Shows
Embracing DifferencesWhy language is the basis for culture changeThis podcast is about understanding the central role of language in understanding and influencing culture change. Both Dr Nippin Anand and James Pomeroy are uniquely positioned in this space and they offer some practical insights rooted in practice through their background, experiences, and research.
2026-01-3143 minEmbracing DifferencesAudit Explosion: How audits are undermining maritime risk and safetyBureaucracy generated by excessive audits and inspections has reached a stage that it leads to high-consequence accidents at sea. Ships go aground and collide at sea not despite but BECAUSE of audits. Professor Michael Power at the London School of Economics calls it ‘Audit Explosion’ - the rising trend towards audits In this podcast, Kristine Storkensen and Nippin Anand discuss the 'Audit Explosion'. Together they explore:What makes the maritime industry susceptible to audit explosion?What is the (hidden) agenda behind audit explosion?How audit explosion undermines its own purpose (ie risk and safety at sea)?What can we lear...
2025-12-2036 minEmbracing DifferencesAudit Explosion: How audits are undermining maritime risk and safetyBureaucracy generated by excessive audits and inspections has reached a stage that it leads to high-consequence accidents at sea. Ships go aground and collide at sea not despite but BECAUSE of audits. Professor Michael Power at the London School of Economics calls it ‘Audit Explosion’ - the rising trend towards audits In this podcast, Kristine Storkensen and Nippin Anand discuss the 'Audit Explosion'. Together they explore:What makes the maritime industry susceptible to audit explosion?What is the (hidden) agenda behind audit explosion?How audit explosion undermines its own purpose (ie risk and safety at sea)?What can w...
2025-12-1956 minEmbracing DifferencesWhy fatigue is not the real problem of the maritime industryIn this podcast, Nippin tells the story of a seafarer who doesn’t want to go home after being on the ship for 6 months. Nippin asks him why? It’s such an exciting time for a seafarer to go home. Listen what this seafarer has to say. It is a beautiful example of why we should learn to shut up and listen.
2025-12-0205 minEmbracing DifferencesThe Wakashio Accident: Are we learning from accidentsLess than a month ago, the long-awaited 𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 was released by the Court of Investigation, Mauritius. The report cites the following as the primary causes of the accident:1) crew negligence to sail close to the island to obtain the phone signal, 2) consumption of alcohol by the captain before groundingand,3) the chief officer not using the appropriate large scale chart when navigating close to the coast.Both the captain and the chief officer have been charged with gross negligence and culpability. The investigation authorities have formally requested the administration to withdraw captain's certificate of competence.It is rather unfortun...
2025-10-2615 minEmbracing DifferencesUnderstanding and improving cultureIn this conversation, Nippin and Frank delve into the significance of safety culture within organizations, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to risk management. They discuss the importance of communication, listening, and understanding language in fostering a positive culture. The conversation highlights the impact of miscommunication and the necessity of reflection in improving organizational dynamics. Through experiential learning and practical exercises, they aim to enhance cultural intelligence and promote better relationships in high-risk environments.The podcast was produced to promote a workshop on Safety Culture in Calgary from 20-21st October. the details...
2025-09-2815 minEmbracing DifferencesWords create and divide worldviews: Comparing metaphors in banking and maritimeWhere do you look for the meaning of words? Dictionaries, I guess? Word meanings are not to be found in dictionaries; words meanings are found in metaphors. All language is metaphorical, and we don’t just speak metaphorically, we live by our metaphors. In this podcast, David and Nippin compare a handful of metaphors in Banking and Maritime. Through this comparison they realise that words don’t just create worlds, but they also create divides between worldviews. Too often, we miss a crucial point in organising - you cannot organise me and I will never become p...
2025-09-0615 minEmbracing DifferencesUnderstanding Culture through immersive, experiential learninga conversation with Bryce Boehmer where we discuss how to understand culture. We are setting up a workshop in Calgary on 20-21st October and this podcast provides an outline for the workshop program.Culture cannot be understood through definitions and propositions; culture is lived and experienced through observations and conversations.In this podcast, Nippin explains to Bryce how to make the familiar strange and the strange familiar through immersive, experiential learning that is termed as Semiotic Walks. As...
2025-08-2914 minEmbracing DifferencesNo reindeers were harmed: a true story of ‘Zero Harm’Do you believe in Zero Harm? Is that your goal for avoiding injuries and ensuring safety of your people? Is that an expectation imposed upon your organisation?Here is a true story and an attempt to challenge the Zero Harm ideology prevalent in almost all safety critical industries. Earlier this year, I interviewed a seafarer whose brother went missing at sea. We don’t know under what circumstances Captain Mathew (name anonymised) went missing or, if you like, what was the cause of this accident. Unfortunately, the sea does not...
2025-06-0531 minEmbracing DifferencesIs Safety a value?Many organisations declare safety as one of the values in the vision and mission statements. Can safety be a value?When fallible humans conduct high risk operations, there is no certainty that people will not get injured. When people do get injured we have failed to live by our values.In this video, instead of making an argument, we will use a personal story to illustrate why safety cannot be a value.This is Embracing Differences and I am Nippin Anand (PhD), a former ship captain and an anthropologist.
2025-03-3112 minEmbracing DifferencesMindfulness, Self-Awareness, and RiskWelcome to Mindfulness, Self-Awareness, and Risk, the podcast where we explore the intersection of human experience and risk management. I'm your host, Nippin Anand, and I'm excited to have Rosa Antonia Carrillo to embark on this journey with us.
If you ask operational leaders and organizations about risk management, you'll likely hear about control, hazards, and audits. But what about caring, mindfulness, or self-awareness? What about the importance of friendship and tapping into our unconscious? Surprisingly, these are the very concepts that are now at the forefront of risk management.
