Risk Culture vs. Risk Management

[Rick]

There is a mind set change going on in the disaster recovery world and one that I think is both excellent and applicable to individuals. The move is away from Risk Management and toward Risk Culture.

I won'd bother you with the technical definitions but will provide you an analogy to demonstrate the difference.

Risk Management: Your son or daughter comes home from school and finds a broken pipe. Water is spewing everywhere. They call you on the phone and say, "Dad! I just walked in and there's water everywhere. The basement is flooding!" To which you say something like, "OMG! shut the water off! I'm on the way home."

Risk Culture: Your son or daughter comes home from school and finds a broken pipe. Water is spewing everywhere. They call you on the phone and say, "Dad! I just walked in and there's water everywhere. I shut the water off and called ABC plumbing. The sump pump is pumping the water out of the basement and as soon as the water goes down I'll use the shop vac to suck it out of the carpet". Or something like that.

Risk Culture engages everyone and empowers them to look for and seek out dangers to your plan.
It empowers them to make decisions to mitigate the damage. Perhaps you would rather not have had ABC plumbing called but you have to congratulate your son for having the decisiveness to act in a positive manner. Hopefully, your plan covers what to do in this scenario but the point is if it does not and someone acts in the best interest of the family then you congratulate them for their action.

Risk Culture has the agility to operate on the fly. Does your son know he can act or must he wait for you to get home to turn off the water? Can he borrow a couple of floor fans from your neighbor to help dry the basement? Can your wife start pulling items from the basement to begin drying things out or does everyone wait until you get home?

Rick Culture employs collaboration. Everyone in the family participates in the design of disaster plans as well as their testing and implementation. Every idea from anyone is open for discussion and examination.

If something bad happens can anyone in the family wade into the deep end of the pool to start putting things back together or is that your job and yours alone? If it's yours then you live Risk Management.

I think Risk Culture engages everyone in a positive way and is a great way for us to look at how our families should react if something bad happens.

[Ken]

Another good post.

My 3 kids all started their swimming lessons before the age of 6 months. They all knew how to dial 911 by the age of 3. Basic first aid (taught by Dad) by age 5. The lessons were taught almost every single day.

First and foremost, they were taught to stay calm, get to a safe place if necessary, consider their options, make a decision on emergency action to take if necessary, and call Dad as soon as possible. They were taught to think and act responsibly.

[hunter63]

We should be so lucky as to be able to teach and maintain such a culture..........Or I would like to think so.

In practice I'm not so sure,.... I still have a DD that calls and says......Daaaaad....(reach for your wallet, you will be right 97% of the time.)

[natertot]

That seems like a good thing, Rick, at first. I don't mean to be the negative guy, but what happens when jr. makes things worse because he doesn't know what he's doing? What if damage is increased or somebody gets hurt or killed because of the incorrect action taken? Just cause you teach them a few things doesn't mean they are savvy or able act correctly when it counts. Especially in the first aid arena......

[Rick]

It's a valid point and you obviously can't turn someone loose without training or skills. The whole philosophy of Risk Culture is everyone is trained to react rather than just a few. I like the concept because it forces us at a personal level and corporations at their level to train everyone.

My guess is there are only a few whose kids know where the water shutoff is, how to perform CPR, etc. Under the guise of Risk Culture everyone must be trained and that's the part that I really like. So no negativity on your part. It's a valid observation.

[natertot]

Another thing is insurance. Jr began cleanup and now the insurance doesn't want to pay because you can't prove whatever thing they come up with. I had water issues over the summer. Thank God I took a bazillion pics.

Training is always a good thing nonetheless. The more you know........

[Ken]

That seems like a good thing, Rick, at first. I don't mean to be the negative guy, but what happens when jr. makes things worse because he doesn't know what he's doing? What if damage is increased or somebody gets hurt or killed because of the incorrect action taken? Just cause you teach them a few things doesn't mean they are savvy or able act correctly when it counts. Especially in the first aid arena......

I had 4 shadows whenever I did anything around the house. Mine and 3 others. Many jobs took 2 or 3 times longer to finish, the clean-up ALWAYS took longer, and there were a few times that I'd have to re-do a few things after my shadows fell asleep, but every single task I accomplished was really 4 tasks accomplished - the work itself, and teaching my shadows, a little at a time, about how things work and get repaired.

