PreAccident Investigation Podcast

Todd Conklin hosts Jen Long on the Pre-Accident Investigation Podcast to introduce "accountability labs": practical, small-group exercises that help teams practice having each other’s back instead of weaponizing blame.

The episode explains how labs create psychological safety and readiness through real scenarios, skill-building, and debriefs so participants develop the language and muscle memory to speak up when it matters.

Listeners will learn who benefits (middle managers, safety teams, healthcare, operations), what to expect from a lab, and the promise—and risks—of turning accountability into a sustained, constructive practice.

Host Todd talks with safety professional and singer-songwriter Toni Vere about human and organizational performance (HOP), accountability, and the power of fixing systems instead of blaming people.

Toni performs "Don't Shoot the Dog," a song that turns shop‑floor experience and worker expertise into a memorable lesson on creating safer, smarter workplaces.

Host Todd Conklin chats with Harvard’s Amy Edmondson about psychological safety, learning from failure, and how leaders can create workplaces where people speak up and learn. They cover just culture, systems thinking, and practical steps to choose curiosity over certainty.

This warm, wide-ranging conversation blends research with real-world stories and leaves listeners with a clear call to action: build environments that support candid dialogue and collective learning.

Part two of a deep conversation with Professor David Woods examines five decades of safety practice and argues for a stronger science base, foresight, and continual revitalization. Topics include the Command–Adapt Paradox, the fluency law, the law of stretch systems, and the novelty inequality, showing why plans must be paired with guided adaptability.

The episode urges putting safe and effective outcomes first, working together to innovate, and rebuilding practical tools and research so safety programs scale and adapt in an increasingly complex world.

Here is the cited article for your reading pleasure:

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-45055-6_8#:~:text=The%20Command%E2%80%93Adapt%20Paradox%20arises,%E2%80%9D%E2%80%94being%20poised%20to%20adapt.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-45055-6_8#:~:text=The%20Command%E2%80%93Adapt%20Paradox%20arises,%E2%80%9D%E2%80%94being%20poised%20to%20adapt.

Todd hosts Dr. David Woods in a two-part episode challenging the current state of safety science, arguing for more synthesis across disciplines and a shift from one-off fixes to ongoing capacity for safe, effective, and viable organizations.

They examine the history and fragmentation of safety work, the rise of resilience thinking, barriers like short-term pressure and limited budgets, and why the safety community must collaborate to create stronger, long-term approaches.