This podcast dives into the...
2024-07-2537 minEmbracing DifferencesProving Safety (1): a three-part seriesMotivation, purpose and a search for meaning: An interview with Greg Smith
This is the first in a series of three in-person podcasts between Greg Smith and Dr Nippin Anand. Nippin started off interviewing Greg in his hometown Perth to find out what motivated him to choose a career path in health and safety law. Later in this series, the two will discuss Greg’s new book Proving Safety and their take on how organisations understand and address critical risks.
2024-06-0621 min
The Safety GuruThe Power of Organizational Learning with Dr Nippin AnandAre we truly learning from accidents? In this compelling episode, Dr. Nippin shares a different perspective on the Costa Concordia disaster, enriched with his deep insights and research, alongside an exclusive interview with Captain Schettino. He delves into a profound understanding of risk and safety, emphasizing the impacts of culture and shared responsibility. Tune in to uncover valuable lessons about the power of organizational learning and how it can help us make meaningful changes.About the Guest: Dr. Nippin Anand is a former master mariner with a master’s degree in economics, a PhD in So...
2024-05-3045 minEmbracing DifferencesThe joys of learningThis podcast is a discussion between Ron Gant and Nippin Anand about learning within the context of accident investigations. Ron and Nippin discuss the underlying beliefs, myths and the narratives of accident investigations and what it takes to learn from accidents. The podcast is based on Nippin’s recent book, ‘Are we learning from accidents?’.
Further details about the book can be found here:
https://novellus.solutions/product/are-we-learning-from-accidents-nippin-anand/
2024-05-1555 minEmbracing DifferencesInvestigating accidents – who needs to learn?In this podcast, Greg and Nippin discuss how can we learn from accidents. Greg asks Nippin a range of questions including who needs to learn, why we need to learn, and whether or not learning is even an issue of importance within organisations. You will discover some uncomfortable truths and deep-seated beliefs about how investigations are conducted and why we are so far away from learning from accidents.
2024-05-0632 minEmbracing DifferencesHuman and Organisational PotentialIn this podcast, Nippin speaks with Ivan Pupulidy and Crista Vesel about their latest book, ‘Human and Organisational Potential.’ The two authors discuss the motivation to write the book and the practical benefits that it brings to the risk and safety world which, in recent years, has become increasingly conscious about understanding and improving the human condition at work.
You can order their book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Human-Organization-Potential-Ivan-Pupulidy/dp/B0CQ477B5F/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?crid=2UIL4MMCBZZ55&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3ua2ZUpC5HER7YpS6A1Y5gv6dwF1lfxjI50SWN9K...
2024-05-0147 minEmbracing DifferencesMore harm than good: How safety practices can sometimes harm people (Part 2)This is the second in a series of 2 episodes on psychosocial harm. The question we ask in this two-part series – how safety practices can do more harm than good? In the first episode, our focus was more on understanding the problem of psychosocial harm from a legal and organisational perspective. In this episode, we focus on some practical ways to address these issues. I hope you will enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed creating this episode and it will make you think and reflect.
Rob, Greg, Pedro and Nippin are conducting a series of work...
2024-03-2753 minEmbracing DifferencesMore harm than good: How safety practices can sometimes harm people (Part 1)Someone in your workplace has been bullied, discriminated or harassed. What do you do? Do you think people in your organisation are prepared to deal with these issues.
This podcast focuses on psychosocial risks and we question if we are doing more harm than good in the name of safety practices.
This is the first of a series of 2 podcasts where Greg Smith, Rob Long and Nippin Anand discuss the psychosocial harm that results from safety practices (for instance investigations, audits, inspections). The discussion takes a broader view of the problem from...
2024-03-1253 minEmbracing DifferencesSafety Saves Lives?Do you think safety is about saving lives? In this podcast, Rob, Nippin and Pedro question the myth of ‘Safety saves lives’. What do we mean when we say we are in the business of ‘saving lives.’ Saving from whom, saved by whom and for whom? Where does this myth originate from? Whose purpose does it serve? What are the (unintended) implications of using this language when we are unaware of the underlying beliefs and myths? And finally, what could be the alternative ways to think about safety that can lead us to a pathway of humanising risk and relating with peopl...
2024-03-0422 minEmbracing DifferencesVoices of UnsafetyIt is often said that safety people require a predisposition of care and empathy towards the others. Rosa Carrillo’s well-researched book ‘OHS Voices from The Resistance’ brings a paradox to surface. What if care and empathy make (safety) people vulnerable and fragile in the face of growing aggression and brutalism in the workplaces?
The book is packed with stories of people working in the safety function struggle to maintain their identity and become seen as misfits in their organisations. While some find themselves out grouped from within their own organisations, others consider abandoning the safety...
2023-12-2249 minEmbracing DifferencesCultural sensitivity and risk intelligence into practiceNippin Anand and Pedro Ferreira follow-up on their conversation in Croatia
A conversation about what it takes to bring cultural sensitivity into organisations. Nippin and Pedro discuss several examples of how fostering conversations that are not power dominated and personal agendas are not so much at play, can bring about a much better understanding of different perspectives. The understanding and sharing of different perspectives then brings about much enhanced decision-making.
2023-12-0832 minEmbracing DifferencesCultural sensitivity and risk intelligenceHow do you understand culture, cultural sensitivity and risk intelligence? How can being culturally sensitive make us risk intelligent? Nippin Anand and Pedro Ferreira offer some thoughts. And guess where they are – in the cultural capital of Europe i.e. Rijeka, Croatia
2023-11-1030 minEmbracing DifferencesWhat is semiotics?What is semiotics?
