When emergencies take unexpected turns, the teams that communicate most explicitly tend to perform best — even if rigid protocols previously guided their actions, new research shows.
A study published in Organization Science examined how firefighting teams adapt when disruptive events upend their expectations, finding that the ability to shift from implicit coordination to explicit verbal communication is critical to saving lives and property.
When plans meet reality
Researchers led by Ramón Rico of the University Carlos III of Madrid studied 350 Chilean firefighters across 46 teams performing real emergency missions. Their central finding: when a disruptive event creates a mismatch between what team members expect and what is actually unfolding, teams that pivot to explicit coordination — clearly verbalizing roles, observations, and instructions — outperform those that continue relying on assumptions and routine.
The study introduces a distinction between two types of mental models that teams carry into emergencies. “Task mental models” represent what members expect to happen based on training and prior experience. “Situation mental models” represent what members perceive is actually happening in real time. When a disruptive event causes these to diverge, the gap can be dangerous.
Rigid procedures can be a liability
One of the study’s more striking findings concerns procedural rigidity. Teams that adhered too strictly to predefined protocols were less sensitive to changes in the situation around them. In other words, the very procedures designed to keep teams safe could blind them to evolving threats.
“Highly rigid procedures impair sensitivity to situational modifications,” the authors found. When the gap between expected and actual conditions widened, rigidly procedural teams were slower to recognize it — and slower to adapt.
Lab confirmation
To validate their field observations, the researchers conducted a controlled laboratory experiment. Participants performed simulated firefighting tasks designed to produce sudden, disruptive changes. The results confirmed the field findings: when team members’ expectations no longer matched the situation and they responded by communicating explicitly, mission performance improved significantly.
Implications beyond the firehouse
While the research focused on firefighters, the authors argue the findings extend to any team operating in high-stakes, unpredictable environments — from hospital emergency departments to military units to crisis management teams in the private sector.
The practical takeaway for managers: overly rigid protocols may actually harm performance during crises. Teams need the flexibility to recognize when conditions have changed and the communication habits to articulate what they are seeing in real time.
The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Innovation and Science and the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. Co-authors include Mirko Antino of the University Complutense of Madrid, Cristina B. Gibson of Pepperdine University, Susan Simkins of Pennsylvania State University, and Sjir Uitdewilligen of the University of Maastricht.
Source: Rico, R., Antino, M., Gibson, C. B., Simkins, S., & Uitdewilligen, S. (2025). Putting out the Fires: The Role of Team Knowledge, Coordination, and Procedural Rigidity in Adapting and Performing During Disruptive Events. Organization Science, 36(6), 2349–2371.
