What my goal to overcome aquaphobia taught me about systems approach and the power of relationships

A few years ago, at age 34, I decided to confront my long-standing fear of deep water and learn how to swim. Growing up in Ghana, West Africa, surrounded by beautiful oceans, I developed a deep-seated fear for water which was largely shaped by deep cultural assumptions (a conversation about culture and the effect of deep assumptions for another day).?

My goal was clear: to face this fear head on and learn how to swim. To achieve that, I had to shift my focus away from the goal itself and completely immerse myself in the systems I developed to get me there. These systems included hiring a coach, building a consistent practice schedule, following a consistent swimming plan, working on physical conditioning, seeking feedback, and most importantly, committing to the entire process.

After two years of consistently committing to these systems and learning from daily failures, on February 11th, 2021, I gained enough confidence to jump off a diving board for the first time in my life into the deep end of a 12-foot pool. I had finally did the unthinkable and surprisingly the rewarding feeling was not tied to the goal, it was who I became through the process (systems). In that moment, I realized forgetting my goal and focusing entirely on the systems was the fundamental reason for achieving the impossible. The goal was my vision, my desire, my north star, but the systems was the path I walked, without which the goal would just be a figure of my imagination.

James Clear, in his bestseller Atomic Habits (a must read), talks extensively about the power of systems over goals. Goals are good for setting direction, but true transformation comes from the systems that support those goals.?Goals provide direction and pushes us forward in the short-term, but eventually a well-established system will always win. Having a system is what matters according to his research.

I also discovered something very crucial on this journey, developing a relationship with my coach and with the water was the foundation upon which the other systems could thrive.?This relationship created a psychological safe space for me to trust in the systems. It afforded me the safe space to vulnerably interact with the systems daily.

The same principle applies as we pursue our organizational safety goals. Focusing solely on the safety goals, no matter what they are will not get us there. According to James, focusing solely on the goal would be like a sports team wanting the win a game and spending the whole game staring at the scoreboard rather than focusing on the plays and team culture.??

Prioritizing systems such as robust risk assessments, pre-job safety discussions, event learning procedures, building margins, near-miss reporting/learning, psychological safety, management visibility, and employee engagement programs is crucial for organizational success. By consistently and intentionally implementing these systems, achieving goals becomes a more natural byproduct. The advantage of focusing on systems is that even if specific targets aren't met, the organization benefits from the valuable lessons learned throughout the process.

Goals are essential for establishing direction, but once the path is clear, the focus should shift towards implementing and maintaining robust systems. Systems are instrumental in driving progress, but it's equally important to remember that trust-based relationships are the cornerstone of any successful human-centered system.

In summary, my journey in overcoming aquaphobia and learning how to swim taught me two important lessons that are deeply relevant to workplace safety:

1. Instead of?fixating?on achieving a specific goal or target, focusing on building strong organizational systems is essential for creating a meaningful journey. For instance, if an organization's safety goal is to reduce incidents, prioritizing a systems such as management visibility, assurances (audits) from the perspective of understanding how work is actually done, fostering trust, event learning reviews (investigation) based on open dialogue rather than blame, and building margins/capacity are more effective pathways. Even if the goal isn't met, these system-oriented approach provides valuable insights into the organization and its people.?
2. Relationships are what gives us the capacity to trust in our systems. They are the foundation on which all other systems thrive. In my case, without the trusting relationship with my coach and the water, the rest of my systems may have failed. In the workplace, trust is what drives an effective system, but that trust can only be developed through strong relationships. ?

So, as we move forward on our journey toward a safer workplace, what systems are you focusing on to achieve this??

Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.??

Reference

https://jamesclear.com/goals-systems