Hold, Plan, Act: A Tool for Defensible Decision Making

Be More Shark
Jan 14
7 min read

Effective leadership in high-pressure environments demands decisiveness, foresight, and the ability to make defensible decisions.

Some years ago whilst operating as Silver Commander at one of HM Prison Service establishments, I navigated serious incidents where maintaining control was crucial, balancing the need for immediate intervention with the overarching responsibilities of running the entire establishment. Incident management in these contexts requires a structured process of hold, plan, and act, using communication, intelligence, and coordination with various levels of command to inform defensible decision-making.

Drawing on my experience, this blog will explore how incident management is underpinned by informed decision-making and collaboration with the Bronze and Gold commanders, while considering operational pressures and staff wellbeing. I’ll also discuss how tools such as peer support and debriefing are critical for managing trauma in the aftermath of an incident.

Hold, Plan, Act: A Detailed Approach

At the core of incident management is the ‘Hold, Plan, Act’ approach, a framework that prevents escalation, allows for strategic planning, and ensures decisive action. In the prison service, where incidents can rapidly escalate into life-threatening situations, applying this structured method allowed me to maintain control and manage both the immediate crisis and the broader operational needs of the establishment.

1. Hold – The first step in managing any incident is to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. As Silver Commander, my responsibility was to contain the incident by directing staff and resources to the scene. Key to this was effective communication with the Bronze Commander, who was on the ground and providing real-time information. The Bronze Commander’s role is essential in feeding back details from the scene, such as the behaviour of individuals involved, the physical layout, and the ongoing dynamics, enabling me to make well-informed decisions from a distance.

Additionally, my decisions were informed by intelligence strands from various sources, including the personal histories and psychological profiles of those involved. Understanding a prisoner’s behaviour patterns, prior incidents, and any known triggers could inform a more tailored and effective response.

This level of insight allows for a nuanced approach that can make all the difference in a high-pressure situation, ensuring the response is appropriate, safe, and defensible. The role of experience and intuition cannot be underestimated here. Having led numerous incidents, I developed a sense for potential outcomes based on initial conditions, which helped me anticipate and prevent further escalation.

Simultaneously, as Silver Commander, I was in direct communication with the Gold Commander, a very senior manager not on site but with the authority to mobilise additional external support, such as the national Control and Restraint (C&R) team or tactical intervention units. Gold Command offers a higher level of oversight and can provide resources beyond the immediate scope of the prison’s operational capabilities, allowing Silver Command to focus on the scene itself without losing sight of larger, strategic needs. Ensuring smooth communication between all levels of command is vital, as it allows for both immediate action and the coordination of wider support if necessary.

2. Plan – Once the situation is held, planning becomes the priority. At this stage, decision logs are crucial in documenting every choice made and the rationale behind each action. These logs provide a clear, transparent record that can later be reviewed for accountability, especially in contexts like Coroner’s Court, where decisions may be scrutinised. Planning involves assessing available intelligence, considering potential risks, and consulting contingency plans. Here, the input from psychology teams, intelligence officers, and operational managers is invaluable.

As Silver Commander, I also had to weigh operational pressures beyond the immediate incident. While resolving the crisis was my primary concern, I had to consider the impact on the rest of the establishment. Would responding to this incident divert too many resources, leaving other areas vulnerable? Could staff from non-critical areas be redeployed without compromising safety elsewhere? Balancing these factors was essential to maintaining overall operational stability.

This prudence, balancing the collateral of the incident against the obligations of running the rest of the establishment, ensured that one incident didn’t lead to a chain-reaction of further issues across the site.

3. Act – The final phase of incident management is executing the plan with precision. Acting quickly and effectively is essential in ensuring a safe outcome. As Silver Commander, directing staff on the ground to carry out tactical interventions, whether that meant isolating certain individuals, deploying trained response teams, or securing critical areas, was often the most visible part of my role.

This stage also involved the ‘Review’ element and meant liaising with the Gold Commander to confirm whether any external support was needed, and ensuring that the broader operational needs of the establishment were still being met.

The ability to act decisively, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to new information, ensured that incidents were resolved in a way that was both effective and defensible.

This illustration below, I was given many years ago by a friend in UKSF and have used myself as an aide memoir for running incidents. I replicated it some years ago for use in my leadership coaching, and it gives a map of what to consider and scope of who to include-

The Role of Defensible Decision Making

In every high-stakes environment, every decision must be justified and withstand external and internal scrutiny. Defensible decision making is about ensuring that choices made during a crisis can be supported with evidence and reason. In my career, this has often meant reflecting on decisions during reviews, sometimes in Coroner’s Court, where actions are examined in detail to determine whether they were appropriate given the circumstances, sometimes fuelled by emotions and the desire to find blame.

