Next time you’re anticipating changes in life, how about trying the ROC Drill? No, we’re not suggesting you make major life decisions playing rock, paper, scissors… this is a different type of tool, that is much more effective for life’s transitions and leaves less to chance!
What’s a ROC Drill?
In a Recent Madefor Basecamp, Madefor Co-Founder and former Navy SEAL Pat Dossett shared an exercise he learned in the SEAL Teams, called the ROC Drill. ROC is short for “Rehearsal of Contingencies,” and it’s basically a way to plan for the unexpected. Using this simple technique can help you find success while navigating uncertainty.
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“It’s a series of, ‘If this happens, then we will do this,’ so a lot of ‘if/then’ scenarios,” Pat explains. “If a helicopter crashes here, we will do this. If once we do that we experience a flat tire, we will do this. If this happens, we will do that.”
He says, “The degree to which you can run these contingencies – or almost hypothesis testing in advance – allows you to reduce the cognitive load when you experience violations of hypotheses in real time.”
How does this help me?
While you may not be experiencing the same scenarios as a Navy SEAL, you can still use this tool in your own life to prime yourself to be more reflexive and adaptable when challenges arise or during phases of transition.
“Doing so allows you to focus on what’s happening and how [you] can respond in the best way possible, as opposed to what should be happening and getting agitated by why it’s not happening that way.”
Using the ROC Drill as a tool in your life to prepare for challenges allows you to be more effective in your environment and be less stressed. That’s a win/win!
Check out this full clip from Pat on our Madefor Youtube Channel, right here, and click subscribe to stay in the loop on new and relevant content as it becomes available.
