Every day, firefighters are forced to think quickly and make good decisions in a rush. It is part of their jobs. A recent study by Kathleen Sutcliffe, a Johns Hopkins University professor, outlined how management teams in big organizations could learn crisis management from firefighters. Sutcliffe broke firefighter processes into two sections, which she called "anomalizing" and "proactive leader sensemaking." When fighting fires, crews must keep a vigilant watch on the situation at hand. Sutcliffe described the second half of the process as when the designated leaders in the unit assess the knowledge gathered in part one in order to act quickly when something changes or goes wrong.
The business world can be as unpredictable, though far less dangerous, as a fire. Sutcliffe suggested that if business leaders studied the decision-making techniques of firefighters during a highly stressful event, they could prepare to handle unpredictable situations that arise in their offices. Some of the firefighters Sutcliffe interviewed stated that no matter how much experience you have, every fire is different and presents different challenges.
In her report, Sutcliffe wrote, "In a complex, uncertain environment, as in a wildfire or any organizational crisis, the challenge is that a lot of information is coming at you, but it's ambiguous."
If business professionals approached their workdays like firefighters approach a fire, their preparedness for crises would improve exponentially.