The world is a semiosphere meaning the visual world around us have a symbolic and mythical meaning. In Social Psychology of Risk (SPoR), we often say that when it comes to making meaning of the outside world, ‘everything is significant’ or ‘nothing never happens.’ To a semiotically sensitive person i.e., to someone who becomes aware of the limits of their senses, there is so much wisdom in coming to terms with our ignorance. Being semiotically aware makes us culturally sensitive and risk intelligent.
I hope you will enjoy listening and watch...
2023-10-1014 minEmbracing DifferencesAre you working safely or are you just being paper safe?For decades, western societies have become increasingly committed to demonstrating in the most tangible way possible (i.e. through procedures) that risks are mitigated to all possible extent. Quantification and documentation have gradually come to dominate every aspect of risk, and disconnection with the reality of work has lead many to question the purpose of what we have created around work and safety. Greg Smith in his book “Paper Safe” has brilliantly unpacked this issue and the assumptions that sit in the back of it. Nippin met Greg while in Australia for a conversation that sheds light on how pape...
2023-09-2226 minEmbracing DifferencesExploring the uniqueness of Social Psychology of RiskIn this podcast, Rob Long and Nippin Anand discuss the uniqueness (not superiority) of Social Psychology of Risk. How SPoR methodology, methods and tools can help us become good listeners and become deliberate about our culture and culture change.
2023-09-1520 minEmbracing DifferencesCulture: An evolutionary view? An 8 part series with Dr Robert Long on culture and learning (8/8)Another car cast where Dr Rob Long, Dr Nippin Anand and Dr Pedro Ferreira explore briefly the evolutionary perspective about culture. Much of what we hear about culture and more specifically safety culture, is grounded in social science. Here is a different view on (safety)culture. Not better or worse, simply some alternative views and complimentary thoughts
2023-07-2716 minEmbracing DifferencesWhat it means to be an educated person - An eight-part series with Dr Robert Long on culture and learning (7/8)
Continuing their car casts on the roads in Chennai (India), Dr Rob Long, Dr Pedro Ferreira and Dr Nippin Anand ask a basic question – what does it mean to be an educated person? What is a human person? What is personhood and why personhood matters when it comes to understanding culture?
2023-07-2018 minEmbracing DifferencesWhat is learning? An eight-part series with Dr Robert Long on culture and learning (6/8)Dr Rob Long, Dr Nippin Anand and Dr Pedro Ferreira are on a car journey on the roads in Chennai, India exploring the topic of learning. So not the usual podcast but a carcast! The discussion begins with a brief introduction to what learning is not. Drawing up examples of driving and the road journey in India we then discuss how human beings learn. We discuss what is embodiment and why embodied learning matters for learning to become effective and sustainable in an organisation.
2023-07-1221 minEmbracing DifferencesSafety Culture - An eight-part series with Dr Robert Long on culture and learning (5/8)In this podcast Dr Nippin Anand and Dr Rob Long explore the meaning of ‘safety culture’. We explore the symbolism, rituals and myths of safety and question the ‘silences’ (i.e., what is not spoken) in the discourse of safety. We discuss religion and taboos and why focusing on taboos is essential to understanding safety culture.
2023-07-0625 minEmbracing DifferencesWhy transdisciplinary thinking is essential to learning? An eight part series with Dr Robert Long on culture and learning (4/8)The risk and safety industry predominantly approaches human being as a rational being and decision making as a rational, calculative, brain-centric exercise. In this podcast, Dr Rob Long and Dr Nippin Anand discuss the need for transdisciplinary thinking to understand how we as human beings make decisions.
Do you want to learn more about Social Psychology of Risk?
2023-06-2920 minEmbracing DifferencesStop the job - An eight part series with Dr Robert Long on culture and learning (3/8)In this podcast, Dr Rob Long and Dr Pedro Ferreira discuss the ritual of ‘stop the job’. ‘Stop the job’ is a tool to empower people at work to stop the continuity of an operation if they feel it is not safe to continue any longer. How does the idea of empowering someone and trusting their intuition and decision work in practice?
2023-06-2208 minEmbracing DifferencesWhy is faith essential to learning? An eight part series with Dr. Robert Long on culture and learning (2/8)Have you ever wondered what is faith in true sense? Why do we hesitate so much to use the word faith? In this podcast Dr Rob Long and Dr Pedro Ferreira explore what is faith and why faith is essential to learning and living
2023-06-1510 minEmbracing DifferencesWhy doubt is essential for learning? An eight part series with Dr. Robert Long on culture and learning (1/8)A podcast on understanding culture, safety culture and how we as human beings learn with DrRob Long.
In this podcast, Dr Rob Long and I explore why doubt is essential to learning? Have you ever paid close attention to how we speak? What is the language of risk and safety? In this podcast, we discuss why the language of doubt and uncertainty is essential to learning.
2023-06-0810 minEmbracing DifferencesWhat do we mean by learning? (Based on a life story)An Indian couple moves to Norway and within a few months, the Norwegian authorities take custody of their two children. This is a real-life story recently turned into a Bollywood movie and for us an opportunity to understand the power of culture and cultural differences. This podcast (and the YouTube video) is an attempt to map the story using the iCue method along with Dr Rob Long. The central question we ask in this exercise is ‘What does learning mean’?
2023-05-1940 minEmbracing DifferencesTransdisciplinary thinking and more with Craig AshhurstA podcast with my new friend Craig Ashhurst where we discuss a number of things including wicked problems, why there is no such thing like normal, the importance of transdisciplinary thinking in risk management, why we should take our dreams seriously but most importantly, despite such diverse backgrounds how Craig and I ended up working, living and being something so similar.
