Do we know why we normally succeed?

If we don't examine our successes, then they may ALL be lucky rather than good.

In this humble and vulnerable account, Tom reflects on how the events of the day unfolded, how plans changed, and the mindset they were in that may have contributed to the near-miss. As we explore the event, he moves on to how he has since learned and developed different habits and system approaches to be more risk-aware in the present.

Tom's story helps us understand ways we can use good habits and systems to convert lucky to good!

*Note - fixed the audio for this episode *

Were they lucky, or good?

Safety Science concepts include Safety Clutter, Systems Thinking, AcciMaps, and Psychological Safety, among others.

In this episode, Kate Koons shares her risk management leadership experiences from Antarctica and beyond, highlighting the importance of psychological safety, planning, and communication in extreme environments.

Chapters

00:00 Kate's Journey as a Learner and Mentor

02:44 Incident in Antarctica: A Case Study

10:10 Response and Recovery: What Went Well

17:34 Graceful Extensibility Built Into the Design

19:04 Emergency versus Crisis

23:32 The Importance of Psychological Safety

30:09 Competing Priorities in Scientific Field Work

32:50 How do we perceive risk?

Outdoor Educator, Mountain Guide and Risk Management Consultant Chris Bartram revisits a challenging experience from early in his outdoor education career, struggling with group dynamics and threatening, disruptive behavior from a student. In revisiting the story, the conversation shifts from a simple story of blame, to a more complex story of organizational, administrative, and environmental factors that contributed to the group's challenges. Applying a systems-thinking lens, Chris explores deeper lessons learned from the event, and wraps up with focused advice for organizational leaders and managers to learn from his experience.

Chapters

00:00 Introductions

01:37 Student Behavioral Challenges

04:45 Group Dynamics

07:46 Behavior Management and Health Concerns

11:57 A Brief Change in Student Behavior...

12:56 Analysis of the Incident

22:31 Were we lucky, or good?

32:32 Advice - Listening to the Front Line Workers

33:33 Positive Capacities

Guest: Tracy Rekart

Tracy Rekart shares a powerful story of a climbing incident, lessons learned about risk, communication, and resilience. This episode explores how to handle failure, recognize biases, and pursue recovery after a critical incident occurs. Her story is filled with insights, clarity, courage, and vulnerability, all of which provide useful takeaways for outdoor & experiential educators.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

01:12 Tracy's Climbing Incident: A Personal Story

09:00 Reflections on the Incident and Lessons Learned

12:55 Communication and Safety in Outdoor Education

17:09 The Aftermath: Recovery and Relationship Growth

19:39 A Dream of Healing

20:28 Finding a New Home and Life Choices

21:45 The Importance of Presence in Recovery

23:25 Learning from Vulnerability and Holding Space

24:43 Cognitive Biases in Outdoor Education

27:24 The Substitution Effect in Decision Making

30:26 FailSafe vs. Fail Safely

31:48 Excavating for Risks and Final Thoughts

Learn more about Tracy and her work at https://www.tracyrekart.com/

In this brief conversation, Matt Baker-White, an early adopter of our "Lucky or Good" approach, explains the difference between focusing on outcomes versus focusing on effective processes in his work at the Wild Rockies Field Institute.

In this episode, Gareth Lock (from the Human Diver) shares a powerful personal story about a near-fatal cardiac event and explores how vulnerability, systems thinking, and recognizing weak signals can improve safety in outdoor and diving environments.

Key Topics:

• Gareth’s personal experience with a critical cardiac event and key lessons learned
• The importance of listening to weak signals and small cues in safety management
• How vulnerability models foster a safety culture that encourages speaking up
• The concept of local rationality and understanding decision-making in context
• Contrasting linear risk analysis with holistic systems thinking approaches
• The benefits of framing risk positively: beneficial risks and growth opportunities
• Fail-safe design principles: creating resilient systems that recover gracefully
• The role of cognitive biases like hindsight bias and ways to counteract them
• Applying safety science concepts to outdoor education and adventure activities
• The significance of language and shared vocabulary in safety conversations

Resources & Links:

• Gareth Lock - The Human Diver

This episode explores the impact of climate change on outdoor and experiential education, emphasizing proactive risk management and organizational resilience. Guest Shana Tarter shares insights on adapting to climate threats, rethinking risk assessment, and implementing strategic planning to proactively manage risk and promote mission continuity.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

01:36 The Opportunity to Be Good Rather than Lucky

02:17 Impact of Climate Change on Outdoor Programs

04:24 The Dichotomy of Luck and Good

05:43 Recognizing Slow-Moving Threats

07:41 Lessons from COVID-19 for Climate Adaptation

08:48 Mental Models and Sunk Cost Bias

10:24 Incentives for Change in Risk Management

12:59 Evolving Risk Assessment Models

14:30 Dynamic Risk Assessment in Climate Change

18:22 Collaboration in Decision-Making

20:12 Navigating the Yellow Zone of Risk

21:04 Proactive Approaches to Risk Management

23:56 Operational Resilience and Planning

26:04 Informed Consent and Communication

27:54 Moving from Lucky to Good

28:19 Final Thoughts and Action Steps

RESOURCES

Wilderness Climate Action Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12345678/

Journal Article:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/10806032241296526

 What were the factors that set them up to fail, and what were the good habits and practices that helped to mitigate the impact? 

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Join us for a curious, humble examination of the lessons learned from this incident - and how we might apply these lessons in other aspects of our lives and outdoor adventures.  

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Were they lucky, or were they good?  

Key Topics

• Dan’s personal avalanche accident story and the sequence of events
• How terrain configuration and wind slabs contributed to the avalanche
• The importance of probabilistic hazard assessment and recognizing changing conditions
• The role of heuristics such as social proof, confirmation bias, and familiarity in decision-making
• Group dynamics and the influence of expert familiarity on safety judgments
• Strategies for building safety routines: intentional checkpoints and debriefing
• The value of modeling vulnerability and honest communication in safety culture
• The shift in avalanche education from terrain to decision-making and group psychology
• Concepts of fail safe vs. fail safe design in outdoor risk management
• Continuous learning and promoting a culture of sharing near misses and mistakes

Resources & Links

• The North American Avalanche Danger Scale
• ICSP Conference (International Snow Science Workshop)
• Ian McCammon and Sarah Boilen's work on field debriefs
• Canadian Avalanche Association Curriculum
• Heuristics and Decision Making in the Context of Avalanche Safety

A climber's terrifying solo climb down steep ice, and what she learned from this experience.

Discover a deeply personal story of mountain climbing that explores the interplay of luck, skill, and psychological resilience.

This episode offers valuable insights into managing fear, decision-making under pressure, and how past experiences shape our responses in high-stakes environments.

Was she lucky, or was she good?