RESILIENCE PROGRAM

TAKE DECISIVE ACTION

TOPIC DETAILED INFORMATION
MODULE Resilience Concept: Take Decisive Behavioural Safety Concept:
BACKGROUND Action Acting on Warning Signs
INFORMATION
¾ Decision making should be a mixture ¾ Acting on warning signs prevents
of rational thought and emotion. accidents
¾ Taking decisive action is important. ¾ Mitigate culture of denial, group
¾ Removing blockers to decision think
making. ¾ Reducing human factors risk
¾ Weighing up economic vs safety risk

MODULE Taking decisive action moves an issue forward, and is positive and action-oriented.
OVERVIEW It is linked to resilience because taking decisive action is empowering, positive and
allows a person to take control of a situation instead of it controlling them.

Understanding how you make decisions, and what may stop you taking decisive
action can be the first step towards developing strategies to manage these blockers
and enable you to; make the decision, take action, and move forward. This can be
an important factor in improving resilience – gaining confidence in decisive action.

In Part One we look at the emotional brain and the rational brain and how they
work together to aid decision making.

In Part Two, we will take a closer look at what inhibits taking decisive actions
and overcoming these blockers.
 RESILIENCE PROGRAM

TAKE DECISIVE ACTION – EXERCISE ONE

Emotional and Rational Thinking

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 RESILIENCE PROGRAM

› In your group, list the reasons in the table below as to why you would buy a specific product, either a
new car or phone. Try to think about whether these reasons are rational or emotional.

Rational Reasons Emotional Reasons

These are factual e.g. cost, practicality, utility These are feelings e.g. I like how it looks
 RESILIENCE PROGRAM

TAKE DECISIVE ACTION – EXERCISE TWO

Blockers and Enablers
INSTRUCTIONS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Choose an example of a time when you had to take decisive action but found it difficult to do so. (use
your own or one of the examples on the next page)
1. Choose
2. List whatanwould
example of a iftime
happen youwhen you had to take decisive action but found it difficult to do so. (use
take action
your own or one of the examples
3. List what would happen if you don’t take on the next page)
action
2. List what
4. List what where
wouldthehappen
things if that
you stopped
take action
you taking the action, or delayed you taking the action
3.
5. List some ways in which you may be able action
List what would happen if you don’t take to overcome those blockers
4. List what
6. Discuss where
with the things
the others that small
in your stopped you taking the action, or delayed you taking the action
group.
5. List some ways in which you may be able to overcome those blockers
6.Describe
Discuss with
a timethewhen
othersyouin your
had asmall group.
difficult decision to make.
7. You can use additional Blank sheet

Describe a time when you had a difficult decision to make.

What would happen if you take action? What would happen if you don’t take
action?
What would happen if you take action? What would happen if you don’t take action?

What aresome
What are someofofthe
theblockers
blockerstoto taking
taking decisive
decisive action?
action?

What could I do to overcome the blockers to me taking decisive action?

What could I do to overcome the blockers to me taking decisive action?
 RESILIENCE PROGRAM

EXAMPLES
› Choose one of the following scenarios or your own examples:
Example 1. Crew member requiring help with the job

During the Work plan Meeting for the next day, the crewmember is selected to disconnect the fuel oil
transfer pump #2 and move it to the workshop so the machinist can overhaul it. The crew member did
the job of #1 pump a few days ago with success. But during the job there were some times that he really
needed another pair of hands to do the job safer. He managed but he had a few near misses. Should he
mention it now?

Blockers
ƒ No one is really available as everyone is allocated a job for the next day
ƒ The Chief Engineer is really trying to give me better jobs to expand my experience and he might
think that I am not capable of doing the job
ƒ They might bring up why I did not stop the job last time and ask for help, I will get reprimanded

Example 2. Higher than Normal Pump Vibration

A pump important to your operations has vibration levels that have trended upwards over the last few
weeks, but has not reached alarm status.