For example, in many serious incidents, the rapid containment of the situation is crucial. Every action, from deploying staff to isolating the individuals involved, is logged, and the rationale for each decision is clearly documented. This record allowed me to confidently explain the reasoning behind each choice during post-incident reviews, demonstrating that my decisions were based on the safety of all involved, adherence to protocols, and the intelligence available at the time.

This process of defensible decision-making is one that I now coach and mentor other leaders on, through my professional network and via my mentoring work with the Institute of Leadership and the Chartered Management Institute. Helping senior leaders understand the importance of documenting their decisions and building a clear rationale, especially under pressure, is key to building confidence in their leadership.

Operational Pressures and Balancing Collateral

One of the most challenging aspects of incident management is maintaining the balance between resolving an immediate crisis and ensuring the continued operation of the wider organisation. In the prison environment, this means considering how the allocation of resources to an incident may affect other parts of the establishment. For instance, pulling staff to manage a violent outburst might leave other areas under-resourced, increasing the risk of further problems elsewhere and putting other people at risk of harm.

As Silver Commander, I had to constantly assess the collateral impact of the incident. Could we afford to reallocate staff from other critical duties, such as Healthcare or segregation units, without compromising safety? Would this leave key areas of the prison exposed? These are difficult decisions that require both credible operational knowledge and strategic thinking.

Balancing these pressures ensures that while one problem is being dealt with, it doesn’t create a cascade of new issues. This is another area where collaboration with the Gold Commander is essential, as they can mobilise additional resources if required, allowing Silver Command to focus on immediate threats while ensuring the broader operational framework remains intact.

Staff Wellbeing and Trauma Management

Incident management doesn’t end when the crisis is resolved. Ensuring the wellbeing of staff who were involved is critical, as these situations can often be traumatic, leading to stress, burnout, or even PTSD. Recognising the importance of trauma management, I employed tools such as Hot and Cold debriefs to help staff process what had happened.

• Hot Debriefs take place immediately after the incident and allow staff to share their immediate thoughts and reactions. This provides an opportunity for everyone involved to express their feelings, identify what went well, and highlight areas for improvement. Hot debriefs are essential for reducing the emotional burden on staff and ensuring that any critical issues are addressed straight away.

• Cold Debriefs, which happen later, allow for a more in-depth analysis of the incident. These debriefs are crucial for learning and reflection, helping to refine future incident management strategies and ensuring that staff are fully supported as they process the experience.

In addition to debriefs, staff also need access to peer support programmes and professional mental health services, ensuring that they received the care they needed to recover from the emotional toll of managing such high-pressure situations.

ADHD: A Leadership Advantage in Incident Management

October being ADHD Awareness Month presents an opportunity to reflect on how my ADHD has uniquely equipped me for leadership in incident management. One of the defining traits of ADHD is fast-paced thinking, which allows me to process information rapidly and recognise risks or problems before they fully materialise. This cognitive agility has been a significant advantage when managing high-stakes incidents.

In moments of crisis, where every second counts, my ability to hyper-focus and quickly synthesise complex information has allowed me to make decisions that are both swift and defensible. ADHD has also enabled me to remain calm in chaotic environments, as I am naturally inclined to adapt to fast-changing situations. While ADHD can present its own set of challenges, I’ve found that it has given me a significant edge in crisis leadership, allowing me to see risks and solutions that others might overlook.

Finally

Incident management principles, especially the hold, plan, act framework, have served me well not only in professional leadership roles but also in personal endurance events like Ironman, extreme marathons, and the Swissman Xtri. These extreme challenges test both physical and mental limits, and under conditions of extreme fatigue, decision-making can become compromised. In these moments, the hold, plan, act approach provides a structured way to assess and resolve problems, whether it’s managing nutrition, pacing, or dealing with unexpected obstacles like injury or weather changes.

In endurance events, holding often means stabilising your immediate situation, taking stock of your physical state and any external factors that might be affecting performance. Just as in incident management, this involves preventing further deterioration by addressing the most urgent needs, such as hydration or energy levels.

The planning stage allows me to reassess my race strategy based on my condition and the environment, often adjusting my pace or nutrition plan to ensure I can continue safely and effectively. Finally, the act phase is about implementing those decisions quickly, whether it’s taking on more fuel, reducing pace, or focusing on recovery to ensure I reach the finish line.

In both professional crisis leadership and endurance sports, this structured approach allows me to remain calm, focused, and effective under pressure, ensuring that even in the most challenging situations, my decisions are defensible and aligned with the best possible outcome.

By applying the ‘hold, plan, act’ framework, leaders can prevent escalation, execute well-considered plans, and ensure that their decisions are justified and accountable.