2023-05-1032 minEmbracing DifferencesSocial Psychology of Risk - From theory to practiceThis podcast is a discussion with Human Factors expert Suzanne Jackson about the practical application of Social Psychology of Risk. We discuss many real-life examples and we question the implications of the narrative about improving safety, efficiency and reliability in workplaces.
2023-03-0440 minEmbracing DifferencesLearning, change and paradigm shift - Reflections on the iCue methodWhat is learning and what is the relationship between listening and learning? In a podcast with Nick Little, the headteacher of the International School of Aberdeen, we discuss learning and ‘paradigm change using the iCue framework. The iCue method is a framework for extracting intelligent cues(iCue) in a conversation with the view to listen, understand and improve the quality of decisions. After attending one of the iCue sessions, Nick offers his insights about the iCue method and how he believes that this approach can bring about a paradigm shift for learning and change.
2023-02-1032 minEmbracing DifferencesWhat happens when change happens?What happens when change happens? Where do you look for the most reliable indications of change? How do you know you are moving in the right direction with your change management? Listen to the story of one organisation that has taken the first step in faith and embraced a new way of doing risk and safety.
I hope you enjoy the authenticity of this conversation as much as I enjoyed creating this podcast. And I hope this podcast gives you some thoughts about learning and change.
2023-01-2740 minEmbracing DifferencesRituals in risk management – A real life storyIn this podcast, we use the framework of rituals to tell a real life story. The central message of this podcast is to recognize the role of ritual in risk and safety management. The framework of rituals can help us become visually and verbally sensitive and improve our listening and observation skills.
2022-12-1539 minEmbracing DifferencesMetaphors we live byWhen a teacher sends you a message that your 7 year old boy needs to stop making silly noises in the classroom and become academically focused, how are you supposed to react? Should we as parents become over-concerned about our child’s behaviour, should we disregard this as a disproportionate response from a frustrated teacher or should we slow down, reflect, and question the hidden meaning and power of our words?
In a fast-paced society where everyone is constantly under pressure to their goals, objectives and deadlines, this experience has once again taught me the power to slow do...
2022-12-0138 minEmbracing DifferencesSocial Psychology of Risk in practiceTo be alive is to be learning. Listen to this personal journey of a scaffolder, an electrician, a father, and a family man and find out what it means when people experience the joy of learning and a transformation within. Culture, systems, and process improvement follow and flow from the individual.
2022-11-2437 minEmbracing DifferencesGestures in risk management - Part 2In our last podcast, we discussed risk management rituals. In this one, we will examine the role of gestures in risk management. By studying body language, linguistics, and the unconscious mind, we can better understand human decision-making and culture.
For more info visit our website; www.novellus.solutions
2022-11-1738 minEmbracing DifferencesRituals in Risk Management - Part 1In this podcast, Dr Rob Long and I take a deep dive into the significance of rituals, religion and mythology in risk and safety management. One would hope that we are a ‘modern society’ that goes by reason and logic but is that so? Find out more by listening to this podcast.
2022-11-1032 minEmbracing DifferencesThe essence of organising - relationships or boots?Imagine two people carrying out lifting operations – one of them is not wearing safety boots. How would you approach them as a leader? Listen to this podcast to understand the essence of an organisation and why relationships matter more than systems and processes at work.
2022-09-1718 minEmbracing DifferencesWhy teaching is not learningThis is a discussion with Steven Shorrock about the contrast between teaching and learning and why education and teaching are so far away from learning. It all began with the story of a little girl (Steve’s daughter) whose expression ‘I don’t mind’ as a response to being marked down for being late to school did not go well with the teacher. We explore the power of metaphor, language, feelings, power and authority in everyday interactions and why teaching can never be the same as learning.
2022-09-0756 minEmbracing DifferencesLeading with vulnerability: A podcast with Selena ArmstrongThis is a podcast about leading with vulnerability with the CEO of New Zealand Institute of Safety Management Selena Armstrong.
COVID has impacted everyone’s life and a lot of us have struggled with maintaining a separation between our personal and professional selves. Why then do we expect people to ‘be professional’ and leave their personal problems at home when they come to work? Is that even realistic? Meet one CEO who is not afraid to speak about her vulnerabilities with openness and authenticity. Find out how vulnerability can transform our lives and revitalize our relationships with others...
2022-08-2358 minEmbracing DifferencesApplying Social Psychology of Risk in practice: A podcast with Brian DarlingtonIn this podcast, I speak with Brian Darlington, the author of two books in Social Psychology of Risk and the Group HSE Manager at Mondi Group. We discuss how Brian and his team studied Social Psychology of Risk (SPoR) with Dr Robert Long in Australia, applied it to their work and strategically influenced the culture of an entire organisation. Packed with compelling stories, practical examples and methods about how to have conversations that would connect you with people, this podcast will make you think and challenge your worldview about how to do risk and safety.
2022-08-1758 min
Embracing DifferencesIs Just Culture desirable for learning? Part 5This is the fifth part of a six part series to explore the relationship between Just Culture and Learning with a diverse panel of experts. You will hear different perspectives on just culture and learning including legal, operational, academic and safety. Stay tuned for future sessions in this series.
2022-06-231h 09Embracing DifferencesEthics & Leadership: a short storyHow we respond in a situation defines our ethics and worldview. In this podcast you will hear two contrastive stories of leadership styles based on the ethics of care and deontology. There are many more ethical approaches that we will discuss in our future podcasts.
2022-06-0314 minEmbracing DifferencesIs Just Culture desirable for learning? Part 4This is the fourth part of a six part series to explore the relationship between Just Culture and Learning with a diverse panel of experts. You will hear different perspectives on just culture and learning including legal, operational, academic and safety. Stay tuned for future sessions in this series.
