The Dangers of Closed Minds

“When you maintain a closed mind you are not keeping other people from getting in, rather you are preventing yourself from getting out.”  -Jason Moore

I have been indulging in John Maxwell’s library of leadership material.  During which, I have learned a lot about an organization’s leadership lid and the issues that affect a leaders growth potential.  One thing that bothered me about the whole thought of being limited by the leadership ability of my superiors was that I truly believe in 360 degree leadership.  Under 360 degree leadership you are essentially able to help guide and direct from any position in the organization.  What I came to understand, during a thought provoking conversation with some friends and coworkers, this morning at breakfast is that even with 360 degree leadership,  you cannot exceed the lid of those above you.   A great 360 leader can help elevate everyone around them, including superiors, but if the top stops progress then those under them will also eventually stop.

In the world of firefighting, especially within a leadership role,  if you are not constantly raising your leadership lid, then those under you are going to become stifled.

The most important aspect in this journey is to maintain an open mind.   If you close your mind then you fail to grow.   Train everyday to make you and your crew reach the maximum potential and don’t be the limiting factor within your organization.

Is Your Training Balanced?

It is getting to be that time of year. I don’t mean summertime; I am talking about conference time. Thousands converged on Indianapolis about a month ago, the South Carolina Firefighters Conference in Myrtle Beach is just around the corner, and there is also host of other conferences across the country that cover everything from extrication to ventilation. The training and networking at these conferences cannot be duplicated and it places a great deal of information at the fingertips of all the attendees.

While thumbing through trade journals and seeing other advertisements on the Internet I see ladder classes being taught by firefighters from the FDNY, fire ground size-up by seasoned veterans from Boston, and ventilation techniques being taught by some experienced “Truckies” from Philadelphia. There may also be a panel discussion conducted by highly revered fire chiefs from various departments across the country. This is all very important and critical training. I then thought about why is 95% of the training being dedicated to only 5% of what we actually do?

Now before fire comes spewing out of your ears and your head spins off your shoulders, let me explain. We should, as a profession attend and train at every opportunity with different instructors to increase the “tools” we can use to mitigate incidents and save our own lives. Emergency events are low frequency, high risk events, and training is the way to stay alive, but what are you doing to train for the 95% of the job you do as a fire officer, or mentoring fire officers? The other 95% is dealing with people. Properly managing the crew. Trying to balance the different personalities on your team to work as a group no matter what. Knowing who can do what and how well they can do it. Believe it or not, most people in groups get a great deal of satisfaction by feeling they are contributing to the goals of the group. Maslow has been stating it for years. They may not seems interested because “paperwork is for the chief”, but the reality is most people want to do well and get a level of satisfaction if given the opportunity.

Here are a few things I did (and was mentored to do) to help provide the need for responsibility and ownership of crews I have worked with in the past.

• Allow the crew to decide among themselves on items that impact them such as housework duties, fair rotation of riding positions, and in-house training subjects.

• Train personnel to complete daily staffing and training reports.

• Assign training subjects to personnel who have good knowledge of a subject. This is a “low stress, high success” route that helps build self-esteem.

• Use You Tube to search videos on personnel issues (use discretion and good judgment). Using your department policies, have an open discussion on how the situation could be handled.

• Use situations from other departments, such as the shooting gag conducted by a department in Georgia, discuss what the outcome was for that department and compare it to what your department polices are.

• Allow your crewmembers to fill out their own performance evaluation. You would not use the one they wrote but this allows them the opportunity to see and use the form before they become company officers themselves. It has been my experience that people will rate them selves lower than the supervisors does.

Every little bit helps. The more personnel are allowed to provide input, the more buy-in, the better the results. I am not saying let “the tail wag the dog”, just listen. Most importantly make sure they understand the parameters and they may not always like the final decision. They already know who is in charge; they just want to take part. The key is to balance the training now to have a balanced fire officer later.

Stay Safe and Trust!

Jimmy Ghi

Value of Self-Reflection

When evaluating the gambit of skills needed to be a successful officer, there is one that is perhaps the most valuable and yet hardest to develop.  I am referring to self-reflection, which in itself seems easy to do however, skewed perceptions often leave our true self image twisted and distorted like a fun-house mirror.  In addition, many of us fail to realize that self reflection is not merely what we think of ourselves rather it is the ability to see ourselves in relation to the external world that exists outside our mind.  Without this ability we fail to understand the impact of our actions and truly understand who we are or how we fit within the group.  While self-esteem should remain internally driven, self-reflection needs to look at the bigger picture.

Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, in comparison to your environment, is key to identifying your role.  Not every leader is equipped to handle every situation.  Knowing where you fit and realizing what is within your comfort zone is beneficial to everyone involved.  False confidence by over or under estimating yourself leads to becoming vague rather than definite and decisive.  The vagueness is a defense mechanism so that when challenged the person can skew the decision/answer they gave to fit the new information, thus attempting to appear right.  You will gather more respect and build a better team if you take an honest look at yourself and admit when you have short-comings.  Also, in maintaining integrity, if you cannot be honest with yourself, how can anyone expect you to be honest with them?  I am my worst critic, and over the years have learned to accept outside opinion, relating to aspects of my performance to help balance out my true self-image.  This works both ways.  Whether others see you better or worse, than you see yourself, maintaining balance is key to improving as a leader.

So, now that we have explored the reasons for self-reflection, the question is how to accurately complete a self-survey to see the reflection.  First step is to put yourself in the right state of mind.  Although not a formal process, it is one that requires attention to detail and a look at the bigger picture.  You need to accept that you may not like the answers you come to while maintaining the ultimate goal, of being better, as your focus.  Next, look at your internal perspective.  What are your values?  What are your perceptions?  How comfortable are you with the situation?  What do you excel and struggle with?  What is your level of commitment?  When you have the answers to those questions, it is important to gather external perspectives.  These can come from formal evaluations, personal discussions, or by focusing on the non-verbal ques given off by those around you.  In this stage of the process I like to have a trusted mentor/friend/co-worker who isn’t afraid to tell it to me straight.  I often find myself asking these people questions like…. did I handle _____ appropriately?  What do you think about _____?  The final piece to this puzzle is something we practice our entire lives starting in early child-hood.  This is evaluating cause and effect.  Successful officers are able to see beyond the initial effect.  An example of this concept is spilling a glass of water.  Simple cause and effect would dictate that the glass is empty and there is a mess.  Extended cause and effect would evaluate the placement of the glass, the amount of fluid inside, the conditions that led to the spill, the spill itself, hazards and subsequent actions that might occur from the water, the result of not having water in a glass(thirst, etc.), the added effort and resources needed to clean up the spill, the actions and effort needed to refill the glass, and even ways to prevent the spill from reoccurring.  Self-reflection will help you realize that every action has extended effects.  In the complicated interactions between people the ripple, created by your actions, can effect those who may have no direct contact with you.

Some closing remarks……Always consider that no-one can see your intentions, therefore your actions are what define you to others.  Using self-reflection as a 360 degree understanding, you will become a better leader since it will allow you to see how you influence others.  Everything you do or say is analyzed and translated through the perceptions of others making it necessary to see things from other points-of-view.  Never assume you are the best or worst when compared to others, there is always someone who will prove you wrong.  Maintaining a balanced self-reflection is the key to unlocking your potential as a person and leader.

Regaining Long-Lost Employees

While working on the book I am writing, I approached the subject of the different types of employees we find in our departments.  With a high concentration of Type A personalities, as found in most fire departments, there is one employee in particular that merits some additional attention.  I imagine that we all know someone like the person I am about to describe and each one of them, while similar, will have a broad spectrum of reasons for being that way.  This type of person is known as a disenfranchised employee (DE).  Many business leadership books list the DE as someone who used to care, perhaps was a star employee, and is now hurting the agency.  In the business world this accounts for lack in productivity, poor work environments, and a slew of problems that eat at a company’s bottom line.  In the fire service these people represent a growing number of “burned-out” employees that can put people in danger.

The old school way of thinking would dismiss these people, toss them to the side, with remarks pertaining to their inability to “make it” as a firefighter.  While this seems like the easiest and fastest fix, it fails to understand the merits of the individual and account for the cost associated with their training and experience.  In many cases, the brightest burning stars are the quickest to burnout.  The first question that needs to be asked is “what caused them to change?”  Identifying the personal or professional issues that caused the change is the first step to re-engaging the individual.  Word of caution though, we are not mental health professionals and do not need to act like it.  You do not have to dive into the personal life of your employees the analyze what went wrong.  A simple understanding of their situation will suffice.  Some common personal causes are: divorce, money problems, unhappy home-life, sick or dying family members, or lack of support at home. There is very little that we can do about these types of issues beyond acknowledging the problem and offering an employee assistance program. The more common issues that we can handle revolve around professional causes. Some of these include: lack of acknowledgment, not being validated, failure to progress, constantly being limited or micromanaged, lack of personal accountability within an organization, and having a perception of being mistreated.  While many of these problems are employee specific, there is also something to be said for noticing trends.  When multiple personnel show signs of being DE, there is often a bigger problem within the organization.

