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Decision Making Limits There are only three (3) things that limit any decision. They are willingness, capability, and environment. It is true that a decision will be limited by more than one and sometimes by all three, but one will always prove to be the more primary decision making limit. Here are just a few examples. 1. Chief Disaster wants to change some policies for the company, however after a little consideration he realizes that he would have to abide by those very same policies, because the only way to implement them successfully, would be by leading by example. He decides that perhaps things should remain as they are, because he doesn't want to have to make any company changes, that will require that he also and first make personal changes to lead by example. The limit on this decision is obviously willingness. 2. President Hopeless thinks that he can raise some funds if the company sells raffle tickets. President Hopeless hates selling raffle tickets himself and hates chasing members down to turn in their tickets and money even more. He decides "the hell with the raffle". The limit on the decision is willingness. 3. Asst. Chief Aspiring wants to become the new fire chief. However, he finds he must lead by example, he will have to take extra training, he'll have to do a lot more paperwork, and he'll have to assume a lot of responsibility, none of which he wants to do...he just wants to be known as the fire chief and top man in charge. His decision to try to advance and replace the existing chief is limited here by willingness. 4. Chief Competent is in charge of a structural fire that is difficult to get the level of control he desires, thus he wants to immediately set up an additional hose line to establish a second angle of attack and give some support to his interior attack line, but every available hose jockey he's got is either committed to the interior attack, water curtains protecting the exposures, or is trying to ventilate the structure to allow for more visibility and control. The limit on his decision to immediately set up another hose line is obviously capability...he simply doesn't have the manpower to immediately set up another hose line. 5. V.P. Brownnose wants to become the new fire chief. He thinks he can do better, although he's not taken any courses in advanced firefighting, he hasn't performed well in his current duties as the V.P, and he doesn't have any training in management or command. Thus his decision to become chief is limited, because of the lack of capability. 6. Captain Clutz is riding to a MVA call in EMS/Rescue Company Epsilon's new heavy duty rescue truck, which occurred 6 miles from the nearest exit on the interstate. Upon arriving at the scene, he finds one of the vehicles, a gasoline tanker truck, is on fire at the rear brakes/tires. After his bulging open eyes return back to their sockets in his head, Captain Clutz decides he need to fight this brake/tire fire, before it spreads to the tanker filled with gasoline. Unfortunately, the big, new, and beautiful heavy duty rescue unit does not have a water supply, pumps or any hoses. Thus, Captain Clutz is limited by environment first, because he is not near any water supply to fight the fire. He also is limited by capability, because he does not have any pumps or hoses, even if there were water in his environment. He may also be somewhat limited by willingness, unless he desires to go stand up next to the burning truck and try to piss on a brake/tire fire on a gasoline tanker. 7. President Surefoot decides that a pancake breakfast would be a good way to raise a few dollars, get folks from the other departments to stop by to build camaraderie and it would be a nice way to get the community leaders and members of the general public to stop by and get more involved with the department. Unfortunately, other officers and members vote against the idea, because they don't wish to wake up that early on a Saturday morning. The decision here is limited first by environment and secondly by capability, because President Surefoot cannot do the entire project himself. 8. President Paininthefanny decides that he is going to order all members to work on his new brilliant fund raising idea. He figures if selling $20 tickets for a gun bash raises a lot of money for many departments, he was going to do one bigger and better than anybody. He was going to sell $25 tickets for a big game safari in the 2 acres behind the firehouse. He doesn't want to sell any of the tickets himself, he can't get any other member to vote to agree with him and he believes that the safari should be limited to shooting only lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and saltwater crocodiles. President Paininthefanny, albeit the dictator he is, has his decision for a big game safari limited by all three (3); willingness, capability and environment. After being rebuffed on his big game safari fund raiser brilliant idea, President Paininthefanny decides he wants to be the new fire chief, because then he can just order folks around and not need to get a company vote. What might be the decision making limits on President Paininthefanny's aspirations to become the new fire chief? In conclusion, you can see that no matter what type of decision, there are only three (3) limits on any decision; willingness, capability, and environment, although some decisions are limited with by more than one of these, but one will be the predominant decision making limit. Exercises: 1. Think of 3 decisions for your department where a decision is limited by each of the following: willingness, capability, and environment. 2. Think of a situation for your department where a decision is limited by more than one of the decision making limits, define what are the limits, and which is the more predominant limit. 3. Think of a decision that you need to make that is limited and define which of the three (3) decision making limits is the predominant factor. Last modified: September 21, 2008
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