2022-05-191h 04Embracing DifferencesIs Just Culture desirable for learning? Part 3This is the third part of a six part series to explore the relationship between Just Culture and Learning with a diverse panel of experts. You will hear different perspectives on just culture and learning including legal, operational, academic and safety. Stay tuned for future sessions in this series.
2022-05-101h 03Embracing DifferencesIs Just Culture desirable for learning? - Part 2This is the second part of a six part series to explore the relationship between Just Culture and Learning with a diverse panel of experts. You will hear different perspectives on just culture and learning including legal, operational, academic and safety. Stay tuned for future sessions in this series.
2022-04-231h 08Embracing DifferencesWar on expertise: how to prepare and how to winExpertise has become increasingly advanced and increasingly essential in settings requiring skilled decision-making, particularly under time pressure and uncertainty. And yet expertise has come under greater and greater assault from a variety of communities. In this podcast, the world renowned psychologist, Gary Klein will review these attacks, explain their flaws, and describe tactics for countering the critics and for promoting expertise in organisational settings.
2022-03-031h 08Embracing DifferencesIs Just Culture desirable for learning – Part 1This is a six part series to explore the relationship between Just Culture and Learning with a diverse panel of experts. You will hear different perspectives on just culture and learning including legal, operational, academic and safety. Stay tuned for future sessions in this series.
2022-02-091h 11
Embracing DifferencesMeaning making in accidents (part 1): a true storyIn this episode of embracing differences, we will listen to the story of a young seafarer, John William Soria, who suffered life-threatening injuries when he slipped and fell 8 meters deep into a ship’s steel tank and lost consciousness. John came very close to experiencing death in an accident that would change his life forever. Nearly 5 years after this accident, I met with John last week to understand what meaning he makes of this experience. Apart from his insights and reflections, you will discover in this podcast the power of learning by listening.
2022-01-191h 00
Embracing DifferencesBreaking down the separation between ethos and ethics in risk and safetyIn this podcast, Dr. Rob Long and Nippin Anand discuss how your ethos (worldview-methodology) directs your ethic (moral system) and all methods in risk and safety evidence an underlying worldview (ethos). Such matters are rarely discussed in the safety industry. Indeed, the associations in safety never discuss their own ethic, even when they discuss ethics (eg. AIHS BoK Chapter on Ethics). This lack of transparency is unethical and fosters confusion in an industry that seeks to claim the word ‘professional’.
2021-12-151h 06
Embracing DifferencesUpside down and back to frontIn this podcast, Donna Cohen and I discuss the enormous yet largely untouched source of power that is the expertise of frontline staff within organisations. We explore the potential of workers knowledge for organisational learning and quality improvement and discuss the practical and environmental challenges of engaging frontline staff and tapping into their expertise and ideas. We also explore solutions that can counter the impact of top-down organisational design and create better relationships between managers and their teams.
2021-11-2353 min
Embracing DifferencesArchetypes of Safety ProfessionalsWith Nippin Anand.
This podcast is aimed at presenting archetypes of safety professionals. The idea is to recognise how we present ourselves in different ways and connect with our consciousness. Knowledge of archetypes can be helpful in creating a learning organisation.
2021-11-0919 min
Embracing DifferencesExperience versus expertiseIn this episode, I am joined by Gary Klein, a psychologist, and an internationally renowned researcher most famous for his work in naturalistic decision making. We discuss how expertise is both understood and undermined and why we should care about developing and nurturing expertise in an uncertain world.
2021-11-0244 min
Embracing DifferencesThinking Beyond Psychological SafetyIn high-risk industries, the dominant view about why workers do not speak up to someone higher up in the hierarchy, even when faced with an imminent threat, is the absence of ‘psychological safety'. It follows, therefore, those management initiatives are predominantly focused on creating a safe space for workers to ‘speak up' and share concerns with their co-workers and superiors.
Based on their research and practice, Dr. Nippin Anand, Gitte Damm, and Dr. Ruchi Sinha will present perspectives about the complex nature of “speaking up” and why it may not be as straightforward as it may initially appear...
2021-10-1927 min
Embracing DifferencesEthics and ComplianceWith Alison Taylor
In this podcast, I explore the emerging relationship between ethics and compliance in an interview with Alison Taylor, the Executive Director at Ethical Systems at New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business. Alison argues that an increased demand for transparency by the consumers and society, the rise of social media, stakeholders’ perceptions and expectations, and the need to maintain a ‘good’ public image means that sustainable businesses will be required to take an ethical approach to governance and compliance.
2021-10-1232 min
Embracing DifferencesStories from over 20 years in patient safetyWith Professor Suzette Woodward
Many of us are still unsure about pushing the boundaries of innovation and our own belief about safety. Will any of the changes we make as a result of applying human factors in our work practices really benefit our workers and improve our performance? How would our bosses react, what if something goes wrong, how would the regulators view our initiatives.
Suzette Woodward is a paediatric intensive care nurse who for the last two decades has specialised in patient safety. In this podcast, she talks about her life in safety and h...
2021-09-2150 min
Embracing DifferencesErgonomics and human factors in occupational health and safety in Canada the last 20 yearsIn this podcast episode, human factors expert and a vivid learner Suzanne Jackson, sets us on a path to learn more about organizational and human factors. Suzanne’s own journey began back in 2010 when she noticed people who had poorly designed workstations but did not want intervention and vice versa. This is a story of her personal education and experiences where she draws from a variety of disciplines including behavioural sciences, psychology, anthropology, qualitative research, political sciences and philosophy. This podcast should interest anyone who is willing to push the boundaries of their worldview and assumptions about what it me...
