Effective Decision Making
It’s January, a month associated with a fresh start. It’s a time when we set new goals for ourselves and make New Year’s resolutions that probably include unrealistic fitness regimes having overindulged in Christmas beef and mince pies.
My previous success rate of achieving a ‘six pack by February’, somewhat predictably, has yet to be accomplished. So, this year, I am challenging myself to a more realistic goal: to ensure all my decisions are made in a timely and efficient manner.
Emergencies need quick, creative decision-making
Unlike the predictability of not achieving past New Year’s resolutions, natural and manmade emergencies are frequently unpredictable. They are often fast-paced with very limited information or time to ponder the pros and cons.
Emergencies don’t come in a nice neat box wrapped with a ribbon. Instead, they often occur during the early hours of the morning or on weekends when staff are asleep or dispersed and busy with their everyday lives. Furthermore, every emergency is unlike its predecessor and often requires swift, creative and out-of-the-box thinking. In my line of work, we have adapted to the unpredictability and many (including myself) thrive on it.
Quick and efficient decision-making is critical. Whilst we appreciate that all decisions carry risk, we can’t just ‘sit on the fence’ because, in emergencies, not making a decision can cost lives and at the very least, lead to increased suffering and hardship.
Post-tsunami in Thailand
In 2005, I left a career in law to volunteer at the Tsunami Volunteer Centre in Khao Lak, Thailand where I co-led a scuba diving recovery team for eight months. I had little experience working in the field of disaster recovery other than living in the aftermath of hurricanes Gilbert and Ivan and volunteering from a young age at the Red Cross. My only qualification in diving was a PADI Junior Open Water Certification. I certainly hadn’t intended to get into this type of work. In fact, I’d signed up for just about every other programme, including art therapy and construction, but my skills in both were somewhat lacking and the staff at the Tsunami Volunteer Centre were very persuasive about the need for divers.
Dive Recovery in such a hostile and intimidating underwater environment with very little visibility was an intense start to a career in the field of disaster management. On a regular basis, we were handling sensitive remains as well as dealing with copious amounts of debris and threatening underwater wildlife (the lion fish were everywhere!). It was also a time that taught me how important it was to make decisions and do so as quickly and as efficiently as possible with the information at hand.
One such need for efficient decisions happened on our first day off after many weeks of working around the clock, when we went to a waterfall for some rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, one of our team members slipped and had a severe head injury. There were little to no medical facilities in the area. Quick decision-making was critical and, in this case, paramount to his survival.
Other decisions made, whilst not a matter of life or death were still important to the return to normalcy for the community. With limited money and resources, we had to use our initiative on a daily basis. The seabed and beaches had so much debris on them with no heavy-duty equipment to move it, so we decided to use elephants to assist. This was a ‘win win’ for all, the elephants and handlers were out of work and hungry as there was no tourism market, and we had found a solution to remove debris, paid for with bananas and coffee from the volunteer centre!
A personal and professional win
One of the frequent issues we hear across Government is the lack of timely decisions being made at all levels. This year, instead of my ‘six pack by February’, my New Year’s Resolution is to ensure that all decisions that need to be made both in my professional and personal life, are made efficiently and whatever the result is, I own it with full gusto.
I challenge each one of you this year, to find an achievable, realistic New Year’s resolution and maybe, just maybe, this one works for you. Just imagine a government where we all make decisions in a timely manner, where we hold each other accountable, where we persuade each other, whatever the situation is to take the risk, make the necessary decision and own it…talk about a World Class Civil Service!
