#244
In the world of workplace safety and operational excellence, one principle stands out as a fundamental driver of success: chronic unease. (Healthy Unease) This mindset—an ever-present state of vigilance and questioning—separates high-reliability organizations from those merely going through the motions of compliance. Chronic unease is not about paranoia or fear; rather, it is the ability to anticipate, detect, and mitigate potential risks before they materialize into incidents. It is the mental model that ensures hazards are continuously reassessed, near-misses are never dismissed, and operational assumptions are always challenged.
The State of Vulnerability: Seeing Beyond the Obvious
A key aspect of chronic unease is the recognition of one’s own vulnerability. Organizations that believe they are immune to failure or that past success guarantees future safety are those most at risk. In contrast, businesses that embrace a mindset of continuous vigilance operate with the understanding that incidents do not occur in isolation—they emerge from blind spots, unnoticed hazards, and unchallenged complacency.
A safety culture rooted in chronic unease encourages employees and leaders alike to challenge their assumptions. This means asking difficult questions:
- What hazards might we have overlooked?
- Are we missing early warning signs?
- What could go wrong, even when everything appears normal?
When employees and leadership operate with an acute awareness of these unknowns, they increase their ability to anticipate and prevent incidents before they happen.
No News is Bad News: The Importance of Vigilance
In organizations that fail to foster chronic unease, the absence of reported safety concerns is often mistaken for a sign of good performance. The assumption that “no incidents means everything is fine” is a dangerous fallacy. High-performing safety cultures recognize that a lack of negative reports might mean workers feel unsafe to speak up, potential risks are going unnoticed, or complacency has set in.
To counter this, leaders must adopt the principle that no news is bad news. This means actively seeking out risks, encouraging employees to report concerns, and fostering a culture where questioning and challenging the status quo is the norm. The best leaders are those who are never fully satisfied with their current state of safety.
Learning from Incidents: Even When They Happen Elsewhere
A hallmark of a safety-driven organization is its ability to learn from incidents that happened elsewhere, not just within its own operations. Whether it is a process safety failure in a refinery across the globe, an aviation accident in another industry, or a case of organizational blind spots leading to catastrophic failure, chronic unease ensures that these lessons are internalized and applied proactively.
Rather than thinking, “That could never happen here,” organizations should ask:
- What systemic failures allowed that incident to occur?
- Do similar conditions exist in our operations?
- How can we take proactive steps to prevent a similar event?
By doing so, organizations expand their field of vision beyond their immediate environment and create a dynamic, learning-oriented safety culture.
The Unease Mindset: A Catalyst for Operational Excellence
Beyond safety, chronic unease plays a critical role in overall operational excellence. Companies that cultivate this mindset are more agile, resilient, and innovative because they are constantly scanning for risks and opportunities. Leaders who embrace unease as a core principle drive an organizational culture where:
- Proactive problem-solving is the norm
- Employees are empowered to voice concerns without fear
- Operational blind spots are continually reassessed
- Safety is integrated into every decision-making process
Organizations that have embedded chronic unease into their leadership philosophy have reaped significant benefits, including fewer incidents, improved productivity, better employee engagement, and enhanced operational resilience.
Final Thoughts: Embracing Chronic Unease as a Strength
Chronic unease is not a burden but a strategic advantage. It transforms safety from a reactive checklist exercise into a proactive, ingrained culture of continuous improvement and high reliability. Organizations that embed this mindset into their DNA avoid the pitfalls of complacency and ensure that their safety and operational performance remains world-class.
In the end, the choice is clear—embrace chronic unease, or risk being blindsided by the very hazards you failed to see.
4th Feb 2025
1145am
Health, Environment, Safety, Sustainability (HESS) 