Page 26 - CNBC Mag Free Issue Edition 6
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Black Box Thinking
Nicci Fletcher’s flash of inspiration that aviation can help us
cope with our sense of failure at being childless not by choice
When I first came up with the idea of rescued, and the cause of the crash
having a regular book review feature in analysed.
the magazine I looked at the numerous
books I had relating to infertility, being The Black Box is key in any investigation
childless not by choice and dealing with into the cause of an air crash and these
bereavement and I thought “Great, that investigations are taken extremely
will keep me going for over a year”. Black seriously. Aviation is one industry where
Box Thinking by Matthew Syed was not in learning from mistakes is vital and they
the pile: it’s basically a business book and do a very good job at doing that. Another
I didn’t think it would be relevant. “industry” where you would think that
learning from mistakes is vital is in the
However, I changed my mind a few days field of medicine. However, doctors are
ago whilst I was telling a friend about how not as good as pilots at learning from
brilliant the book was. Flash of inspiration: failures. Individual people may be
it’s about failure and one of the emotions excellent, yet they work in a blame
that usually overwhelms us in the CNBC culture where failures are hidden from
community is a sense of failure. Homer view.
Simpson “DOH” moment was quickly
followed by jotting down my initial That is the basic crux of the book. Why
thoughts, so they didn’t vanish in the are some industries (and people) are
mayhem of the looming launch deadline! better at learning from failures than
others? There seems to be a “science”
So, let’s deal with the title first. Why Black behind what constitutes a “healthy”
Box Thinking? As I hope all of you know relationship with failure and this is
the Black Box in an aircraft is the discussed in the book. Which is why I
computer that records absolutely think it is so relevant to us, as we come to
everything about the flight. Altitude, terms with our CNBC status. I imagine
weather conditions, fuel reserves, wind that, at one stage or another, we have all
speed, where you’ve come from, where felt a failure in some way. We’ve failed to
you’re going to and very importantly reproduce. Our bodies have failed us.
where you are now. If you can name it, Time and time again we blame ourselves
it’s recorded in the Black Box. Why? So about our situation or feel that society
that there is lots of data should anything blames us for our non-parental status. It
go wrong. If there is an air crash the is my belief that grieving for the children
Black Box is recovered and the data we will never have, and our dashed hopes
analysed. If an aircraft disappears, the and dreams, is made easier if we have a
Black Box can be used to locate the healthier relationship with failure. That’s
aircraft so that passengers can be why this book is important.
26 The Childless Not By Choice Magazine: Launch Issue
