CHANGE LETTER YEAR 12, NUMBER 40

Improvement with focus on the Human Factor

Last month I was invited by the Dutch organization for sustainable maintenance NVDO for the third consecutive time, to give a presentation about the Human Factor and Prevention, this time at the exhibition FOODTECH 2013 in Zwolle in the Netherlands. I see this third invitation as a recognition and appreciation for one of the main research themes that I have been working on for the last five years, improvement and the role of the Human Factor in organizations. That is the theme of this 40th edition of the Change Letter: improvement with focus on the human factor.

Human Factors

During the few hours’ drive from Zeeland to the NVDO event in Zwolle, I recalled my interest in and research into improvement and the human factor in the context of the complexity of organizational development and change and transition processes in finance, industry, the transport sector, municipalities and (social) aid organizations, operating nationally and internationally. Human factors can be viewed as (set of) mental and physical properties of individuals, making up their behavior. In my PhD-research this behavior is mainly the result of social interaction between (groups of) human beings that lead to developing improvements, but also to culture and (group) identities. The important role of human factors has been acknowledged for many years in the field of technical ergonomics, aviation and the last decennia also in human computer interaction. Among others, human factors affect the (safe) operation of technological systems, but are also a success factor in complex change processes like the implementation of Asset Management.

Human Factor Monitor

One of the participants of the Human Factors and Prevention session at the exhibition in Zwolle asked me how to measure human factors in an organizational context. I replied that you can measure everything except human factors. You can carry out calculations on technical and economical systems, but the perceptions and experiences of individuals are practically impossible to measure in terms of human behaviors, because every human being, and also the context they operate in, is unique, and we cannot read, but only observe and interpret human behavior. In order to be able to obtain insights into the role of the human factor in organizations, Delta Change Management, in collaboration with its partner Traduco, has developed the Human Factor Monitor^AM and has applied it successfully to the implementation of Asset Management in, among others, the industry and transport sector.

The Human Factor Monitor works on the basis of a qualitative research method. It registers the images and experiences of employees. The interpretation of these images and experiences relates to various issues: people, organization and company. In this way a connection is made between individuals, the organization, and its aims and objectives. By doing so, interactive interventions can be initiated, such as: (1) working on shared perceptions and common perspectives when it comes to systems, efficiency, safety and risk, (2) ensuring real cooperation between departments, partners and suppliers, and (3) effective input of existing competences of individuals.

If you are interested in more information on this change theme, or have experiences you want to share with me, please feel free to let me know. You can mail me or contact me via my LinkedIn account.

Martin Loeve MBA

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