Critical Incident Technique
Critical incident techniques encompass the foundations and methods relating to conducting a task or job analysis to help determine the needs or actions necessary to advise or promote awareness in areas where improvement is essential and deemed necessary. The impact of the areas of focus may be positive or negative. A positive incident may prompt the need to increase a similarly positive result or the associated behavior. A negative incident may act as warnings that require it be addressed. The goal may then be to eliminate or reduce any related behavior or the end result. In other words, critical incident techniques may aim to reduce, remove, or enhance actions or outcomes relating to the end result and its impact on the organization.
A critical incident calls attention for a need. It brings attention to an event and requires a strategy to address it. Again, the circumstances of an incident can be negative or positive. Not all incidents are negative, nor must an incident suggest something is done wrong or poses risk. An incident may inspire changes to investigate that can enhance systems used, behavior implemented, or justify setting a new standard (not limited to increasing or lowering the metrics that make up the standard).
Regardless of the technique applied, the exact questions used, and the approach selected as the primary critical incident technique to implement, it can be helpful to consider designing questions or aiming to address questions with principles of critical thinking, as suggested by Edward De Bono’s 6 Hats of Critical Thinking seen below.
References
6 Questions BW [Digital Image] Retrieved April 12, 2019 from
Clark, D. (2015). Critical Incident Technique. Retrieved April 8, 2019 from
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/glossary/c.html
Coetzer, A., Redmond, J., & Sharafizad, J. (2014). Using the critical incident technique to research decision making regarding access to training and development in medium-sized enterprises.
International Journal of Training Research. 10(164-178)