A Framework for Learning from Adaptive Performance

There is often a difference between the way work is expected to be carried out (work as imagined) and the way it is actually carried out (work as done) in order to cope with complexity in high-risk work (for example, Hoffman and Woods, 2011; Hollnagel, 2012; Loukopoulos, Dismukes and Barshi, 2009). Events and demands do not always fit the preconceived plans and textbook examples, leaving nurses, air traffic controllers, fire chiefs and control room operators to ‘fill in the gaps’. Examining practitioners’ work shows a story of people coping with complexities by continuously adapting their performance, often dealing successfully with disturbances and unexpected events. Such stories can provide important information for organisations to identify system resilience and brittleness.