Regulations now require air operators to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS).  CAMO will need to have an SMS next, followed by maintenance organisations.  While data driven SMS offer a way to get better insight and manage risk more scientifically they are not themselves a panacea.   

Decades of research show that organisational culture is a significant driver on individual behaviours and organisational performance.  Culture is however a rather nebulous concept that is often not well understood by practitioners.  Ironically, organisations that implemented an SMS only because it became a regulatory requirement and whose prime focus is on compliance are actually suffering from a relatively narrow and un-proactive culture. Culture is a term that is increasingly mentioned but rarely do organisations explicitly understand their culture or try to positively influence it.   

In this session we will introduce culture from a practical perspective and discuss how leadership is a powerful means to influence your organisations culture.  Although we focus on culture and leadership from a safety perspective, the approach and skills also apply across all aspects of an organisation.