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Improve the Quality & Outcomes of Your Investigations: Introduction to Human-Centred Investigations® Masterclass
Have you ever attempted to solve a jigsaw puzzle, investing hours of focus and patience, only to reach the final stretch and discover that crucial pieces are missing?
It’s incredibly frustrating. All that time is spent meticulously locating pieces and putting the puzzle together; however, while it is frustrating, the impact on others is relatively low.
The same can’t be said for incident investigations. Metaphorically, investigations are not dissimilar to working on a jigsaw puzzle; however, unlike in the case of the jigsaw puzzle, if we don’t ‘find’ all the pieces in an investigation, the impact can be significant. It could mean that we don’t identify the true root cause or contributory factor, we don’t implement the right corrective actions to prevent a recurrence, or we take unjust disciplinary action against employees, which in turn impacts morale and diminishes the trust they have for those involved and the organisation as a whole and that is just the start, and that is why it is so important that when we conduct an investigation, we get it right.
How often have you identified (or seen these identified) in an incident investigation as being the root cause or contributory factors:
• They made a mistake
• They made an error in judgement
• They didn’t follow the procedure or process
• They have misjudged the situation
• They didn't have their eyes or mind on the task
• They were rushing
• They were complacent
• They were operating on autopilot
• They put themselves in the line of fire
• They were distracted
Or how often have you asked the question:
• Why did they do what they did?
• Why did they make the decisions they made?
• Why did they ‘put themselves in the line of fire’
• Why were they distracted?
• Why didn’t’ they keep their eyes & minds on the task?
• Why didn’t they follow the procedures? ’
• Why didn’t they do what they learnt in their training. Etc.……
The answer is simple: it is because they have one of these.......
Did you know
The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It controls how we think, learn, remember, move, feel and behave, which is why understanding its intricacies is critical in the investigation process.
90-95% of human behaviour is driven by the unconscious mind
An estimated 90-95% of human behaviour is driven by the unconscious mind, which relies on cognitive shortcuts & rapid judgments based on past experiences, emotions, & social contexts. While efficient, this process can lead to biases & errors, causing misjudgments or oversights in critical situations.
We only 'take in' about 20% of what we 'see'.
Our brains process, on average, 34 gigabytes of information daily; however, due to cognitive limitations, they cannot retain all of it. Instead, the brain filters & prioritises information it deems most relevant or emotionally significant & this is different for everyone as we are all hardwired differently. This selective and reconstructive memory process is crucial for learning & interacting with our environment, emphasising efficiency over capacity however can have a significant impact in workplace incidents.
No two brains are the same
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We are all hardwired differently.
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We all see/interpret things differently;
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We all take in, process & recall information differently
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We all respond/react differently
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Our perception of risk is different
We all have Biases
Over 180 cognitive biases can impact our perceptions, decisions, interactions, and data processing. They can also impact the data we gather in our investigations, potentially leading us to make incorrect assumptions about what has actually happened.
Our brain's natural default state is threat (fear of blame)
Our brains are wired to default to a threat state, often manifesting as a fear of blame during stressful situations like investigations. This natural inclination can significantly influence how people respond, potentially affecting the accuracy of their accounts. As investigators, it's crucial for us to recognise this, build rapport & actively foster an environment psychological safety.
Our brain is made up of approximately 80% water
Just 2% of dehydration affects attention, memory, and cognitive abilities, and 1% can decrease energy levels by up to 10%. Understanding the impact of hydration on brain function is essential for investigators, as it directly influences the sharpness of our observational & analytical skills during critical tasks.
Human-Centred Investigations® adopts a practical yet comprehensive and holistic approach to incident investigations, moving beyond traditional methodologies that often overlook brain function complexities that impact memory, recall, and behaviour, which, in turn, can impact why the incident occurred in the first place and the quality, findings, and outcomes we identify in our investigations.
Human-Centred Investigations® is not another investigation methodology or analysis tool. It can be used alone or integrated into existing investigation processes to enhance the quality and outcomes of your investigations.
Human-Centred Investigations® is based on the latest neuroscience, positive, cognitive, and behavioural psychology research and 30+ years of investigation experience. It teaches investigators about the human brain and human behaviour and how to apply this knowledge to help them understand why an incident occurred in the first place and improve the quality and outcome of an investigation.
Gain insight into Human-Centred Investigations® with our interactive & informative 1-day Introduction to Human-Centred Investigations® Masterclass.
This one-day, interactive, and informative masterclass will give you invaluable insights into the complex interplay between human cognition and investigative processes. Explore the fundamentals of neuroscience, positive psychology, and behavioural psychology to better understand how the human brain influences decisions and behaviours. Through hands-on exercises, you’ll learn to identify and mitigate cognitive biases, build rapport, ensure psychological safety, and assess witness reliability. This masterclass will equip you with the skills to integrate human-centred techniques into your existing methodologies, enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of your investigations.
Morning Session: Understanding the Human Factors
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Introduction to Human-Centred Investigations
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Overview of the philosophy and its contrast with traditional methods.
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Importance of integrating human factors in investigations.
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Basics of Neuroscience and Psychology
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A brief introduction to how the brain works.
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Key concepts from cognitive and behavioural psychology that influence human behaviour.
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Cognitive Biases
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Common biases that affect decision-making and investigation processes.
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Identify your biases and gain strategies to mitigate them in investigative processes.
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Brain Break
Late Morning Session: Practical Application in Investigations
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Building Rapport and Psychological Safety
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Techniques for creating a safe and open environment for interviews.
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Role-playing exercises to practice building rapport & psychological safety to enhance interviewing techniques.
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Assessing Witness Reliability
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Understanding factors that influence witness reliability.
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Techniques for evaluating the accuracy of witness statements.
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Lunch Break
Afternoon Session: Enhancing Investigative Practice.
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Case Studies and Scenario Analysis
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Apply learned concepts to hypothetical or real-world scenarios.
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Group discussion to explore different outcomes based on investigative approaches.
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Brain Break
Closing Session: Implementation and Q&A
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Integrating Human-Centred Techniques with Existing Methodologies
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How to layer human-centred practices over current methodologies.
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Tools and processes for effective integration.
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Developing an Action Plan
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Guidance on implementing human-centred investigation principles in participants’ work environments.
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Creating individualised action plans for moving forward.
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Q&A and Wrap-Up
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Open floor for questions, clarifications, and final thoughts.
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Feedback collection and closing remarks.
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Post-Class Materials and Support
Post masterclass to improve knowledge retention and mitigate the impacts of the forgetting curve. Par icipants will receive a comprehensive resource kit, further reading materials, and 12 months of access to our online learning portal to enable them to review course material whenever they want to, connect with other program participants, ask questions and share learnings.