The question remains, “How do you re-engage someone who has become a DE?”  On a personal level, they need to have a reason to be connected to the organization.  No one, especially firefighters deal well with feeling like they are not needed.  Employees much like fire need specific components to grow.  I like to think of it as a spark, fuel, and air.  Finding a role that utilizes their specific talents is the fastest way to create a spark.  On its own, the spark is not enough to breathe new life into the employee.  The next component is fuel.  Just like a fire you cannot add too much or too little fuel if you expect growth.  The fuel is a two part formula that includes continuing projects to provide opportunities for success and positive reinforcement with honest feedback.  The final component is one that takes an experienced leader to understand.  Air in its simplest form means that the leader needs to give the DE room to succeed without leaving them feeling abandoned again.    Best case scenario, this career CPR will bring a DE back however, if wide-scale problems are present, individual action will not be enough.

On an organizational level, several DE’s are a sign of poor leadership/management practices.  Drops in morale, lack of advancement opportunities, failure to hold people accountable, and micromanaging supervisors are generally the root of the problem.  The effects are further compounded when the DE is a supervisor.  Our attitude as a leader is highly infectious.  Poor attitudes seem to be even more contagious than positive attitudes making it more difficult for positive attitudes to survive.  The biggest question in this scenario is how do you as a company officer fix DE problems that may stem from higher levels of management?  This is one of those “easier to explain than to do” scenarios.

You have to be persistently positive.  Find ways to give DE’s spark, fuel, and air while pushing for management changes.  Help to reestablish the organizational image.  Throughout an organization’s progression, the failure to pass on core values and pride will lead to senior personnel becoming DE and prevent newer employees from ever truly engaging.  Give credit where credit is due, stop “blanket policy” fixes, and treat people with respect.  No one wants to be a number, they need to be accepted and validated as important members of the group.   Failure to re-engage these employees will further support the perception that employees are numbers as they either leave or are let go and are replaced by newer, less experienced personnel.  This scenario is one that can be more rewarding than a traditional conflict resolution since you are not only fixing a problem but bringing back someone who use to be a strong performer.

I want to close with one of my favorite quotes….. “If you are not apart of the solution, you are apart of the problem.”

 

Thoughts on trade theory and the fire service.

While studying for my International Business class, I began to look at globalization and trade theories which attempt to explain the best practice for making the most while lowering cost.  Throughout my studies, I try to look at ways in which the material I am learning for business can be applied to the fire service.  Although I am sure I am not the first to look at the subject of reducing costs without reducing services, I like to think this idea has merit.

Without confusing the politics and nature of the theories as they relate to globalization, the one theory that interested me the most in relation to the fire service is a free-trade theory known as absolute advantage.  Basically, this theory states that some countries can produce certain goods more efficiently and by focusing on what they are good at they can afford to import other products they are less efficient at producing.  Here is the point where everyone reading this is scratching their head and wondering how it applies to the fire service.

Translation:  If each department focuses on something (rescue, HAZMAT, ect.), while creating automatic aid agreements to share their specialty/receive specialties with neighboring departments; then the result is a more diverse, more efficient, and better quality of service to the entire area.  Many departments try to be a one-stop shop which can spread resources, manning, and money pretty thin.  If interdepartmental organizations are created so that the burden of expense can be spread out over the members, the benefits can outweigh the cost.  The current economy has every politician and decision maker looking for ways to cut costs.  If your department is trying to be a stand alone group of specialties, it is not only wasteful when looking at the bigger picture it can also lead to some severe safety concerns.

Consider the number of hours it takes to obtain, recertify, and stay proficient with each skill set firefighters are expected to perform.  At a certain point, it becomes impossible to maintain proficiency with every single thing.  If you are like me then your “I Love Me Folder” is full of pieces of paper that certify me as proficient in the class I took.  The number of hours required to maintain firefighting, emergency medical, specialized rescue, and command proficiency is outrageous.  Now imagine the benefits of focusing on the basics and one or two extras.  I can either maintain mastery on a few things or barely skate by with many.  At the point in time when someone’s life is in jeopardy, would you want someone who skates by and fumbles with a task or jumps right in with the refined skills

As the fire service continues to progress, the need to combine resources, share across borders, and downsize government will grow exponentially.  After centuries of expanding, the only hope for government agencies including the fire service is to find ways to cut costs without placing our people in danger or reducing the level of service.  Bridging departments and expanding brotherhood/sisterhood relationships is the key to survival and excellence.

