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Gist Decision Making
In the late 1990s, a Phillip Morris anti-smoking campaign called “Think, Don’t Smoke” failed miserably, unless you were a cigarette company. Instead of discouraging smoking, the campaign may have increased the likelihood of teens picking up the habit. When asked to “think,” teens, like any of us, made arguments for and against smoking, logically concluding that, at times, smoking cigarettes was the way to go.
Months later, Legacy launched its Truth Campaign, with bold ads like “Body Bags” where young people delivered body bags to the doorstep of Phillip Morris, sending a powerful message and leading to a significant drop in teen smoking. This campaign didn’t just ask teens to think; it fundamentally changed how they perceived smoking by reshaping the narrative and appealing directly to their values. It wasn’t about logic anymore; it was about an immediate, gut-level “No” to smoking. Ad Age, in ranking the Truth Campaign at number 10 for their list of Top Ad Campaigns of the 21st Century (in 2015) noted that, “The push encouraged rebellion and, for the first time, made it cool not to smoke.” This approach exemplifies what Dr. Valerie Reyna at Cornell University calls “gist” decision-making.
At camps, YMCAs, youth programs, after-school experiences, teaching swimming, or daycare we rely on young staff members to care for children thoughtfully, responsibly, and safely. We want them to make good decisions.
So, we often tell them to, “Stop and think,” before acting or “to consider options logically.” While these strategies can be helpful in specific, non-immediate circumstances, especially those related to long-term planning, budget, or program design, they may not be as effective in the moment-to-moment decisions that our staff make while supervising children.
Our brains are adept at rationalizing almost anything when weighed logically - considering the odds or looking at pros and cons. Studies show that teens far from believing themselves invincible, often overestimate their risk of injury, death, or disease, but still engage in risky behavior, because they’ve logically concluded that the benefits they see outweigh the risks. That’s not the calculation we want when it comes to the safety of children.
Instead, we can encourage gist decision-making where staff make bottom-line, values-first, is this OK, gut-check decisions. Here are four powerful strategies to promote gist-decision making: share the guardian angel, raise up your values and theirs, ask them to consider the impact of their decisions, and tell stories.
The Guardian Angel
Ask young staff to consider a senior, experienced staff person whom they deeply trust to be their “guardian angel” when caring for kids. In moments of decision they imagine the guardian angel watching them. If the guardian angel gives the go-ahead or green light, they should still use their judgment, but the decision to go ahead is probably OK. If the guardian angel isn’t sure, a yellow light, or says, “don’t do it,” the staff person doesn’t move forward with the action. They can ask a supervisor. Maybe it was OK. They’ll do it next time if that’s the case.
Raise Up Your Values (and Theirs)
Like with the Truth Campaign, anchoring decisions in core values helps staff move beyond analyzing details to focusing on what matters most to the organization and to them. For instance, reinforce that the bottom line is that language that’s anti-religious, anti-LGBTQ, antisemitic, or racist has no place in your environment or that screaming at a child contradicts organizational and personal values and it’s the staff person not showing up as they want.
Ask Them to Consider the Impact of Their Decisions
When I visit summer camps I often share with staff some tough stories about what happens at camp when staff make poor decisions and ask them to reflect on the far-reaching impact of those choices on campers, families, colleagues, and themselves. I also encourage staff to think about a counselor, teacher, coach, boss, or other mentors or role models who had a positive effect on them and how they had a lasting impact. It feels like our impact will stay in that small moment, on the field, in the bunk, in the classroom. The challenge, though, is to remember that our actions create ripples that have an impact far beyond what we can see.
Tell Stories
Stories are powerful tools for helping staff understand and internalize the values and expectations of an organization. They create visceral, emotional, and visual connections to guide them in the moment. Stories can share pain or problems, or can raise up examples of values lived well and good decisions made.
These and other tools can help shift young staff towards more adult decision-making, toward gist, ready to meet the children in our care with joy and ready to check in with angels, values, impact, and story.
“Study Finds Philip Morris’ Anti-Smoking Ads Not Effective: Focus Groups of Youth Rank Tobacco Company’s Ads Last Among Several Anti-Smoking Campaigns” April 07, 1999
https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/press-releases/id_0023
“When Don’t Smoke Means Do,” New York Times, 2006
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/27/opinion/when-dont-smoke-means-do.html
“Getting to the Truth: Evaluating National Tobacco Countermarketing Campaigns,” Matthew C. Farrelly, PhD, Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, Kevin C. Davis, MA, Peter Messeri, PhD, James C. Hersey, PhD, and M. Lyndon Haviland, DrPH; Am J Public Health. 2002 June; 92(6): 901–907. doi: 10.2105/ajph.92.6.901; PMCID: PMC1447480; PMID: 12036775
“Whereas exposure to the “truth” campaign positively changed youths' attitudes toward tobacco, the Philip Morris campaign had a counterproductive influence. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:901–907)”
About the Author:
Michael Mellen, PCC, Rabbi President Iron and Sage Mike is an executive and organizational coach and facilitator, who works with individuals and values-driven organizations to create space for growth, innovation, and possibility. Mike has led pre camp orientation talks for Brown & Brown camps for many years. His work with top executives, high potential team members, entrepreneurs, clergy, educators, camp teams, and boards moves people to see their work, organizations, and lives more holistically, enabling them to better tap into the strengths that can propel them towards a vibrant, equitable, and impactful future. Michael is interested in the knotty problems of leadership, the power of vision, and the joy of creativity. With many years of camp and youth program experience, his current work with summer camps includes executive coaching for camp leaders, staff training, speaking about risk management, and coaching and facilitation related to mission, program, and strategy. Prior to launching his company, Iron and Sage, Michael served as a congregational educator and rabbi, as Director of Youth Programs and Director of NFTY for the Reform Movement, and as an innovation consultant with the Jewish Education Project
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