How did it make sense?

About How did it make sense?

'How did it make sense?' explores the local rationality of those involved in doing what they did. Each podcast lasts about 45 mins and aims to follow a similar format. Initially, we will look at the 'first story' which is normally scant in details and triggers an emotional response, and then we will look at the 'second story' that looks at the goal conflicts, the ambiguities, the assumptions, the tensions, and the trade-offs that led to those involved doing what they did. This context-rich story is the one that learning opportunities come from, not focusing on the counterfactuals that often arise from 'first stories'. The goal is to encourage you to look deeper at the socio-technical system presented by the guests and how we can make improvements by abstracting from the multiple domains discussed in the podcast to the our own domains.

Publisher

Gareth Lock

Category

business · education · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Nov 2024

Latest episode

23 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Jan 2026

   Ep 28: Nathalie Lasselin - “You were nearly hit by a tug. They didn’t see us.”

   On today’s episode of How did it make sense I am joined by Nathalie Lasselin, a filmmaker, technical diver, explorer, and someone who dives where most people wouldn’t even go looking. Nathalie’s story starts with an ambitious expedition called Urban Water Odyssey, a 44-mile dive along the St. Lawrence River with a large support team. The plan was meticulous, the team trained, and everything seemed under control, until the dive ran late, the river got busy, and night fell. When Nat surfaced, she was struck by a boat, and only then did the team realise a tugboat was approaching. They pushed her out of the way, but the near-miss revealed a gap in the operation: no dedicated lookout, broken communication, and the kind of task overload that makes obvious risks invisible. What makes this episode powerful is not just the incident, but the deeper learning behind it. Nat breaks down how the expedition’s delays created cascading failures, how people’s perception of risk changes under pressure, and how the team culture their focus, trust, and ability to respond saved her life. This conversation is a reminder that you can’t design risk out of real-world operations; you can only build resilience and a team that can fail safely. Find Nathalie here: Website : www.aquanath.com (http://www.aquanath.com) Non profit organisation : www.aquasubterra.org (http://www.aquasubterra.org) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NathLasselinofficialpage/ (https://www.facebook.com/NathLasselinofficialpage/) Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nathalie-lasselin-72419721/en (https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nathalie-lasselin-72419721/en) Instagram: @aquanathstudios Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/aquanath (https://vimeo.com/aquanath) Chapters 0:00 Start of the story: Urban Water Odyssey 1:20 The dive runs late and conditions worsen 2:40 Nat surfaces and is hit by a boat 4:00 The tugboat appears: “They didn’t see us” 5:20 What went wrong: no lookout & communication failure 7:00 The role of team culture in the rescue 8:40 The bigger lesson: resilience and failing safely 10:00 Recommended reads and mindset resources Connect with Gareth: Human in the System (https://www.humaninthesystem.co.uk/) Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential. Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

2. 

   16 Jan 2026

   Ep 27. Steve Smith - “How could you have tied the wrong anchor knot?”

   Today on How Did It Make Sense? I’m joined by Steve Smith, a kindred spirit and expert in outdoor education and safety. Steve has spent decades in the outdoor education and safety world, worked across wilderness programs, Outward Bound, and the Student Conservation Association, helping people navigate the tricky balance between risk and learning. He’s also the author of Safety Science for Outdoor and Experiential Education, where he unpacks how we can learn from near misses, mistakes, and everyday operational decisions. In this episode, Steve shares a story that had me holding my breath: an experienced climbing instructor almost leaned back over a 100-foot cliff on a slipknot instead of a proper anchor. The near-miss was caught just in time, but, the story is far more than about one careless moment. We unpack what created the situation, how organisational decisions, over-engineered safety measures, and human nature all collide in high-stakes environments. Resources mentioned / Connect with Steve Book on Kindle (https://gmlnk.com/api/v1/track/link/click/691cc36cede40620b37088fa/1767654833851/?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSafety-Science-Outdoor-Experiential-Education-ebook%2Fdp%2FB0G99BD12G%2Fref%3Dtmm_kin_swatch_0%3F_encoding%3DUTF8%26dib_tag%3Dse%26dib%3DeyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ptQiBM0de3ek36ONagCovNY21Qbvq2az29OsWtprdFVem7a_9acY-XYh-7Rdcj_tDzGlRQ-x5eoN-TyqI9aH1AlMWGb3GtJaB1McFEG7hB6XX_n9fmNbuuOj8uYD_XZ0i2g0Nj9lURfsSDS2NfINOTlohaSXov5hnLTRl6D-M_cQRDOrVBnkanbyV0duXaDEBs3asGwnkfqcM7k_av3V4v2eZopodMVeYg0dpHunGEg.ulEvLPnpt6RWbpt2aiNq14nrpcROKndszea4FBDh_cI%26qid%3D1767654747%26sr%3D8-1) Online classes (https://gmlnk.com/api/v1/track/link/click/691cc36cede40620b37088fa/1767654884660/?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.outdoorrisk.com%2Fsafety-science) associated with the chapters of the book LinkedIN (https://gmlnk.com/api/v1/track/link/click/691cc36cede40620b37088fa/1767654987877/?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fexperiential%2F) and website (https://gmlnk.com/api/v1/track/link/click/691cc36cede40620b37088fa/1767654956989/?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.outdoorrisk.com%2F) Connect with Gareth: Human in the System (https://www.humaninthesystem.co.uk/) Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential. Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?" Contact us here (https://www.humaninthesystem.co.uk/contact)

3. 

   18 Jul 2025

   Ep 26. Sabine Fürst - "She's just a midwife"

   In this episode, I’m joined by Sabine, a former midwife and flight attendant turned consultant, as we explore the hidden human factors at play in healthcare, specifically in the labour ward. Sabine’s research shines a light on the power dynamics between midwives and obstetricians, how professional identity shapes behaviour, and why normality and safety are not the same thing. We discuss how discourse, accountability and silos influence teamwork, often leaving women disempowered despite the best intentions of professionals. Whether you work in healthcare, safety or corporate teams, there is so much to take from this conversation about human factors and how culture is co-created. Sabine shares the personal story behind the phrase ‘she’s just a midwife’, how it ignited her research, and why language like this matters. We also talk about the creative ways professionals navigate control and power, why team education still comes too late, and how cross-disciplinary conversations can help break silos. Connect with Sabine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabine-f%C3%BCrst-1487891a8/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabine-f%C3%BCrst-1487891a8/) Resources Mentioned The Lancet Editorial on Empowering Women During Childbirth Read it here (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/vol406no10498/PIIS0140-6736(25)X0027-1#closeFullCover) WHO: Labour Care Guide – The Next Generation Partograph Read the publication (https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/380666/9789240080591-eng.pdf?sequence=1) Connect with Gareth: Human in the System (https://www.humaninthesystem.co.uk/) Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential. Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?" Contact us here (https://www.humaninthesystem.co.uk/contact)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

10,037

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 69 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

78

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

76

Contact How did it make sense?

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.