In a keynote of about an hour and a half, Rik tells how he ran into turbulence with his sports plane in July 2022. The eventual crash was inevitable but following checklists ensured that at no point was Rik panicked.

This experience made him think afterwards about mistakes and risks. How they also occur and can be avoided at work. How do employees react in unexpected situations ? Is there a plan B? Are checklists used? How do you react as a manager when your team finds itself in an unforeseen situation? 

During his presentation, Rik compares a number of crucial moments during the crash with situations in business or on the shop floor. Afterwards, the participants can brainstorm further in small groups and thus improve their working methods.

Some golden rules of preventive action

• checklists are indispensable and are ALWAYS and COMPLETELY carried out by EVERYONE

• communication misunderstandings are the most common predictor of accidents

• the 3 magic words are: teamwork, trust and a culture of openness

• ego is the biggest killer

 

Some quotes covered in the keynote

• "having instructions repeated mandatorily is the only way to avoid misunderstandings"

• "hubris is the biggest killer, it's all about YOU"

• "a culture of 'laissez faire, laissez passer' kills people"

• "failing employees like to hide behind failing systems"