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The System is a Whole

So, what does this mean?

Although we are accustomed to having a checklist for everything, the problem is that the checklist will keep you thinking that each element has a separate and distinct impact on outcomes. It does, but it's more complex than that. This means some elements are very much tacit (in the background), and can be unspoken knowledge that is not being considered in decision making.

We could call it culture but but this word leads us to think about people without understanding it is the atmosphere filled with people, artefacts, technology, and social norms that is getting you the performance you see.

The work environment is a multiplicity

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It is the multiplicity that drives human performance at work. The best way to uncover this is not through using a checklist but rather through using facilitated dialogue.
How we make sense of our environment affects our behaviours.
Although ergonomics is a science dedicated to measuring the tangible aspects of work that can enhance or limit human performance, a real understanding of the relationship between work and the worker requires consideration of the tacit aspects of the work landscape.

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There is a multiplicity of work activities and interests

When we draw a linear timeline of events - realize that it is only just before an event that anything is truly linear. When a noticeable event occurs it often was a unique coming-together that will not be repeated in exactly the same way. But there is information that can be uncovered through capturing aspects of the environment that are not easily checked off on a checklist.

Learn about Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) and Human Factors
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