My First Podcast: Automation Overload

Interview with Patrick Mendenhall: Automation & Technology Management I recently sat down with TrainingPort Lead Technical Advisor, Brent Fishlock, to discuss a number of Crew Resource Management issues.  Chief among them was a very timely topic of Automation Overload.  Automation and technology have certainly made our lives better, but they have not come without a […]

Threat Management: “Expected” Threats

“Thinking” as an Antidote to Complacency… Threat and Error Management is the cornerstone of Crew Resource Management.  So much so that it is the only training element that the new Transport Canada Contemporary CRM guide (Transport Canada AC 700-042) will require it to be presented annually as opposed to the other training elements which are […]

It is Always Better to Manage the Threat than to have to React to It!

On October 12th of last year, we were dispatched on a flight from Atlanta to Portland.  The remnants from Hurricane Matthew had finally cleared in the Southeast at least, but the forecast for our 7:00 PM arrival in Portland was pretty much at Category I minimums.  With a couple of decent alternates available and some […]

How a Retailer has Adapted HRO Principles with Great Results

My wife and I recently downsized to a brand spanking new condo.  Along with fresh paint and a few other personal touches, purchasing new window treatments was high on our list of move-in priorities.  After diligent consumer research (and yes, influenced by a fairly intense advertising campaign), we chose Blinds.com to deal with that task.  […]

“…just two guys in a box” – Really?

by Suzanne Gordon & Patrick Mendenhall As we have gone around the country discussing our book Beyond the Checklist: What Else Health Care Can Learn from Aviation Teamwork and Safety, we have been struck by the number of people who insist that healthcare has little to learn from aviation because the two enterprises are entirely […]

Hey Chief… People are Talking – Are You Listening?

One of the most successful aspects of the aviation safety model is that we, as a culture, have learned how to learn from our mistakes.  I was recently invited to speak to a couple of healthcare / patient safety audiences where I was warned by one of my hosts that when it came to learning […]

Meet Risk Management Consultant Patrick Mendenhall

Recent Interview with Blogger Marguerite Giguere What is your background in aviation? I started flying when I was 16 and got my private license at 19. I majored in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Washington, worked for Boeing in flight testing then went into the navy to fly fighters. I was active duty for […]