Learning Management Systems to handle high stakes

You have probably read about the human and environmental catastrophe that happened in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, when British Petroleum’s (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded due to a Macondo well blow-out. Eleven workers died, and billions of cubic metres of oil spilled into the ocean before the well could be capped. The consequence for BP, too, was monumental: the company ultimately paid $18.2 billion in criminal fines and financial settlements, and its market valuation halved within two months of the event – and had still not recovered five years later.

BP’s culpability was clearly detailed in the company’s own accident investigation report, which included damning phrases such as ‘The failure of the rig crew to stop work on the Deepwater Horizon after encountering multiple hazards and warnings…,’ and ‘BP’s failure to have full supervision and accountability over the activities associated with the Deepwater Horizon was a contributing cause of the Macondo blowout.’

Deepwater Horizon is often referred to as a Black Swan – an extremely rare, near-unpredictable event with drastic outcomes. Actually, it is more like a Grey Rhino, a newer name to describe glaring risks which are nevertheless either entirely ignored or only partially addressed. The risk consultant who coined the term, Michele Wucker, points out that dealing with a Grey Rhino requires “skills in leadership, risk management, cost-benefit analysis, and decision making.” And, I would suggest, access to trustworthy data.

How can, and should, an organisation buffer against the kinds of high-consequence risks embedded in many industries, including but not limited to aviation, chemicals, construction and utilities?

Unquestionably, an excellent learning and development (L&D) programme and a rigorous learning management system are fundamental. But let’s take a step back, and into a different context.

Imagine for a moment that you are the HR practitioner at a giant mining enterprise. Your legal department is pressurising you about the need for updated compliance training. Your L&D colleagues admit that training is overdue in many aspects of the business, involving all levels of seniority. This would have been done about a year ago, but for the finance department’s concerns about the incompatibility of your learning and training platforms with other key business systems.

This is a headache you don’t need, and one that the company cannot afford were it to slip further out of control. Financial results cannot be compromised by the possibility of disruptions; so, having immediate access to training records is vital to prove a state of compliance for the regulatory authority. Even more critically important, lives cannot be at risk due to even the remotest chance of problematic safety protocols.

The gist is that the company’s very existence may be threatened if operations are forced to cease due to regulatory noncompliance.