Operational Learning

What is Operational Learning?

While it’s true to say we want to improve organisational learning across the board, operational learning is generally focused on two key areas: post-event learning and learning from normal work.

Methods and tools for learning from accidents and events have become prevalent, but the question is often still pondered – do our existing methods facilitate sensemaking and learning? Many tools are more focused on identifying perceived causes, often those most proximate in nature, rather than seeking to build a deeper understanding of how an event can or did happen. 

The everyday normal interactions of work are often overlooked as part of typical hazard identification and risk management exercises, yet many conditions required for an accident are present in normal work. Operational Learning provides the proactive means to learn and improve before negative events occur, improving both the work and safety performance.

We guide organisations to develop the skills and tools to become effective at operational learning. This can range from formalising existing structures around how in-field conversations happen or initiating significant change with the introduction of new tools, including Learning Teams and Fields Insights.