Communication Breakdowns That Lead to Disaster
Introduction: The Memo Nobody Read We’ve all experienced it: the important company memo about a new process, posted to a shared drive or tacked to a bulletin board, that goes completely ignored. The result is usually minor confusion or an annoying, preventable mistake. But what happens when that missed memo involves the O-ring seals on a jet engine? In high-stakes environments like aviation maintenance, the consequences of failed communication are catastrophic. The principles that prevent disasters in an aircraft hangar are the same ones that can make or break any team. Drawn from aviation safety reports, these are the critical, life-saving lessons on how communication truly works—and what happens when it doesn't. 1. The Illusion of Communication: Why Posting a Memo Isn't Enough The first critical failure is assuming that making information available is the same as communicating it. True communication only happens when a message is received and understood, and simply posting a...