2021-09-1453 min
Embracing DifferencesPhilosophizing safetyWith Simon Cassin.
The business world and in particular the health and safety industry are perfect examples of ‘Plato’s, cave allegory’ in action. We think we can see things as they really are, but in truth much of what we believe is simply a shadow of reality. In this podcast, Simon argues that without opening our minds to the benefits of philosophical reasoning and thought, the best we can hope for is a blurred and shadowy perspective of reality. Adopting a philosophical approach can help us both think about existing questions from a different perspective and explor...
2021-09-0745 min
Embracing DifferencesBlaming and scapegoating in accidents: Understanding a ship captain’s perspectiveThere is a very basic need that arises at a human, organizational and societal level every time we are faced with an accident. Whose fault was it? Who screwed up? Who is to blame or who is to take accountability?
Welcome to another episode of embracing differences with me Nippin Anand where we will make an attempt to address this question using a very specific accident case. And it goes back to December 2007 when a crane mounted on a barge ran into the merchant tanker Hebei Spirit while she was at anchor which then led to over 10,500...
2021-08-311h 00Embracing DifferencesThe dangers of safety bureaucracyDo you know that documented processes could be undermining your health, safety, and business performance? In this podcast session, Nippin Anand and Greg Smith explore the dangers of bureaucracy in health and safety management, how safety bureaucracy can undermine workplace safety, and what businesses can do about it. While Nippin speaks from an operational and business perspective, Greg brings a legal viewpoint to the discussion.
2021-08-2440 minEmbracing DifferencesIncident investigation: What can we learn from the software world?In this podcast, John Allspaw, the Founder of Adaptive Safety Labs and I talk about the world of software engineering and operations and its connections to safety science and human factors. Together we explore what opportunities — and challenges — exist in the domain, what incident analysis and genuine learning from incidents looks like, and what makes this an exciting time for exploring this domain from a safety perspective.
2021-08-1753 minEmbracing DifferencesWomen in Occupational Safety and Health: Identifying and Removing BarriersWith Pam Walaski. Despite a decades-long increase in the participation of women in the general workforce, women in the occupational safety and health (OSH) field lags behind. In addition, women in overall leadership roles and in the OSH profession remain stagnant. Further, this lack of diversity extends to other under-represented groups. Many organizations profess to want to change, but barriers remain. This podcast will explore some reasons for the stagnation, how it can be changed and what the future looks like for women and other groups in OSH and OSH leadership?
2021-08-1057 minEmbracing DifferencesLearning and Change: The power of introspectionMahatma Gandhi once said, “be the change you want to see in the world”. In this podcast, Nektarios Karanikas, an Adjunct Professor of Health and Safety at the Queensland University of Technology helps us understand the importance of introspection if we genuinely want to promote learning and change.
2021-07-1341 minEmbracing DifferencesThe landscape of risk and safety with Neil RichardsonAs safety management evolves, we have discovered that the language of safety can at times be perceived as something reserved for specialists. Concerningly, the use of language [and associated tools] without a clear overarching objective can legitimize the very issues that threaten safety. There can even be a rejection from having open, honest yet tough debates that managing safety requires. Such ‘tough debates’ and disagreements often reveal a lack of understanding and cohesion amongst all stakeholders yet they must be had if the benefits of Safety Management are to be fully realized.
2021-07-0652 minEmbracing DifferencesThe anthropology of here and now: with Ed Schein and Peter ScheinAs humans, we tend to examine reality through the lenses of black and white, right and wrong, and in the world of safety, commonly through compliance and non-compliance. In this podcast, the world-class anthropologist Ed Schein along with Peter Schein urges us to practice the anthropology of here and now. The world we have created is far too uncertain and it is only by embracing the uniqueness of each situation we can make sense of and successfully navigate uncertainty.
2021-06-291h 11Embracing DifferencesCivility Saves LivesWe are living in interesting and unusual times. People across industries and work sectors are experiencing high degree of uncertainty and stress in their work and personal lives. In this podcast, Chris Turner, an emergency consultant in medicine and a TEDx speaker, raises the importance of civility and respect amongst team members to achieve a culture of high performance in these uncertain times.
2021-06-2336 minEmbracing DifferencesDeep listening – a personal journeyI am a brown-skinned man and I have spent most of my working life in the ‘civilized world’ world as an ethnic minority. Listening to other people’s perspectives, paying attention to their words and gestures, acknowledging their presence and needs, and being curious about what others have to say was not my usual reaction perhaps because of my childhood experiences. In fact, for the most part of my early life I was a poor listener, and, in most social interactions, I had a strong urge to prove myself right. This is the story of how deep listening came to me...
2021-06-1522 minEmbracing DifferencesDiversity, inclusion and systemic leadership: A conversation with Rakesh MaharajIn this podcast, systems thinker, and renowned business and safety specialist, Rakesh Maharaj speaks with Nippin to explore how social anthropology, systems thinking and systemic leadership applies to safety within and across organizations. The conversation is a collection of personal experiences about diversity and inclusion and how it informs their thinking and practice. To find out more listen to this podcast.
2021-06-081h 11Embracing DifferencesThe role of psychological confidence in accident investigations: A discussion with Ivan PupulidyIn this podcast, a world-renowned safety scientist and expert in human factors shares his research and experience about the role of psychological confidence in organizational learning. Psychological confidence, unlike psychological safety, is an emerging concept in safety sciences. What makes this concept unique, and more importantly, how does it improve the quality of learning from accidents. Listen to this discussion to learn more.
