User:Annainacan

Interactive Planning

“Interactive planning“ is the major process used in systems thinking, a field in systems science, an interdisciplinary field of science. These concepts have been widely disseminated by system scientists  including Russell L. Ackoff. Ackoff believed that it is necessary to prepare for the “now” and not some future state. (1) (page 55 of his book). A prism (optical) breaks light up into its different spectrum of colors. We can use the analogy of a prism to demonstrate how interactive planning can be used to design and implement a management system to ensure that a corporation’s management of  occupational safety and health meets their present and future needs and is seen as a vital part of a  corporation’s on-going success.



As the diagram shows interactive planning has six major steps. (Each steps needs an explaination.. when this is done we can move it to the interactive planning wiki page. It also needs H&S examples at each step)
 * Formulating the Mess
 * Ends Planning
 * Means Planning
 * Resource Planning
 * Implementation
 * Control

The future health of occupational safety and health programs are dependent upon actions/decisions made now and how current program management and corporate leadership manage and plan through assorted Prism situations to ensure that one side contains a direct, clear focused safety and health message. There are numerous ways to refract program effectivenss and direction. Safety and occupational health ideas, organization change is not always a straight forward clear cut view, as viewing an image thru clear glass or a direct mirror reflection. Effective and compliant programs operate at all levels when including all facets or sides of the prism to clarify corporate direction and goals.

The future of safety and occupational health programs now require a Prism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prism_(optics)  which is main-framed as part of that company’s corporate culture. That Prism requires to be positioned centrally within the company’s hierarchy structure and part of all company planning. This prism needs to be clean, polished and held in a prominent company position to properly administer, advise senior management, lead corporate policy and manage corporate programs. As with the best rock, our Prism provides the brightest color and prettiest refractions of lights, clarity of program direction and strong leadership, and creates envy amongst other Fortune 500 companies. Our Prism now contains a EHS team of professionals that provide an accepted and utilized program as a result of their education, graduate degree work, professional certifications, a “paying it forward” concept, ownership of their site programs, memberships within professional organizations, and career initiation for promotion. The Prism now needs polishing, cleaning, positioning as the programs require resources and personnel to ascertain a strong life and have constant effectiveness. [can expand upon interactive planning methods for resource and personnel] Future health of safety and occupational health programs are dependent upon now and how current program management and corporate executives together manage and plan through assorted Prism situations to ensure that one side contains a direct, clear, focused ESH message. There are numerous ways to prism program effectiveness and direction. Safety and occupational ideas, culture effectiveness is not always a straight forward clear cut view, as viewing an image thru clear glass or a direct mirror reflection. Effective/ creative/ compliant programs operate/ function/ run effectively/ more compliant and increase corporate cooperation at all levels as it is viewed/seen/has been demonstrated/ interrelated via a prism. [can expand upon interactive management to provide clear, concise commitments to programs] For example, regulatory guidance from lawmakers can be delivered as single ray of light into the Prism as a “thou shall” direction with clear cut regulatory mandates/components of a particular EHS program’s requirements. As that single ray is received within the Prism (those companies who must abide by the law) numerous color rays of interpretation come out the other two sides – depending upon the refraction of light. Numerous interpretations are represented as transverse rays of different band widths, color intensities, and lengths – of how this regulation applies to me. Mandates of material safety data sheets are well known, and each manufacturer take that single requirement of preparing the sheet and EHS professional often see “rays” of variety in styles. In addition, that same single ray can be refracted or reflected by the receptors in numerous ways within a company by the employees, the EHS Staff, the executives, corporate legal, on how best to understand and enforce the regulatory requirement within their own elements. [can expand upon how interactive management would help a company with clear rules regarding interpretations of regulatory requirements]

As a refinery or chemical manufacturer have an explosion or major incident, safety and occupational health professionals return to their own corporate prisms, turning the current position to better see and explore internally their needs to restructure similar industrial operations. Returning now to various prisms of interpretations and experiences; re-evaluating their own compliance and regulatory guidance – while knowing that one single way of performing a task may not be the future, a retrofit of the Prism positioning will provide new colors, new rays, and new emphasis on a method that was previously neglected. “Prisming” the investigation, learning from mistakes, sharing of lessons learned now will only help the entire working community of the future/ will enhance the future. [need segway paragraph] There are times that corporate safety and occupational health managers need to remove the prism and provide clear concise direction to senior management. Multiple “rainbow” rays may exist concerning environmental remediation requirements/activities when dealing with federal or state regulatory entities. The Prism regarding company actions/direction cannot be skewed now – that would be disastrous for the future. Corporate safety and occupational health program that operates as a Prism now, often having 3 sides in which to interpret/enforce/educate the company population on compliance now are prepared for the future. Single minded thoughts/methods (rays) concerning permit requirements for air emissions or water discharge may leave a company liable beyond their financial means. Gathering the Prism players at the table and agreeing to policies and direction will ensure that all light is channel properly and in accordance with regulatory statues. Corporate safety and occupational health programs create framework policies or matrices which are umbrella’ed over entire company activities; they are developed now for future compliance. However each location or site maybe subject to diapering regulations or oversight and will need to be adjusted to fit appropriately. As the Prism’s intensity into and thru a prism determines the exit rays intensity and clarity/outcomes/bandwidth/ and length of the rays. Depth to where the rays reach – just to the executive table or do the employees take ownership of the ESH programs? Taking safety practices into home environment – Expanding corporate programs now to include family or home safety will ensure the future of the workforce – examples – seat belt education, woodshop safety, lead exposures at home, and wellness programs to include smoking cessation. _Conclusion – As with the best piece of glass providing the brightest and prettiest refraction rays, the best ESH professionals operate as a corporate team, providing/promoting an accepted safety and occupational health program. Sustainability now for future.