The Value of Drills

Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical - Yogi Berra

If you're like most people, you don't take the fire drills at the office seriously. You stay at the desk and ignore it as a waste of time. Big mistake! According to a new book, "The Unthinkable", there are three common mental states that most people encounter when an emergency occurs:

1. Denial
2. Deliberation
3. Decisive Action (Evacuate)

By ignoring drills you reinforce the "Denial" stage. You'll sit at your desk and think, "Oh, it's just a drill" or "This can't really be happening".

Drills also train you to get through the "Deliberation" stage faster. Studies show that people delay evacuating because the are caught in a mental fog of decision making.

• "Should I save the file I'm working on?"
• "Turn off the PC?"
• "What should I take with me from my desk?"
• "Should I change my shoes?"
• "Perhaps I'll call my spouse"
• "Let me check the news on the Internet to see how serious this is"
• etc

Drills help cut through this confusion. They develop the instincts and muscle memory to carry you forward when your brain is overwhelmed if you drill properly. Don't just saunter to the fire exit. Pretend the fire is real and grab your purse, your briefcase, etc. Go through all the motions you think necessary before evacuating the building.

My wife and I are square dancers. Some of the moves are quite complex and move quickly. If each time you hear a call, you have to picture it in your head and mentally go through each step, you won't keep up. Good dancers acquire a kinetic memory so the motions become automatic through practice and your brain is free to enjoy the dance and other dancers.

Bottom Line
Drills are valuable, especially when realistic. Practice awaking your family from sleep and evacuating the house in the dark. Pretend that the fire is blocking the front door; now how will you get out? Did you grab your go-kit on the way out, your wallet? You don't want to risk your life deciding what family valuables save before the house burns down. Decide now and practice - assign each family member something to take with them on the way out.