Organizations often experience safety problems which are chronic in nature, reoccurring problems that have been tackled many times through an array of solutions, but remain embedded in everyday working life and become a tolerated norm. Our brains are biased toward solving problems using conventional logical processes, thinking in very linear selective pathways, where each step is precise, requiring exact and logical reasoning that must be correct before moving on. Although very effective, this ‘vertical thinking’ can lead us to overlook the REAL root cause of a problem, that, if not truly identified, creates the risk of providing misguided solutions, whose results are never potent enough. Saipem's aim was to break from the limitation of traditional vertical thinking and to generate largescale lateral thinking ideas, solving problems through an indirect and creative approach. This was done by utilizing the power of provocation. Individuals began challenging normal assumptions that arise from a vertical thinking process, while applying these techniques to ‘identify the problem behind the problem’, uncovering the true root cause before moving onto solutions and action planning. This innovative problem-solving process called "We Want Zero" was launched by the CEO in early 2014, and takes the format of a one- day highly interactive ‘brainstorming’ workshop. Attendees are carefully selected for their strong operational experience and, above all, capability to be creative, innovative and open-minded enough to embrace change. The workshop leads with the question ‘What are the factors which are preventing us to achieve zero?’, which generates hundreds of potential problems for analysis, which are then divided into three main categories, Organizational, Technical and Cultural, and further clustered into common themes. Applying lateral thinking processes then enables the effective discovery of the true root causes, and only then moving onto the development of targeted action plans, using the Pareto law and emotional tools in order to activate creativity in the process. The brainstorming events are championed by the senior level managers attending the workshop, as they are also in charge of driving the implementation of action plans. This paper will describe how Saipem approached dismantling long-term ineffective solutions, how the methodology was applied across its operating divisions, and the high impact that the process has on the organization's ability to further break the safety plateau and achieve zero fatalities.
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