Managing Real Risk: A Recent Caving Trip

19 December, 2008

It's not every day that failure means plummeting 60 meters off a dark and unknown cliff and winding up severely injured, a kilometer underground.  That was the case for us as we pushed virgin cave passage in Northern Thailand.  Our team of Josh Morris, Noppadon Uppakham, Ted Conbeer and Marshall Balick spent three full days underground near Pha Daeng village.  Our goal was to push as far as we could while also ensuring that no one was hurt and no equipment was left behind.  To achieve a goal like this in difficult conditions requires a strong team dynamic.

We used the tools that we teach to ensure our goal was met.  We began by identifying the expectations of each team member.  This created an awareness among the team of what was necessary to ensure individual success for each team member.  This enabled us to use the GRRIP model to identify our team Goals, Roles, Resources, Interactions and Process.  With a framework in place, each time we were faced with a challenging issue, we were able to evaluate the situation in relation to our goal and this allowed swift decision making which resulted in overall safety and success.

While we met our overall goal, we also found success and inspiration in every corner of the experience.  It took us three days and multiple attempts to reach the bottom of the cave.  It was worth it.  We were dazzled by 1 million year old cave pearls, glittery flow stones, and massive caverns filled with bats.  There is still much to explore and we will return to the cave shortly.  Our first trip there allowed us to step into the growth zone and challenge ourselves to overcome new obstacles.  Our next trip will certainly provide new challenges and force us to use the tools and continue to develop our team best practices and ensure success.

Posted by: Josh Morris