Misconceptions and Debunking RJC Myths...

Misconceptions and debunking RJC myths...

At the heart of Professor Sidney Dekker’s work is the idea that people are not the problem to control; they are the solution to harness. He cautions against individuals and organisations claiming they are applying just cultures in their workplace, while still judging people against unrealistic, idealised behaviours or standards, as that has the opposite effect and can then be seen as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, turning it into a more sophisticated way of blaming rather than learning.

Some of the common misconceptions or myths about Restorative Just Culture are:

- Just Culture means no accountability (so the soft option) – accountability still exists, but in a forward-looking, focused way, focusing on the learning and improvement rather than the punishment. Account is something everyone is obliged to give, to tell what has occurred, to ask questions, and to express feelings. Harm is still addressed, but fairly and proportionately.

- Just Culture means no blame – a Just Culture is not a culture tolerant of anything goes. It involves clarity about rules, safety, and shared accountability of what is responsible, not who.

- Just Culture means fairness to staff only, so safety will suffer – one fear is that being compassionate and understanding will lower standards. Dekker argues that fear and blame reduce safety because people stop reporting, hide mistakes, and avoid speaking up, so unsafe practices are hidden or continue unchallenged. Restorative Just Cultures learn and prevent similar re occurrences by asking people why it made sense for them to do what they did.

- Just Culture only works for minor issues – Restorative Just Culture can be used for all types of incidents and events, as it focuses on what the people and organisation impacted by the incident need.

Just Culture allows bad apples to blame their problems on others or the organisation – Dekker emphasises that there are not bad apples, but bad choices in imperfect systems, and that human error is often a symptom, not a cause. Restorative Just Culture approaches also help individuals understand the impact of their behaviour on others and take responsibility for addressing the harm. It also helps them understand wider systemic practices that have contributed to the outcome and what can be learnt to prevent similar things from re-occurring.

Join Dan and Amanda on Friday at 8am at SPVS Congress for their session on Restorative Just Culture, and the launch of the FREE Restorative Just Culture Guide for Veterinary Teams!