Kids should all be able to prepare a regular meal - and I don't mean opening a can or tossing a plastic tray in the microwave - before the age of 10. The same goes for flipping a circuit breaker back on, changing a light bulb, setting a thermostat, using a fire extinguisher, writing down an accurate phone message, and budgeting an allowance. They should know where the important phone numbers are kept, how to lock-up the house for the night, wash a dog, use a snow shovel and a paintbrush, respect a firearm, keep a secret, and empathize with others. "Please" and "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" and "Good job!" should be some of the first words in their vocabulary.

One of the most satisfying moments of my life came by way of a flat tire on my 325i. My then 16-year-old daughter had borrowed my car and called me to tell me she had gotten a flat tire. Before she could finish her sentence, I told her I'd leave right away and asked where she was. That's when she told me she had changed the tire - by herself. "You taught me how to do it, Dad. REMEMBER?"

[randyt]

the only running water we had consisted of grabbing a bucket and running to the spring and getting a bucket full.

[natertot]

I had 4 shadows whenever I did anything around the house. Mine and 3 others. Many jobs took 2 or 3 times longer to finish, the clean-up ALWAYS took longer, and there were a few times that I'd have to re-do a few things after my shadows fell asleep, but every single task I accomplished was really 4 tasks accomplished - the work itself, and teaching my shadows, a little at a time, about how things work and get repaired.

Kids should all be able to prepare a regular meal - and I don't mean opening a can or tossing a plastic tray in the microwave - before the age of 10. The same goes for flipping a circuit breaker back on, changing a light bulb, setting a thermostat, using a fire extinguisher, writing down an accurate phone message, and budgeting an allowance. They should know where the important phone numbers are kept, how to lock-up the house for the night, wash a dog, use a snow shovel and a paintbrush, respect a firearm, keep a secret, and empathize with others. "Please" and "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" and "Good job!" should be some of the first words in their vocabulary.

One of the most satisfying moments of my life came by way of a flat tire on my 325i. My then 16-year-old daughter had borrowed my car and called me to tell me she had gotten a flat tire. Before she could finish her sentence, I told her I'd leave right away and asked where she was. That's when she told me she had changed the tire - by herself. "You taught me how to do it, Dad. REMEMBER?"

Nothing there I disagree with. Along with teaching the young ones, you gotta teach them to understand their limitations. Your young one knows how to use a fire extinguisher. That is GREAT! But, do they understand that line when the fire is too much and they just need to sit on the curb till the FD shows? Like I said previously, nothing wrong with training. However, the house is both insured and replacable. The little tots are only insured......

[Rick]

I think you're trying to over think this. Let me grab a crayon.

Risk Management ... See that? No one knows what to do. See the chickens watching them run around? Now, notice how they are all dead? That one got burned to a crisp. That one got electrocuted. I'm not sure what happened to that one but it doesn't look like it was none too pretty.

Risk Culture...Notice the difference? Everyone is holding hands and singing Kumbaya? Oh, that one guy doesn't look any better at all. I guess he was just born that way. Oh, well.

[Rick]

Randy - I had two standing rules when my kids went to high school. All of them had to take Home Economics and all of them had to take Industrial Arts (metal, wood, auto and electrical). Both the boys can cook and my daughter can change out a light switch or change a tire. They were none to happen with me at the time but they now value what they learned.

[randyt]

I hear ya Rick but you have to admit when all you have is a natural spring, a water pipe break is of little concern LOL. Until it goes dry NOT-LOL.

It's good to know how to handle things. When I was a lad my parents hired just about nothing. About everything was handled ourselves. When our house burned, we rebuilt it ourselves from cutting and milling the lumber. Pretty much did it ourselves or went without.

[Rick]

Dad had two kids so just about everything was hired out to us. If I protested I didn't know how to do something his response was always the same. "Looks like you're about to learn how."

[hunter63]

My favorite phrase growing up was "Experience is the best teacher".....and ...."You don't know how.....yet,..... but you will learn."

