People in Control: A Conversation With Captain James Burnell

Aviation is heavily reliant on procedures, but procedures can never replace human adaptivity in all…

Seeing the People In Control

This article is a slightly edited reproduction of the Editorial published in HindSight magazine issue 36 (Autumn 2024)…

Are We Learning From Accidents?

This is a Foreword to Are We Learning From Accidents, by Dr Nippin Anand, published…

Set Taxonomies to Neutral

Twenty years ago, I completed my PhD on human factors in air traffic control. Part…

Postcards From Work: Exploring Archetypes of Human Work Through Micro-Narratives

Understanding the complexities and nuances of human work is critical if we are to improve how work really works. In healthcare, as clinicians and other healthcare professionals navigate their roles, they encounter a diverse array of situations that create goal conflicts, dilemmas and other challenges. One way to explore these is via micro-narratives. These are short stories based on personal observations and experiences. One method to capture these is via simple written postcards. Postcards from Work (Healthcare Edition) delves into these experiences.

Learning in the Heat of the Moment: An Interview With Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

In the heat of the moment, how do we make decisions, individually and collectively? And how can we improve decision-making at work? Steven Shorrock interviews firefighter and psychologist Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, about her work on decision-making in the emergency services, her journey from firefighter to Chief Fire Officer, and her extraordinary life.

Staying In Control: Five Suggestions From a Long-Distance Psychologist on the Centenary of Air Traffic Control

On the centenary of air traffic control, and the International day of the air traffic controller, I offer five suggestions that have emerged from my experience of working with air traffic controllers over 25 years of practice as a psychologist. 

Navigating the New Reality

While we sometimes talk about the ‘new normal’, the only thing that is normal is change. So how might we navigate the new reality? The following five practices are important in adjusting and adapting and are supported by research on resilience and growth.

Learning About Aviation Work in a Pandemic

Everyday work in aviation COVID-19 pandemic has been affected almost beyond recognition, and with it how we feel about work and the future. So what might we learn about work from the perspectives of two front-line professions: air traffic controllers and professional pilots?

Learning About Healthcare Work in a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had one of the biggest effects on work-as-done in healthcare in living memory. So what might we learn about work from the perspectives of frontline workers? I asked a variety of practitioners to give a short answer.