2026 Community of Human and Organizational Learning 32nd Annual Conference

Part 1 of 2

Many Lean process improvements deliver short-term gains but struggle to sustain in dynamic, high-variability environments like utility operations. This session explains why improvement efforts often drift back to old habits. Why integrating HOP/HPI principles makes process improvement durable, people centric, and resilient under real life conditions. We’ll share how combining Lean methods with Human and Organizational Performance shifts improvement from “tools and events” to learning built into daily work, where crews and leaders solve problems together. Attendees will leave with insights on improvement, people, and systems so results are sustainable when attention or focus is gone.

Part 2

Most of us think we have a pretty good idea of where our teams are on the HOP journey. Then we step into the field and see how work gets done, and we realize our assumptions don’t always match reality. When that gap exists, training can turn into information being delivered instead of learning that helps people doing the work.

This session shares an approach that focuses on observing normal work and listening to the people doing it every day. By spending time with crews and lone workers, leaders begin to see the real decisions, pressures, risks, and local normalized behaviors that shape performance. These observations then become the starting point for conversations that help everyone better understand how HOP tools can support the work instead of feeling like something extra.

Facilitators are given guidance to help keep discussions focused on curiosity and learning, especially when conversations drift toward blame or frustration. One of the most powerful parts of this approach is when leaders share their own experiences where a HOP tool could have helped them get a better outcome. That vulnerability helps others open up, often realizing they’ve faced similar situations, which builds connection and makes learning feel safe and relevant.

Participants will leave with ideas they can use to design assessments and training. Including identification, support, and tools to support confidence, strengthen questioning attitudes, and create shared understanding between leaders and frontline workers. The goal is learning the reality of the field and helps HOP work where it matters most.