Human Factors Leadership - Week 3/3 From Findings to Fixes: How to Design Audits People Welcome
Because a safer system depends on what we do after the audit.
Audits make executives nervous. They make front-line staff nervous. And when we’re being honest, even audit teams sometimes get nervous.
Not because audits are inherently negative, but because for many organizations, the audit process feels like a performance review: a spotlight turned on people instead of processes.
That’s the opposite of what a healthy, human-centred safety culture should feel like.
This final week of our Human Factors Leadership series focuses squarely on reframing that narrative. We’re closing out by exploring how audits can become powerful learning events and opportunities staff welcome because they trust that findings will be treated as fuel for improvement, not ammunition for blame.
Because when people trust what happens after an audit, they stop hiding gaps and start surfacing them.
And that is where true safety leadership begins.
1. Why Findings Matter to Executives (and Why They Should Want More of Them)
It’s tempting to treat findings as problems - something that threatens compliance or suggests underperformance.
But findings are also data, and data is powerful.
For executives, audit findings offer four strategic benefits:
1. They reveal blind spots that daily routines hide.
Executives rarely see frontline workflows up close. Audits uncover the reality, not the assumption.
2. They validate whether the Safety Management Plan exists in practice.
A process on paper is not the same as a process in use. Findings tell the truth.
3. They direct resources where they matter most.
Risk-based resourcing is impossible without evidence. Findings prioritize what you should fund, fix, or elevate.
4. They improve the organization’s resilience.
A system with no findings isn’t perfect - it’s silent. A system full of findings that become fixes is continuously improving.
Executives should want findings.
Not because they signal failure, but because they signal opportunity.
2. How to Make Audits Feel Like Learning Events, Not Evaluations
When teams fear an audit, they hide things. When they trust the process, they reveal things.
Here’s what psychologically safe audit environments look like:
1. The purpose is clearly communicated.
Staff are told:
“This is not about catching mistakes. It’s about strengthening our system.”
2. Findings are discussed with empathy, curiosity, and respect.
Audit teams ask why, not who.
They observe behaviours as system outcomes, not individual failings.
3. Leaders praise transparency.
If someone openly points out a gap, the response should be:
“Thank you. That’s how we get better.”
4. Follow-up is predictable and fair.
People trust audits when they know that whatever happens next will be:
reasonable
doable
proportional
focused on improvement
Trust is built - or eroded - by what happens after findings are identified.
3. From Findings to Fixes: How to Build Corrective Actions That Actually Work
A finding without a fix is a liability.
A finding with a weak fix is a future recurrence.
A finding with a strong, verified fix is organizational maturity.
The sequence that executives should expect (and insist on) looks like this:
1. Root Cause Analysis
Ask: What is really driving this non-compliance?
Training gap?
Resource limitation?
Ambiguous process?
Human factors issue?
Conflicting priorities?
2. Realistic Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
A CAP should be:
achievable
assigned
resourced
time-bound
measurable
No more “we will retrain staff” as the default answer.
Executives must require clarity.
3. Implementation
This is where many organizations struggle.
Executives should ask:
Has the CAP owner been given authority?
Have they been given time?
Have they been given tools?
4. Verification and Close-Out
Verification ensures the corrective action didn’t just exist - but that it worked.
Audit teams or QA staff should review:
behaviours
documentation
records
performance indicators
observations in the operational environment
If the system still behaves the same, the fix didn’t fix it.
5. Feedback to the Organization
CAPs succeed when people see results.
Executives should promote wins:
“Because we fixed X, we reduced Y risk. Here’s what that means for all of us.”
4. How Executives Can Check Whether Findings Are Viewed as Beneficial (or Punitive)
Executives shape the audit environment more than anyone.
Here are signs that audit findings are seen positively:
Staff report issues without prompting.
Managers ask for audits instead of avoiding them.
Corrective actions are seen as tools, not punishments.
There’s no panic when auditors arrive.
Findings surface consistently, not only during formal audits.
And here are red flags:
Findings decrease dramatically without a clear reason.
Staff appear fearful or defensive when questioned.
Corrective actions are left to the last minute.
Audit teams sense a reluctance to talk openly.
“We’ve always done it this way” becomes common vocabulary.
Executives can uncover the truth by asking their teams directly:
“Do you feel safe identifying gaps?”
“What barriers prevent you from reporting issues?”
“Do you trust the way corrective actions are handled?”
“What would make audits more helpful to you?”
The answers will tell you everything about your culture.
5. Executive Checklist: Are You Building Audits People Welcome?
Review this list quarterly. Even better, discuss it with your leadership team.
Audit Governance & Oversight
☐ Do we have a clear, documented 3-year internal audit cycle?
☐ Are internal auditors properly trained, competent, and independent?
☐ Are third-party audits used periodically to provide fresh eyes?
☐ Do we review the results of internal and third-party audits at the executive table?
☐ Are audit results tied to our risk profile and resourcing decisions?
Culture & Communication
☐ Have we clearly communicated that findings are opportunities, not punishments?
☐ Do staff feel psychologically safe during audits?
☐ Have we reinforced that lessons learned matter more than who made the mistake?
☐ Do we celebrate the identification of gaps?
Corrective Action Management
☐ Do all findings receive a properly defined Corrective Action Plan?
☐ Are CAPs realistic, resourced, and assigned?
☐ Is the implementation monitored and supported?
☐ Are corrective actions verified before being closed?
☐ Do we communicate improvements back to staff?
Leadership Engagement
☐ Are we asking managers about how their teams perceive audits?
☐ Are we checking whether findings are being used to drive positive change?
☐ Are we following up on older findings to ensure improvements are sustained?
The organizations that complete this checklist consistently are the ones where audits are welcomed - not feared.
6. Bringing the Three-Week Series Together
Over the past three weeks, we’ve explored Human Factors Leadership through three critical lenses:
Week 1 - Communication Under Pressure
We looked at closing the loop like a pro: concise, corrective communication that improves behaviour, not just documentation.
Week 2 - Normalization of Deviance
We examined how small shortcuts become accepted practice when no one is watching - and how executives must insist on clear ownership, interfaces, and data.
Week 3 - Findings to Fixes
This week, we pull it all together:
audits expose drift,
communication shapes how findings are received,
and corrective actions reinforce safe behaviours.
Together, these three elements form the backbone of executive-level Human Factors leadership.
Executives who master these create safer airports, stronger teams, and more trustworthy systems.
7. Last Chance to Register: Internal Auditor Course (December 1–2, Online)
If you want your team to confidently conduct audits that people welcome - not dread - this is the course.
Our Internal Auditor Course (aligned with TC Advisory Circular QUA-001 and Canadian Aviation Regulation expectations) covers:
roles and responsibilities
sampling and interview techniques
writing findings
CAP development
verification and close-out
audit etiquette
how to conduct audits that build culture instead of undermining it
This is the final week to register team members before AMCO sends us the list of participants.
If your organization has findings on the books, audits coming up, or a desire to build a healthier safety culture - send someone. It will pay dividends.