Editor’s Note: The following excerpt is from Chapter 2 of “Mind of Fire: The Science and Art of Decision Making,” which delves into the realm of decision-making, using real-world examples to simplify complex concepts and provide practical insights for making better choices on the fireground. The excerpt addresses the two ways in which our brains make decisions and examines the crucial balance that firefighters must strike between quick, intuitive thinking and slower, deliberate reasoning. Effectively switching between these modes is crucial for maintaining operational flow and responding to situations or hazards that may arise on the fireground.
By Kiel Samsing
Your decision-making process is a balance between two types of cognitive processes. Implicit decisions are an automatic, intuitive system, while explicit decisions are slower and more deliberate. Implicit is fast and instinctive and requires little effort to engage. It involves understanding based on unexpressed cues, being present but not consciously acknowledged or recognized. Explicit, on the other hand, is slower and more deliberate and requires more conscious effort to use. These two systems often compete when we are making decisions and the outcome results from the balance between them.
Because the explicit decision-making process requires more conscious effort, our brains are more likely to rely on the automatic, intuitive system to save energy. The problem is that the explicit path is lazy. The brain is like that 30-year firefighter; it’s effective, but sometimes it takes more to get it off the couch. The explicit path takes energy. It takes capacity, so it takes effort to kick it in. Conversely, the implicit process depends on having a mental model or template for a given situation and can quickly generate responses based on this model. However, if we face a novel or unfamiliar situation that does not fit our existing mental models, it is important to use the explicit, rational system to contemplate all the information and make informed decisions. If we rely on the intuitive system in these cases, we may end up deciding based on faulty or incomplete information.
The intuitive, automatic decision-making system is well-suited for routine, familiar situations that we encounter frequently, such as “bread and butter” fires. My friend and fellow firefighter Jay Bonnifield like to say in these cases, it suffices to rely on our mental models and instincts, with only occasional moments of explicit, rational thought at predetermined checkpoints like doorways and stairwells. Explicit, rational decision-making is more suitable for more complex, high-risk situations we encounter less often, where the goal is to transition to a more intuitive flow once the uncertainty has been reduced. In these cases, it is important to weigh all the available information and make informed decisions to minimize risk and ensure the best possible outcome.
Research psychologist Gary Klein did a study in 1986 that showed more than 80% of the toughest decisions firefighters make are made implicitly. The question then becomes, what has changed since 1986? (Besides the awful clothing and epic movies and music, of course) The experience level has significantly declined since 1986. However, I’d venture to say the same about decisions are still being made implicitly. That only increases our need to understand the way we make decisions. We are still using the implicit path of our decision-making process but don’t have the experience to show us the way. That is a recipe for disaster.
Think of it like driving a car. When we are confident in our knowledge or experience, we can push the accelerator to the floor (go on implicit processes only). If there is an increase in uncertainty and a decrease in experience, we should lay off the gas, not fully stop, but allow the explicit to kick in before we put our foot back on the gas pedal. (If you lack experience in a domain you need to begin with implicit decision making and switch to explicit as you go along. Starting with explicit decision-making first can undermine your intuition.) If the uncertainty is unmanageable and penalties for poor decisions very high, then we should hit the brakes and rely solely on our explicit decision-making process.
If firefighters cannot transition effectively between intuitive and explicit decision-making on complex fires, it can disrupt the flow of operations and lead to a passive mindset. Similarly, if they are unable to quickly switch between intuitive and explicit modes on routine “bread and butter” fires, they may fail to recognize and respond to hazards, such as falling into basement fires while moving quickly. Firefighters need to be able to effectively balance the use of intuitive and explicit decision-making to maintain momentum and respond effectively to changing circumstances.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kiel Samsing serves as a career lieutenant with the Newport News (Virginia) Fire Department and a part-time firefighter with the West Point Volunteer Fire Department. Samsing has taught at prominent national events such as Andy Fredericks Training Days, Art of Firemanship, and the Firemanship Conference. He has also led hands-on training sessions and classroom instruction at the FDIC. Samsing specializes in engine company operations, empowered leadership and decision-making.