Unintended consequences of making decisions in a vacuum.
Learning to open the lines of communication through Crew Resource Management in order to avoid committing to bad decisions.
Too often we hear, “We didn’t connect the dots…” after something goes horribly wrong,[1] the attacks on 9/11 being one of the most notable. Honestly, most of us fail to “connect the dots” on a daily basis either in our work environment or personal lives until we realize it’s too late. We trust our beliefs to be infallible, however as long as we don’t invite someone to contest our beliefs we are vulnerable to being blindsided by the results of bad decisions. Decisions made in a vacuum are often made on limited perspective and information. It’s a tall order to make a list of things that would never occur to us without seeking perspective from outside.
Whether we’re defending our country, promoting a healthy and productive workplace, or running a household you can only connect the dots if you’re willing to talk to the dots. People are the vehicles of information. The concept of Crew Resource Management (CRM) was developed after the 1978 United Airlines Flight 173 accident.[2] While the flight crew was managing a landing gear problem the aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed. Although the prevailing problem of failing landing gear warranted the attention of the crew, the concept of maintaining all the other operational needs of the aircraft was abandon. The focus on the equipment malfunction distracted the entire crew to the point of losing sight of long-term, unwavering requirements for flight, such as fuel. The NTSB developed CRM to avoid tunnel vision and broaden the scope of operational responsibility among crewmembers. This concept has been adapted for many different arenas and has application in all aspects of life.
In most of our engagements with others there’s a hierarchy. We operate within supervisor/subordinate relationship in the workplace, parent/child or older/younger child at home. Even within our personal relationships there is usually some subtle, undefined hierarchy. This is relevant because a subordinate is less likely to correct or share perspective that would run contrary to the directives of the ‘boss’ for fear of stepping outside of their ‘place’ in the power chain. Additionally, those in charge can feel it’s a sign of weakness to ask for help from the subordinates. They are inclined to make decisions in a vacuum, committing to an action based on sparse information, rather than query subordinates on the problem. CRM is a structured mechanism that forces the entire team to observe and speak up. This is not designed to foster insubordination; quite to the contrary. CRM distributes the responsibility to the entire organization. The reluctance to ask for help is removed, as is the fear of stepping out of line when leadership needs to be questioned.
[1] 9/11 Commission, The 9/11 Commission Report (New York: W.W.Norton & Company, Inc).
