Read any accident report, and you’ll likely find when events are slowed down, it’s easy to pinpoint a gap between what should have happened, and what actually happened. If you’re looking for an example, last month’s newsletter Running Red Lights serves perfectly.
The problem is, in real life and real time, we only get one chance. Last month’s case was a split second decision whether to stop – or go. Not all problems are as simple as that, but some certainly are.
Making better decisions in a split second is one way to work on the problem. A different – and perhaps easier way – involves recognizing when to slow the decision making process down, creating more time to make a better decision.
Going down that path begins with recognizing that you’re no longer operating from experience – but uncertainty.
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If you’re a leader looking for ideas on how to help your followers recognize when it’s time to slow down their decision-making process, here’s an Ask, Don’t Tell Safety Meeting template to help.
Purpose: The purpose in talking about this topic is helping followers slow down when more time is needed to make a good decision, especially when the pressure of time is telling us to speed up.
Headline: 2 Dead, 39 injured when fire engine ran red light.
Summary: While rushing to aid a plane in distress, the lead fire engine entered a runway at LaGuardia airport, under the assumption clearance was granted by ATC. The fire engine was struck by a landing aircraft – Jazz Flight 646 – killing both pilots and injuring 39 passengers.
Connection: While our work does not involve emergency response to aircraft, there are often situations when the pressure of time and the urgency of production may seem to encourage quick decision making. We all need to be mindful that good judgment sometimes means slowing those situations down, especially when there is an element of uncertainty.
Darn Good Questions
- What are some signs that decision making needs to be slowed down?
- What is an example of a task you can perform almost automatically, but benefit by taking more time were the situation abnormal (such as responding to an emergency?)
- What are some examples where making a decision too fast has caused a big problem, or worse?
- What are examples of procedures that help improve our judgement by slowing the situation down?