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Tragic decisions often seem baffling in hindsight, as we wonder why competent, capable people
seemingly missed clear warning signs, set aside established priorities and procedures, or so badly misread their situations.
Sometimes these decision-makers get written off as "dumb," or "bad." Yet, when we look at
how our minds are wired, many of our tragedies begin to make more sense.
Many procedures have been developed
over the years to mitigate these errors, some more successful than others. Here's the key point, though: Just as our
errors arise from how we're wired, effective solutions must be based on how our minds actually work. This is
a major difference between effective tools that get used and tools that just get in the way.
My ongoing mission
is to:
• LISTEN CLOSELY to the experts, from the field and from the
university.
• DEVELOP MODELS that get at the heart of how and why we
make poor decisions.
• TAILOR THESE MODELS to other firefighters and on-the-ground
decision-makers.
• COMMUNICATE THESE CONCEPTS in ways that work.
• WORK WITH FIREFIGHTERS to
apply the concepts and develop
practical, effective solutions.
Our
mind is the best safety instrument we have. The better we understand how it works, the better equipped we are to use it effectively.
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