2021-06-0159 minEmbracing DifferencesEmbracing differences: Safety vision - Idealistic v Vector direction: Conversation with Gary WongThere are 3 basic systems in the real world: complex, chaotic, and order. The first two are natural. As humans, we prefer stability, certainty, predictability and thus have created an order system by imposing policies, standards, structures, rules, best practices, etc. In this podcast, Gary Wong helps us understand the power of embracing differences when working in complex and ordered systems. The Cynefin Framework is introduced to show that how you make decisions and act depends on the context and the system you currently are in.
2021-05-261h 01Embracing DifferencesWhy should leaders care? The power of empathy with Clive F. LloydWatching how a co-worker is treated in the aftermath of a mishappening goes a long way in winning an employee’s trust in their leaders. In this podcast, Clive F. Lloyd, author of the influential book, ‘Next Generation Safety Leadership: From compliance to care’ helps us understand why business leaders and safety professionals should make care and empathy their highest priority in responding to crisis situations. Despite their best intentions, many organisations fail to live up to this expectation and end up creating long-lasting and irreparable damage to employee relationship. Clive warns us that recognizing this as a problem is the...
2021-05-1846 minEmbracing DifferencesMaking the strange familiar: A conversation with Dr Adrienne Mannov about social anthropologyThis podcast is a discussion about social anthropology with maritime anthropologist Dr. Adrienne Mannov. When confronted with the unfamiliar, how do we react and what do we do? In most instances, we discard the unfamiliar and label it as strange, even uncivilized, or primitive when it does not match with our own experiences, norms, values, and beliefs. In so doing we create divisive societies and polarized opinions. Social anthropology helps us understand the unfamiliar by looking at deeper patterns that define who we are as human beings, bridge our differences and connect us with one another as one human...
2021-05-1144 minEmbracing DifferencesIs bigger better? Conversations with Jan Hoffmann (UNCTAD)Container ships have become the hallmark of globalization and free trade. In the last two decades, there has been an exponential increase in both the size and cargo-carrying capacity of container ships. The economists argue that the increase in size is justified because of the efficiency gains and scale economies that these giant ships now offer. But at the same time, a series of accidents at sea including the recent grounding of the Ever Given has led many experts to question the assumptions behind the increase in ship size. In this episode, Jan Hoffman from UNCTAD helps us understand...
2021-05-0535 minEmbracing DifferencesBoxing and DancingIn this episode, Dr Kristine Storkensen from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and I discuss our concerns about the increased level of audits that run counter to the intention of managing safety. Kristine suggests that we as a society may gain by reconsidering our approach to audits i.e., through decreased auditability and increased value of un-auditable activities. To unlock the full potential for safety management with practical procedures, thus, may require an audit implosion. Regulators, companies, and operational personnel may benefit by safety measures that are less concerned with auditability and more focused on the safety...
2021-04-2753 minEmbracing DifferencesThe ethics of risk and safety: Conversations with Dr. Rob LongWhat do you do when someone gets injured at work? Do you think about the paperwork that should follow or do you genuinely care about attending to the needs of the person who is hurt? In this episode, Dr Robert Long, an internationally renowned social psychologist takes us on an intellectual journey to understand the importance of Care ethics in safety and risk. At the core of Care Ethics is the morality of personhood, community, care and helping. Dr Long warns us that the safety industry is known for its ideology of zero which locks it into counting, mechanics...
2021-04-2057 minEmbracing DifferencesWhy don’t workers speak up? A conversation with Amy EdmondsonOver the years, I have become concerned with how the concept of psychological safety is used and abused across work sectors. In my view, the dominant narrative that ‘a submissive employee felt terrified to speak up because of an abusive boss’ is sometimes over-stretched. It masks us from understanding the deeper and systemic problems within the society. In this podcast, I have the honour to speak with Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School. Together we explore what makes it difficult for people in lower positions to speak up to their boss.
Based on a re...
2021-04-1339 minEmbracing DifferencesAre schools really set up for learning? Conversations with Nick Little.In this podcast, I am joined by Nick Little, Head of School from the International School of Aberdeen. Together we explore what it means to create a learning organisation by drawing upon the example of schools. On the face of it, it should be obvious that schools are a learning organisation but as we delve deep into the topic, we will find out that this is not always the case. Part of the problem, as we discuss in this podcast, is the way in which staff performance is understood and measured in the schools which in turn undermines the...
2021-04-061h 11Embracing DifferencesSailing through the Suez Canal: A ship captain’s perspectiveWhat does it take for a mega-size container ship to pass through the Suez Canal? This podcast draws upon the story of a ship captain to understand the everyday challenges of navigating a ship and negotiating one of the busiest waterways in the world. And it is in the banality of these everyday experiences that we may find some meaningful answers and perhaps better questions that could draw us closer to making any meaningful sense of accidents at sea.
2021-04-0155 minEmbracing DifferencesHow organizational structure impacts upon operational safetyListeners may recall a recent podcast with Professor Andrew Hopkins where we discussed the role of organisational structure in creating a culture. In this week’s podcast, we take this concept one step further with Gilsa Monteiro, a process safety specialist in one of the leading Oil and Energy companies in the world and a PhD student who understudied Professor Andrew Hopkins.
2021-03-3054 minEmbracing DifferencesThe power of self-reflection: Conversations with Cindi NandlalIn this podcast, I speak with Cindi Nandlal, a close friend who serves as an HSE manager in a reputed organization in Trinidad and Tobago. Cindi shares her unique position as a senior HSE manager who is also appointed as a board member on three different boards. As I listened to her, I realized how much she has transformed from being who she was at the start of her career (a very 'black and white' person in her own words) to becoming an influential and successful leader. In every experience she narrates in this podcast, I observed an immense...
