how to embed this approach into everyday work and sustain change. 

But…. Why HOP? 

Traditional approaches to safety and organisational learning often focus on what went wrong rather than understanding why (and how) work actually happens the way it does. HOP shifts the perspective: it recognises that our people are not the problem, but the solution. 

By embracing HOP, organisations begin to: 

• Learn from everyday work, not just incidents. 
• Understand and adapt to the real pressures, trade-offs, and complexities in operations. 
• Empower workers to share insights and raise concerns without fear. 
• Create lasting improvements that make work safer, more efficient, and more resilient. 

In short, HOP is about seeing the work as it really is, valuing those who do it and turning that understanding into meaningful, sustainable change.