Blockers:
ƒ You are not sure if this is a problem
ƒ You don’t want to escalate something for no reason
ƒ Taking the pump offline would impact the operations
ƒ Taking the pump offline creates extra work for your co-workers

Example 3. Do I call the Captain

A new Wactchkeeping Officer is on the 12-4. It is 0130 and he has been observing all the fishing vessels
around him with no problem. But it is getting busier and a lot of them are making sudden course
alterations. Should he call the Captain to give him a hand?

Blockers:
ƒ He wants to make a good impression that he is capable of doing his watch
ƒ He does not want to look stupid waking the Captain up for nothing
ƒ There is also pressure not to wake the Captain as he will be on standby later that day and needs his
sleep
 RESILIENCE PROGRAM

BLOCKERS TO MAKING DECISIONS AND WAYS

OF MANAGING THESE
The purpose of this information is to give you some ideas on how you may be able to overcome
blockers to making decisions.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, just a starting point. You may wish to add your own ideas
or note down some of those put forward during your session.

BLOCKER OPTIONS TO OVERCOME COMMENTS

Concern over what may List all the things you can think of that Documenting this can
go wrong if the decision is may go wrong help clarify what the
incorrect issues really are and help
Work out how you can monitor for any you control the process,
indication that those things in your list rather than just feeling
are happening, so you have early warning anxious but not having a
and can take corrective action method to deal with it

If your list is long and the consequences

are too serious, it may be good evidence
your decision is wrong, so you can use it
to help make a better decision

You don’t have enough List the information you do need and This process can help
information to make a what time frame you need it in so you can you determine if you can
decision make the decision safely wait to gather
more information or if
If you are unable to get the information you really do need to
or cannot get it quickly enough, work out decide now.
if you can make the decision without that
information and what will be the risks It can also help to clarify
what it is you really need
If there are risks, work out how you can to know before you can
manage those risks – write then down so make a decision
you have a clear plan for managing the
decision and the risks

Work out also the risks of NOT making

the decision in a timely manner, this can
help you determine whether you need to
make the decision now before you have
all the information, or can wait

If you want, check your reasoning with

another person
 RESILIENCE PROGRAM

BLOCKER OPTIONS TO OVERCOME COMMENTS

You are worried about Consider discussing the options with You do need to be
looking like an idiot if the others, especially those who may need to accountable for your
decision is wrong help you implement the results of the decisions, and if you are
decision, as that way you can test your worried you could look
ideas and also get buy in from those who foolish if the decision is
matter wrong, this can be tough.

If you have a mentor, discuss with them Remember though – you

your concerns don’t need to do it alone!

You just don’t know List what will happen if you make the You can actively decide
whether to make a decision, and what will happen if you don’t to take no action – that is
decision at all make the decision, to determine what will OK. You just need to do
deliver the worst outcome this deliberately.

Determine if the issue is whether you don’t

have enough information to make the
decision, or you are not really clear what it
is you are making the decision about – this
can help direct your enquiries for further
information
Then either decide to take action or
deliberately decide not to, but at least you
are being decisive!

You have a feeling , a “red Think carefully about why you may be Important - don’t ignore
flag of warning”, that the feeling like this, or talk to a friend or this feeling!
decision is wrong colleague about it. This can be an
important alert. This can be an important
warning sign as it is your
List the reasons that you have come up emotional brain alerting
with as to why you may be feeling you that there could be a
uncomfortable about the decision; this may problem.
help clarify why you feel this way.

Test the decision with others who are

familiar enough with the circumstances to
understand the implications of your
decision – do they also feel uncomfortable
with it?
Determine what would make you feel more
comfortable with the decision, if you can
act on that it will help with making the
decision.
 RESILIENCE PROGRAM

FEEDBACK FORM – All participants to fill

Module name -
Please take the time to fill in this anonymous feedback form at the end of the module and hand it to your
facilitator.
WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS MODULE?

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WHAT WAS YOUR KEY LESSON THAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS MODULE?

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WHAT TECHNIQUES THAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT IN THIS MODULE WILL YOU USE IN
THE FUTURE?
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WHAT WOULD YOU IMPROVE ABOUT THIS MODULE?

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