How pilots make decisions and what we can learn from them

A decision has to be made – and quickly! But how do we reach a decision?

We have examined the aviation industry and asked an experienced pilot how he makes decisions. One thing is for sure: not making a decision is not an option in an emergency at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

 

How pilots make decisions

 

Georg Bernhofer has accumulated over 15,000 flight hours in business jets and commercial aircraft. He has served as a flight operations manager as well as a safety manager and compliance monitoring manager. As a pilot, he leads complex teams and makes crucial decisions on a daily basis.

 

Today, we’re talking about how pilots make decisions and what methods we can learn from the cockpit for business life. Georg, how do you, as a pilot, make decisions, especially when you don’t have time to think long?

There’s no sleeping on it and discussing it again the next day in the aircraft. We can’t just pull over and quickly check under the hood. Essentially, in the cockpit, there’s only one question: not when we decide but how do we decide? We MUST make decisions.

We fundamentally distinguish between intuitive and rational decisions, which each of us makes daily. When time is limited or scarce, we all tend to make more intuitive decisions. And that’s what we do in the cockpit, too. In science, these are known as “Canned Decisions”, essentially pre-formed decision patterns readily available for retrieval. In aviation terminology, we call them “Memory Items”, which we regularly train. In an emergency, I don’t have time to decide, but I can rely on these Memory Items. I immediately know what to do. It’s like driving a car. If someone suddenly brakes in front of you, you instinctively hit the brake because you’ve trained for it.

 

How can this process of making intuitive decisions be applied to businesses?

It’s about preparing for scenarios. Any company can do that. For example, what do I do if a customer in a meeting says they no longer want to work with us? As a company, I can prepare for such situations and consider what I can offer my customers. That’s exactly what we do in aviation. We prepare for possible scenarios.

 

Is it always about making intuitive decisions in the cockpit?

No, we also have situations where we have a bit more time to make a decision. Eventually, however, the aircraft will run out of fuel, too.

So what do we do? We analyze together as a team. For this, we have a scientific method called “FOR-DEC”. FOR-DEC stands for Facts, Options, Risks and Benefits, Decision, Execution, and Check.

 

So, is the decision-making process standardized here as well?

Yes, exactly. Everything is standardized. It’s important to mention that the captain always makes the final decision, as they carry the overall responsibility. However, the facts, options, and risks are weighed and discussed together as a team.

The FOR-DEC method could be applied in any company and expedite decision-making processes.

 

In the aircraft, there are other groups involved in decision-making who are not in the cockpit – like the cabin crew and passengers. How are they involved or communicated with?

Here, too, there is a standardized procedure.

This is called ITS: Intention, Time, Specials.

Especially in an emergency, the cabin crew leader is brought into the cockpit, who is then informed about what we intend to do – our intention, how much time (Time) the cabin crew has to prepare for, for example, an early landing, and what special cases may arise – the immediate evacuation of the cabin after landing or similar.

The cabin crew leader is only allowed to leave the cockpit once the information has been correctly repeated, and I, as the pilot, have confirmed that all facts and tasks have been understood correctly. If I don’t have time for it, the cabin crew leader informs the passengers.

 

So, actual “communication” takes place here, not just the transfer of information. This means that the participants are involved in such a way that they understand everything and can implement the information.

Exactly. Communication takes place in short sentences, using the 3 C’s: clear, complete, and concise – without clichés and as quickly as possible.

 

Thank you, Georg, for these fascinating insights into the cockpit. Do you have a final tip for us?

Make decisions, or decisions will make you! Not making any decision at all is the worst option.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**You can listen to the entire interview with Georg Bernhofer on the Leaders21 Podcast – German only.