2018 HPRCT Conference

To illustrate through multiple case studies, the value of using preventative latent analysis of people and culture to obtain positive leadership and high performance.

The author has led multiple investigations involving cultural root causes.  Two case studies will be presented where cultural corrective action was used to transform performance with remarkable results.
A cryogenic gas processing plant had experienced an increase in unplanned human-caused shutdowns.  Leadership believed the shutdowns were indicative of larger cultural issues that would eventually lead to a severe incident.  Using Latent Cause Analysis, people evidence was collected from interviews to establish the as-is culture.  Leadership was involved in addressing anonymous as-is culture and shaping as-desired behaviors and cultural corrective actions, in a positive, transparent delivery.  Performance and general culture improved dramatically.  The plant subsequently shattered all prior records for unplanned outages.
Recently acquired oil and gas production operations had suffered from toxic leadership that led to a lack of established positive safety culture.  Safety performance was the worst for any asset within the organization.  A cultural assessment was performed using Latent Cause Analysis methods coupled with transformational leadership problem-solving.  Cultural corrective action was implemented.  The asset performed incident free for two years.
The methodology for both investigations will be shared along with lessons learned from other cultural investigations that produced lasting results.