HRG's SORTS Course
Improving your organization and operations through root cause analysis
Watch PromoFind it. Own it. Fix it.
Learn the secrets of Nuclear Submarine Leaders to make your operations the best they can be.
All organizations, including High Reliability Organizations(HRO), will have things go wrong. HRO leaders recognize that identifying the root causes of problems (no matter how small) is key to continuously improving the organization. In fact, we believe that what makes an HRO so successful at avoiding major catastrophic incidents is that HRO Leaders don't ignore small problems. In fact, they pursue minor problems rigorously by conducting root cause analysis. But, we also recognize that many operational leaders are not skilled or knowledgeable about conducting root cause analysis. Most operational leaders also think root cause analysis takes too much time or should be done by a " root cause expert" and not by operational teams. We disagree.
Our simple HRO Operational Root Cause Analysis process is what is says: simple. But, it is very effective for most problems that operators deal with every day. It's the method used for 99% of all incidents on nuclear submarines. Only when there is a loss of life or significant (greater than multiple millions of dollars) damages would we employ an even more rigorous or complicated root cause analysis.
Our HRO-RCA method can be used by small unit teams and organizations to rapidly identify problems, root causes, and corrective actions. We have seen it used by our clients who quickly recognize the value of identifying root causes without getting bogged down by lengthy, drawn out, overly complex root cause methods.
In this course you will learn how to conduct a root cause analysis and how to implement a simple root cause program in your organization to achieve improve results with a good return on the investment of your time. No special software is required. We provide templates that will help you organize the process.
Your Instructor
Bob served for over 20 years in the U.S. Submarine Force and retired from active duty in 2011 after commanding USS KEY WEST (SSN 722), a nuclear submarine based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During Bob’s career in the Navy he served on five different fast attack submarines and deployed overseas conducting missions critical to national security. Bob served as both a junior and senior member of the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board which is responsible for evaluating the safe operations of all Nuclear Aircraft Carriers and Submarines. Since leaving active duty, Bob has been a consultant to large and small businesses primarily in the Energy Industry.
Bob founded High Reliability Group LLC in 2016 to help clients achieve operational excellence and high reliability operations. High Reliability Group focuses on the four critical elements of all High Reliability Organizations: Leadership, Culture, Management Systems and Organizational Feedback.
Bob holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering as well as an MBA in Organizational Behavior and a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
Bob frequently speaks and writes on Operational Excellence and High Reliability Organizations based on the leadership and culture of the U.S. Nuclear Navy. He is co-author of Extreme Operational Excellence: Applying the US Nuclear Submarine Culture to your Organization. Bob can be reached at [email protected].