The Illusion of Attention: Are There Gorillas in Your Plant?

The ability to recognize hazardous conditions is essential to managing risk. However, research in the cognitive sciences has shown that our ability to observe our surroundings is limited by attentional resources. The failure to notice an unexpected stimulus in your field of vision while performing other attention-demanding tasks is a cognitive phenomenon known as inattentional blindness. This article presents a proactive model for organizational management of change (OMOC) based on seeking an optimal level of awareness. Recognizing that awareness is largely a function of training, knowledge, competency, and culture, the model has been designed  to balance experiential knowledge against the detrimental effects of emergent inattentional blindness. The implications of this work are significant relative to making improvements toward conduct of operations and operational discipline.