Human Factors: Teamwork & SOPs

What thoughts cross your mind when you know you will have to work with a team you’ve never met before? Do you find Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) useful in such a situation or a hindrance?

• We understand that there are far fewer SOPs in aviation than there are in healthcare, but the principle remains the same. Following standard procedures is a central way of building trust within a team, either by leading or being a team member.

The thought of “why are they doing it that way?” is one which can be a significant distraction, especially in a time-critical scenario.

• Manoeuvres, in particular, benefit from a little thought as to how they will be carried out. There is usually more than one way of doing something so a short rehearsal, as the pilots demonstrated with the possible go-around, ensures that the manoeuvre has the best chance of going smoothly with no surprises.

Word Cloud!

1. Open the word cloud in a new window by right clicking on The Teamwork Word Cloud. Write your answer and submit it, and then just close the window to return to the course.
2. Now you can view the results!

Questions For Comments

• How do you feel about SOPs in a patient transfer situation?
• What techniques do you find useful when working with a team you’ve never met before?
• Is there time to rehearse manoeuvres beforehand, or is this unrealistic in healthcare?
• How do you feel this question of SOPs fits in with the previous topic of leadership and active team membership?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below and for further reading – including aviation case studies and WingFactors top tips – please click on the SHELL model downloads link (below) before moving on.