Risk Management

I originally wrote this on another blog about 4 years ago:

I continually train myself. I find opportunities to learn new stuff as I am able, even when it's not directly applicable to my current job.

In aid of this, I've been reading this website:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/

I'm going to quote a bit and paraphrase a bit:

Hazard is the seriousness of a risk from a technical perspective. Outrage is the seriousness of a risk in non-technical terms (in terms of how people respond to the risk).

Experts view risk in terms of hazard. Unprepared people view it in terms of outrage. This latter doesn't produce a single positive result, and until you can get beyond that stage, you will be subject to greater (objective) harm when something unexpected or undesirable happens.

Get over your outrage at the unfairness of the universe. It doesn't pay to anthropomorphize and rail against injustice (including conspiracy theories). But fortune does favour the prepared mind. Taking responsibility for your own reaction to external events, especially before they happen, makes you stronger.

Training Philosophy

I joined a professional association last year that is relatively small and obscure, but I believe in their tenets:

1. I am committed to the safety of my students, and hold that the expected benefit of any training activity must significantly outweigh any known or perceived risk of that activity.

2. I believe that it is my responsibility to understand not just what I’m teaching, but WHY I’m teaching any technique or concept, or offering specific advice.

3. I recognize that defensive shooting skills, along with the drills and gear used, are inherently specialized and usually distinct from those of target shooting, competition and hunting endeavors.

4. I will encourage my students to ask questions about course material, and I will answer them with thorough and objective explanations.

5. I understand that Integrity and Professionalism are subjective traits and I strive to maintain high levels of both. I am capable of, and willing to, articulate the reasons for the way I conduct my courses and how I interact with students & peers.

6. I believe that it is valuable to engage my peers in constructive conversation about differences in technique and concept, with the goal of mutual education and evolution.

7. I believe that the best instructor is an avid student, and I will strive to continually upgrade my own skills and knowledge. As part of this belief, I understand that my own teachings need to be subject to critique and open to evolution.

This is a good place to start. Numbers 1, 2, and 4 are especially important.