One of our staff members was recently in an accident. While she was lucky to be OK, the result could have been catastrophic. She reflected that it was difficult to restrain herself from getting angry simply over the amount of damage (harm) without knowing any other context. It reminds us that everything falls under a Just Culture.
Here are some different accident scenarios through the lens of a Just Culture…
You are driving home after spending an evening with friends. While moving through an intersection, you hear a horn, then feel the impact. Someone has driven through a red light and hit your car.
Deliberate harm: If the person wanted to hurt you – if he gunned the engine because he saw my your moving through the intersection and wanted to damage it.
Incapacity: If the other driver had been drinking, that may have slowed his reflexes so he couldn’t stop in time when the light turned red. Or perhaps he was exhausted after having to work 4 straight overnight shifts and fell asleep, cruising through the red light.
Straight-Up System Failure: Have you ever been to an intersection where the lights are turned so that you cannot tell which color is for you and which color is for the intersecting street? If you can see Red and Green lights from your lane, which do you obey? This is a great example of a system failure.
Human Error: The driver was distracted by a conversation in the car, and didn’t see the light turn yellow.
At-Risk Behavior: The driver saw the light turn yellow, but thought he could make it through the intersection in time. He didn’t see any other vehicles waiting at the light, and had done this many times before without issues – he drives this way home every day. He simply misjudged it this time.
Reckless Behavior: The driver is frustrated at having to stop at so many lights on the way home. He sees the light turn yellow and although he knows the parked cars obstruct his view of any other vehicles, he thinks “if anyone else is coming through, they will see me and stop.” He stomps his foot on the gas while loudly venting his frustration.
