SOPs & Operational Excellence
Good procedures are not paperwork. They are the agreed way an organisation keeps its promises, written so that the people doing the work can use them.
2 articles · Read the overview →INSIGHTS / FROM THE FLIGHT DECK
Insights from the flight deck to the business.
Practical thinking from Mark Barclay on procedures, teamwork and decisions under pressure — for leaders who want their organisation to stay ahead, whatever its size.
Every article starts from the same idea: a company's own Business DNA, mission and vision set the direction, and SOPs, teamwork and crisis decision-making keep everyone moving towards it. Aviation provides the analogies; your organisation provides the mission. Safety, legal and ethical obligations always come first.
Three pillars
Teamwork & Aviation CRM
A captain doesn't need everyone to think alike. A captain needs everyone working towards the same mission — and willing to say so when something doesn't look right.
2 articles · Read the overview →Crisis Management & D.O.D.A.R.
Most organisations will face a serious disruption at some point. The question is whether their people have a shared way to respond when it happens.
2 articles · Read the overview →Articles
Showing 6 of 6 articles
Why SOPs fail — and what makes people actually use them
The four common reasons standard operating procedures fail in practice: too long, detached from real work, unowned and never reinforced — and what leaders can do about each.
5 min read · DraftWhat happens when critical knowledge lives in people's heads
Key-person risk, slow onboarding, fragile handovers and painful departures: the hidden cost of undocumented know-how, and how organisations can capture it without bureaucracy.
5 min read · DraftWhat crew resource management teaches a business team
Shared awareness, clear roles, closed-loop communication, cross-checking and constructive challenge: how aviation CRM translates into everyday business teamwork.
5 min read · DraftStaying ahead through handovers and preparation
Why teams that prepare for what comes next outperform teams that only react, illustrated by a real moment from Mark Barclay's flying and a hypothetical business handover.
5 min read · DraftWhen the checklist ends: making sound decisions with D.O.D.A.R.
How the five-stage D.O.D.A.R. framework — Diagnose, Options, Decide, Act & Assign, Review — helps a business team make structured decisions when no approved procedure applies.
5 min read · DraftAbnormal versus emergency procedures in a company
Why organisations should distinguish abnormal situations from emergencies, with clear triggers, named owners and escalation points — and avoid treating every exception as a crisis.
5 min read · DraftSTART A CONVERSATION
Wondering how these ideas apply to your own organisation? A short discovery call is the easiest place to start.