Learning Curve, Maintenance Volume, and Expert Team Performance in a Complex Sociotechnical Environment

This lecture will provide insight into the challenges a team faces learning new skills, climbing a learning curve and maintaining "expert" performance. When each subgroup of a "team" is faced with achieving their own technical improvement, alongside and in concert with others who also are mastering new techniques; it is essential to create the appropriate professional social environment. This environment must create time and space for all those involved to align themselves with a common goal and to share in decision making. Initially, there must be frequent opportunities for team learning and team performance analysis in a risk free, no blame manner. Ultimately, skills maintenance requires repetition both of the technical and the social skills that allowed the team to achieve the desired performance/outcome. That is, the habits the team develop must be inculcated into daily/weekly routine and practiced frequently.