[Ken]

Dad had two kids so just about everything was hired out to us. If I protested I didn't know how to do something his response was always the same. "Looks like you're about to learn how."

I was about 14 years old, and my dad came home with a box I had the name "FURUNO" printed on the side. The next thing you know, I was an expert on installing a marine radar unit on a Boston Whaler.

[natertot]

I think you're trying to over think this. Let me grab a crayon.

Risk Management ... See that? No one knows what to do. See the chickens watching them run around? Now, notice how they are all dead? That one got burned to a crisp. That one got electrocuted. I'm not sure what happened to that one but it doesn't look like it was none too pretty.

Risk Culture...Notice the difference? Everyone is holding hands and singing Kumbaya? Oh, that one guy doesn't look any better at all. I guess he was just born that way. Oh, well.

About that crayon..... As was stated by Ken "My 3 kids all started their swimming lessons before the age of 6 months. They all knew how to dial 911 by the age of 3. Basic first aid (taught by Dad) by age 5. The lessons were taught almost every single day."

Everyone here raise there hand if your kids walked by six months. Let alone....... swimming lessons? I am also wondering what swimming progam takes infants........ youngest I found was 5 years. 911 by 3yo.... feasable, but doubt it would be used correctly. First aid by 5? I would love to see my 5yo be able to do CPR, have enough consistant strength to apply pressure to a wound, and be able to comprehend what shock is......

My point, Rick, is that you can teach that stuff all day long to the young ones. My question is are they mature/wise enough to apply what they have learned appropriately? In the future.... sure. But at 6mos, 3yo, and 5yo?

[natertot]

I was about 14 years old, and my dad came home with a box I had the name "FURUNO" printed on the side. The next thing you know, I was an expert on installing a marine radar unit on a Boston Whaler.

We had FURUNO on my ship...... good basic radar!

[Rick]

I looked back through my post and didn't find 6 months, 3 years or any reference to 5 year olds. But now that you have completely destroyed my thread. Ran the engine off the bridge and derailed even the caboose I'll just say thanks. Thanks for taking a national program and destroying it. DRI International called and said they are now abandoning disaster recovery because of this. Architects are now afraid to construct buildings to 7.5 earthquake specs because some 3 month old could push the wrong button. Every lake in the nation is now lowering it's water level 5 feet....just in case and every BIC lighter sold will now be sold with a person to light it for you in the off chance you might start a fire if you try to do it yourself. By the way, we've put a For Sale sign up on the state of Ohio and the price is cheap.

[natertot]

I looked back through my post and didn't find 6 months, 3 years or any reference to 5 year olds. But now that you have completely destroyed my thread. Ran the engine off the bridge and derailed even the caboose I'll just say thanks. Thanks for taking a national program and destroying it. DRI International called and said they are now abandoning disaster recovery because of this. Architects are now afraid to construct buildings to 7.5 earthquake specs because some 3 month old could push the wrong button. Every lake in the nation is now lowering it's water level 5 feet....just in case and every BIC lighter sold will now be sold with a person to light it for you in the off chance you might start a fire if you try to do it yourself. By the way, we've put a For Sale sign up on the state of Ohio and the price is cheap.

Settle down my friend! I believe you are solely looking at it from a work environment perspective. With everyone in the work 16yo or greater, they do have the ability to be trained and act accordingly. That makes the risk culture a great idea. You used a home analogy which led Ken to talk about 6mos old swimmers, 3yo 911 callers, and 5yo first aid responders. I'm not waving the BS flag, but I doubt it. My point is that in a home setting, be sure to teach things that kids can understand, be able to logically apply, and physically able to do.

Yes Ohio land is cheap. When you have overly dramatic neighbors, it tends to drag property values down......

[BENESSE]

Great idea, Rick, worth implementing from an early age. Starting with age appropriate responsibilities, goes without saying.
None of my friends' kids know how to tie their shoelaces without a blueprint, thanks to their parents, who stressed academics at the exclusion of everything else. Why they thought instilling some practical skills would be a distraction is beyond me, but I can't be too critical...I don't have kids. I do know that if I had them, it would definitely be how we did things.