Predicting the "Verdict" Published June 29, 2012 By Lt. Col. Freddie E. Jenkins Commander, 45th Medical Support Squadron PATRICK AFB, Fla. -- I am not a lawyer in any shape or form nor do I claim to be; however I have exploited some legal terminology to assist with developing a tool for those of us faced with critical decision making as squadron commanders, superintendents, etc. as we strive to accomplish the mission. Despite the organizational environment, some would say leaders of all types are expected to anticipate the outcome of any situation during peacetime and war. True? Before answering, try to remember a time where having preemptive information on a possible end-state that influenced decision making without exploring alternatives. Did this work? Was your commander receptive? Depending on the outcome you may or may have not felt that all courses of action (COAs) were identified during the problem solving process. For example, define and identify, analyze, identify solutions, evaluate, develop, and implement (recommend). I like to call this process "predicting the verdict" of your commander. Predicting the verdict of your commander is done by identifying a solution post evaluation of its effectiveness. Don't be misled by just recommending a course of action and expect concurrence without providing pros and cons of the execution. Seek the perspectives of peers. In some cases, you will not have this luxury. Therefore, consider any risk involved in decision making. Be prepared for your initial COAs being denied or disapproved by providing at least three alternatives and support your arguments. Additionally, you want to predict the boss's decision by asking yourself any anticipated questions and provide answers for each; good or bad. In other words, you are predicting the response or "verdict" from leadership. Don't make impulsive decisions without validating the situation and identifying the facts. Most importantly, deter any surprises to senior leadership. Do your investigation, not to the point of constructing a research paper, but try to predict short-term and long-term alternatives that can help the commander make the best decision. Lastly, if you make recommendations to the boss, take responsibility for any action that lead to your alternatives and acknowledge any mistakes and learn from them. Remember, integrity is one of the core values that earns respect and promotes leadership. So, move forward with predicting the commander's verdict by recommending achievable COAs resonated from solid critical thinking.