2021-03-2334 minEmbracing DifferencesPsychological safety for leaders: Conversations with Rosa Carrillo Part 2This is the second in a series of two podcasts with Rosa Carrillo. In this podcast, Rosa and I discuss the importance of psychological safety for leaders. Once again, we reflect upon our personal experiences and discuss the importance of having open conversations to create psychological safety in the workplace.
2021-03-1627 min
Safety FM with Jay AllenNippin AnandToday on The Jay Allen Show, we speak with Nippin Anand. During our conversation Nippin discusses some new technology that him and his team have created to track safety correctly.
Hear it all today on The Jay Allen Show!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
2021-03-1634 min
The Interesting Health & Safety PodcastFinding Safe Solutions Through Changing Perspectives - with Nippin AnandThis week, Colin talks to Nippin Anand, the founder of Novellus Solutions, dedicated to facilitating learning events with the view to promote innovation across safety-critical industries. Nippin talks to Colin about the importance of finding the best solutions in the world of safety, as well as why perspective and inclusivity are driving safety forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS It is vital to give our workers a voice. A business grows and thrives through collaboration and insight. If we fail to give our workers the chance to be heard, we are doing our businesses a disservice in t...
2021-03-1150 minEmbracing DifferencesConversations with Rosa Carrillo: The power of deep listening (part 1)This is the first in a two-part series of conversations between Rosa Carrillo and Nippin Anand. During their interaction, Nippin and Rosa experience the power of deep listening - an important but often neglected aspect of psychological safety.
2021-03-0928 minEmbracing DifferencesRituals for moving on from disaster. A discussion about accident investigations.In this podcast, Johan Bergström, Head of Department at the School of Aviation at Lund University, raises and addresses some fundamental questions about accident investigations:
1) What is the purpose of an accident investigation?
2) Why do we really do an accident investigation? What are the needs and who are the audiences?
3) How well do investigations fulfil the needs of those audiences?
4) What novel strategies can we think of in order to renew our approach to accident investigations? Who could we be inspired by?
2021-03-0223 minEmbracing DifferencesThe overstated role of soft skills in crew resource management: Are we being sold the icing without the cake?In this podcast, Gitte Damm (an aviation pilot and a CRM instructor) and I discuss the role of soft skills in safety-critical jobs. Based on years of research and experience in the maritime and aviation sector, we argue that soft skills are being designed and marketed as a replacement for experiential knowledge and skills which makes it problematic to achieve the intended purpose of CRM.
2021-02-2330 minEmbracing DifferencesOrganising for safety: How structure creates cultureWelcome to another episode of Embracing Differences with me Nippin Anand where I am joined by the world-leading safety scientist, Professor Andrew Hopkins, who takes the bull by the horns and helps us understand why we should be spending more time and effort to understand the structure of an organisation, in an intelligent but very accessible manner.
2021-02-1727 minEmbracing DifferencesFrom reporting towards conversations: learn how to create reliable leading indicators of safety and businessThis week I bring you a special podcast with Todd Conklin where I talk about why we decided to move from a reporting culture towards designing a safe space for co-workers to have conversations.
2021-02-0931 minEmbracing DifferencesPaper Safe: The Triumph of Bureaucracy in Safety ManagementWelcome to another episode of Embracing Differences and let's welcome our guest Greg Smith, an internationally renowned lawyer, a global expert in operational safety and the author of an incredibly powerful thesis which I have recommended to many people around the world. In his book 'Paper Safe', Greg talks precisely about the problem of the disconnect between bureaucracy and purpose.
2021-02-0236 minEmbracing DifferencesWhy Organisations Fail: Discussions and ReflectionsProfessor Lee Clarke is based at the Rutgers University in New Jersey and he is the author of various books specializing in disaster and emergency management from a very sociological perspective. Lee reminds us that organisations are designed for a purpose and consistently rationalised to ensure that efficiency is maximised in pursuit of profitability. And when we say an organisation has failed, it’s often that failure sits outside the narrow purpose which the organisation was designed for.
2021-01-2636 minEmbracing DifferencesArtificial Intelligence: Understanding The Bias Built Into MachinesMy guest for this podcast is Professor Robert Smith. He’s a technologist, a complexity scientist, and entrepreneur, a writer, and a very sought-after public speaker. He’s an expert in artificial intelligence and he has worked with several companies and institutions around the world both the private and public. He is also the author of the book Rage Inside The Machine: The Prejudice of Algorithms and How to Stop the Internet Making Bigots of Us All.
He is a senior fellow of the computer science faculty at university college, London, where he co-founded the Center for Deci...
2021-01-2047 minEmbracing DifferencesSafety reporting systems: Insights from Steven ShorrockIn this podcast, Steven Shorrock shares his views about safety reporting systems. Reflecting on his experiences and research, Steve provides some practical insights for understanding and improving our existing approach to safety reporting.
2021-01-0627 min
Embracing DifferencesNear misses – origins, triangles and challenges with Carsten BuschIn recent years, near miss reporting has become a crucial topic for discussion amongst safety professionals. While some think near miss reporting is no longer serving its intended purpose, others still find it as a useful tool for measuring and improving safety. In this episode, Carsten Busch shares his perspective about near misses both as a tool and an approach for improving safety. The discussion is based on Carsten’s forthcoming book titled “Preventing Industrial Accidents: Reappraising H. W. Heinrich – More than Triangles and Dominoes.”
2020-12-2329 min
Embracing DifferencesNear-miss reporting: A (mis)leading indicator of safety? with Oessur Hilduberg- Head of Danish Accident Investigation Board.Welcome to our very first episode!
In this podcast, Oessur will demystify the concept of near miss reporting system both as a construct but also as a tool for organizational learning as it is used across safety-critical industries. Listen to this podcast for some food for thought.
2020-12-0914 min