LEADING SAFELY - Off the Shelf

Hosted by Georgina Poole

Business Management

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Episodes

101

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

**Leading Safely: Off the Shelf — Big ideas. Put to work.** Join Georgina Poole as she takes influential books on safety, leadership, human factors and organisational learning off the shelf and into the real world. Each bite-sized episode unpacks big ideas, challenges conventional thinking and turns complex concepts into practical insights for safety professionals, operational leaders and anyone curious about how work really happens. No academic lectures. Just fresh perspectives, real-world examples and ideas you can put to work.

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60 recent

October 25, 202623 min

All the Evidence. Still the Wrong Story?

You've collected the evidence. Reviewed the records. Interviewed everyone involved. Built your timeline. So you've got the full story... right? Well, not necessarily! In Episode 4 of Leading Safely: Off the Shelf , Georgina Poole explores Sidney Dekker's ideas about evidence, context and understanding from The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error' . We'll challenge why having more information doesn't always mean having a better understanding, how investigators can unintentionally construct a story that makes perfect sense in hindsight, and why seeing an event through the eyes of those involved can change everything. Expect some uncomfortable questions, practical examples and a fresh perspective on what it really means to investigate. Because having all the pieces of the puzzle doesn't necessarily mean you've put them together the right way.

October 25, 202622 min

How did they NOT see that coming?

Ever looked back at an incident and thought, "Surely they should have known better?" Well, what if the problem isn't what they failed to see, but what we can see now? In Episode 3 of Leading Safely: Off the Shelf , Georgina Poole explores Sidney Dekker's ideas about hindsight bias and micro-matching from The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error' . We'll challenge why mistakes seem so obvious after the event, how investigators can unknowingly judge people using information they never had, and why finding a gap between a procedure and someone's actions doesn't necessarily explain anything. Expect a little humour, some uncomfortable questions and a fresh perspective on how we investigate when things go wrong. Because it's easy to say, "They should have seen it coming" when you already know how the story ends.

October 14, 2026Episode 222 min

Human Error? Plot Twist… That's Where the Story Starts!

What if human error isn't the cause of an accident, but the very thing we need to explain? In Episode 2 of Leading Safely: Off the Shelf , Georgina Poole dives into Sidney Dekker's New View of Human Error, challenging the traditional approach of finding someone to blame when things go wrong. We'll explore why people's decisions make sense to them at the time, how the conditions of work shape their actions, and why better questions lead to better investigations. Expect fresh perspectives, real-world examples and a few challenges to conventional safety thinking. Because human error shouldn't end the conversation. It's where the real story begins!

October 14, 2026Episode 122 min

One Bad Apple? Maybe Check the Orchard!

When something goes wrong, why are we so quick to blame the person involved? In the very first episode of Leading Safely: Off the Shelf , Georgina Poole unpacks Sidney Dekker's Bad Apple Theory from The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error' . We're challenging the idea that accidents happen because of careless people and exploring why the real story is often much more interesting. Expect a little humour, some uncomfortable questions and practical insights you can take straight back to work. Because sometimes the problem isn't the apple. It's the orchard.

April 2, 2026Episode 215 min

Blame still does NOT fix anything!

In this short but sharp episode I speak to some recent research being quoted online which apparently proves that "blame does fix something". I also speak to the notion of 'holding someone accountable' and the foundations of Sidney Dekker's iconic book - The Field Guide to Understanding Human Error.

March 26, 2026Episode 147 min

Capacities vs Controls with Professor Sidney Dekker & Dr Sean Brady

In this episode you will hear from Professor Sidney Dekker and Dr Sean Brady on the topics of capacities and controls. Professor Dekker leans towards organisations building capacities, capacity to fail safely, capacity to cope with uncertainty etc whereas Dr Brady talks to controls and safeguards from a risk perspective. Are they on the same page or sharing different editions of the book? You be the judge.

September 23, 2025Episode 544 min

A Look Into Behavioural Based Safety with Dr Nic Weatherley

In this episode I chat with Dr Nic Weatherly about Behavioural Based Safety and Applied Behavioural Science.

July 28, 2025Episode 451 min

It's All About Learning with Bob Edwards

In this episode I chat with Bob Edwards (the HOP Coach) about Learning Teams, Operational and Organisational Learning plus so much more.

May 25, 2025Episode 353 min

Redefining Safety with Professor Nektarios Karanikas

In this episode I chat with Professor Nektarios Karanikas about his newly completed research project with Hutchinson Builders and it's challenge to the definition of "safety" .

February 21, 2025Episode 242 min

Fighter Pilot Curiousity with On Target Teaming

In this episode I chat with pilots Sam and Mike about safety leadership in the Australian Air Force, the cross over between human factors and human performance and why clear air turbulence makes my blood pressure drop.