Approachability — The Last Domino

Nearly every supervisor in the workplace feels they can be approached by others, but are they really “approachable?”   What does “intervening” in the workplace mean to you as a supervisor or foreman?  What does it mean to the one being supervised?

In this article, we will examine the final moments of three aviation accidents in an attempt to get at what makes approachability in the field so difficult.  How can we become more approachable from the bottom up, from the top down, and peer to peer? 

When the dominoes begin falling, accident investigations often reveal that someone on the job could have intervened with a critical piece of information but either did not speak up or was not listened to.

Our purpose here is to not pick apart each falling domino, but simply to look at the final moments, the end game, “the last domino” — Approachability.

Reflect inward and ask yourself, what does “approachability” really look like, sound like, or feel like in the field?  What you may find is that being approachable and intervening on the job is not as clear cut as you might think. 

  1. Air Florida Flight 90 – crashed into the icy Potomac River January, 1982 (74 fatalities).
  2. Comair Flight 5191 - departed from the wrong runway in Lexington KY on August, 2006 (49 fatalities)
  3. PanAm & KLM 747 crash on the island of Tenerife – worst aviation accident in history (583 fatalities).

Rescue attempts by news helicopter of Air Florida Flt 90 passengers from the icy Potomac River.

In each exampe, the pilots (workers) had the power to stop the work before disaster, but failed to do so.  Why?

Air Florida Flight 90

Let’s look at the final dominos of Air Florida Flight 90.  Just as they begin the work, the takeoff roll:

Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcripts

Co-Pilot : God, look at that thing. That don’t seem right, does  it? Uh, that’s not right. (Referring to engine gauges)
Captain: Yes it is, there’s eighty. (Referring to airspeed)
Co-Pilot:  Naw, I don’t think that’s right. Uhhh, maybe it is.
Captain: Hundred and twenty. (Referring to accelerating airspeed)
Co-Pilot: I don’t know?

NOW BARELY AIRBBORNE, THE SOUND OF THE “STICKSHAKER” (warns pilots of impending stall)  HEARD CONTINOUSLY UNTIL IMPACT

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Active Listening Builds Trust and Saves Lives

CGI rendering of impact

After personally interviewing Capt. Bob Bragg, the last surviving pilot involved in what still stands today as the “worst aviation accident in history.”, I am reminded that active listening saves lives.  Capt Bragg was the copilot on board a Pan American 747 jumbo jet when a KLM 747 jet collided with him on the runway on the island of Tenerife in 1977.

The runway was shrouded in fog as the captain of the KLM aircraft advanced the throttles for takeoff.  He refused to listen to his crew members when they first protested by saying, “we don’t have clearance,” then followed up by asking, “is the Pan Am clear?” 

The KLM captain emphatically stated that Pan Am was clear.  History clearly shows otherwise as Copilot Bob Bragg saw the KLM abruptly appear out of the fog, and attempt to fly over the top of his aircraft.  They didn’t make it, and 583 people lost their lives as a result.

Time and again we see errors in communication, misunderstanding, and assuming.  
In complex operations, changes in work activity happen all the time, yet hazards abound.

At the top of the list is having a leader in charge who refuses to listen to others before making a decision that directly affects other people lives.  These leaders feel their situational awareness is good, yet their perceptions of reality vs actual reality is incongruent.  Only by actively listening to others can these leaders make correct decisions.

The Tenerife disaster has clearly taught us that everyone, no matter their rank or experience, has a piece of information that might be the critical piece, the last chain link, or final domino in a chain of events that prevents disaster.

As an airline copilot, I had the pleasure of working with a senior airline captain who embodied active listening.  When the flight operation was being hampered by bad weather, or mechanical problems, or passenger issues, before he made final decisions that affected the lives of others, he employed these three active listening techniques in sequential order, to solicit information from his team:

1) “What I Heard You Say Is….”
2) “Did I Get That Right?”
3) “Is There More?”

For example, when the captain finished listening to critical information, he made the statement, “What I Heard You Say Is…” and he would proceed to parrot back the information without putting his spin, thoughts, or opinion on the subject.  The captain then followed up with, “Did I get that right? “.  Once the captain heard the answer to number 2 as, “Yes,” he would move on to number 3 by asking, “Is there more?”
I witnessed many amazing transformations in body language and tone of voice when he employed this methodical listening process.  It was especially effective with upset passengers. 

As a safety professional, anytime communication is turning from conversation to confrontation, try using this captain’s proven listening technique before making critical decisions.  This technique even works well with teenagers.  Although they may not like your decision, they are far more likely to support you because they have been heard, and being heard builds trust with leadership.