Decision Making
Under Pressure
A keynote by Abhilash Tomy on making consequential decisions when information is incomplete, time is limited and the outcome matters.
You Will Rarely Have All the Information You Want
Some of the most important decisions have to be made before all the facts are available. Waiting has a cost, acting has consequences, and pressure changes the way we process information.
During two solo, non-stop circumnavigations, Abhilash Tomy repeatedly had to make decisions without outside assistance, often thousands of kilometres from land. As a naval aviator, he was trained to prepare for emergencies before they occurred. These experiences form the basis of this keynote: how preparation changes decision-making, how to assess risk when information is incomplete, and how to preserve the mental capacity to think when circumstances begin to deteriorate.
What this Keynote Explores
1
Making Decisions with Incomplete Information
How to determine when you know enough to act, even when certainty is impossible.
2
Mental Rehearsal
How pilots prepare for emergencies before they happen, and how leaders can rehearse consequential situations before encountering them.
3
Managing Risk Under Pressure
How preparation, experience and situational awareness influence judgement when consequences become serious.
4
Preserving Cognitive Capacity
How fatigue, fear, isolation and escalating problems affect judgement, and why preserving the ability to think clearly matters.