 

Your Role in Employee Retention

 

Many departments across the nation have been feeling the pain of tightened purse strings.  When government entities feel the need to cut sections from a budget, our career field is one of the few that look appealing since the better we do our jobs, the less it seems like we are needed.  With this fact in mind, there are certain retention factors (salary, benefits, promotions) that are out of our hands however, the biggest factor is greatly influenced by line supervisors.

What is this magical retention factor?  Job satisfaction.  While we are not here to sugar coat everything and  make people believe the problems don’t exist, there should be a certain amount of political foresight before we open our mouths.  A negative officer makes a negative house.  If you only focus on the negative, those under you will be influenced to do the same.

When considering the negativity we are often expected to break to the people under us (lack of salary increases, position/hiring freezes, or even layoffs) it is hard to find a positive spin.  The best thing you as an officer can do is begin to think like a chief.  It is easy to criticize a decision when you only look at the little picture however, understanding what was gained or what wasn’t lost by the decision allows for the positive to come out.  For instance, you are given the news that there will be no pay raises this year.  You can either grumble to the crew that we are all getting screwed or in some cases point out that by accepting the lack of a raise, no one is going to lose their job this year.  I guarantee the newest guy on the department will be relieved as will some of those getting close to retirement.  The point is that the way you handle the bad news will have an immense impact on the way everyone reacts.

Beyond playing the political game of putting a positive spin on things, there are many other factors that the officer has direct control over.  Mainly, the way you treat your crew.  Job dissatisfaction is the number one reason people search for other employment opportunities.  Obvious things you can do to help job satisfaction include:  treating your people with respect, fostering  the brotherhood mentality, providing training for advancement, and providing positive feedback.  Some of the less obvious things include:  listening to complaints, following up with concerns, being your crew’s advocate, and providing empowerment opportunities.

In many of my human resource classes, there was a section that talked about motivation in the employment setting.  The number one thing most people put down in discussion boards as the best motivator was money.  The truth about money is that it is a temporary satisfier.  What I mean by that statement is when money is relied on as a motivator, you will never be able to pay enough.  Working overseas as a contract firefighter making six-figures a year seems like a dream.  Even with a six figure salary, the complaint about pay raises was present.  That in itself proves that you cannot rely on money to maintain your employee pool.  The officers below Fire Chief have to assume some responsibility for working within the confines of things they can change to make people want to stay.  Let’s face it, the job sells itself, it is up to us to sell the department as a place people want to be!

 

FDIC….Day 5

I am grateful for the opportunity to come to FDIC.  I hope to come back next year as an instructor.  I have met a lot of great people and feel recharged.  After homework, I have to start writing my post-conference report and product evaluations.  Time to get a little nap in and get ready for the trip back home.  Look forward to some great articles in the coming weeks!

FDIC… Day 4

I am starting to wish that FDIC was just one or two more days longer than it is so I didn’t have to pick and chose which class I want to take, during a certain time block.  That and some type of teleportation device would be nice since the conference center and adjoining stadium are huge.  Beyond that I had the opportunity to meet “the Fire Critic” and “Iron Fire Men” creators/authors.  There are so many opportunities to network and gain valuable information outside of the actual classes.  Anyway, I am beat and have homework to do so till next time….

FDIC… Day 3

Yesterday I finally met Paul Combs who does the fantastic firefighter cartoons.  I have to say he is a lot younger than I imagined.  Beyond that, I have enjoyed the first two days or the pre-conference and look forward to the next three days of learning.  I don’t know if you are here or not but I had a hard time choosing between the classes.  There are so many I want to take that have the same time slot.  Whether you are here or not, I will be writing about my experience and will put excerpts from that paper on this site later.  If anyone is interested in having the entire paper sent to them, along with any of my previous conference reports, just let me know and I would be more than happy to zip them down and e-mail them.  Well, time to go to opening ceremonies….. till next time!

Facing adversity

Today is definitely in the top ten of worst days in my life, a day that no firefighter wants to face.  For a breed of person that often finds themselves fighting the odds and yet are unwilling or unable to give up; leaving the line seems unbearable.

I recently found out that I have a condition that makes it extremely painful to walk which makes wearing fire boots seem like some ancient torture device.  Throughout the entire ordeal I have wrestled with the idea of having to leave something I love. Beyond just having an outlet for how I am feeling, I wanted to share this experience to make a point and maybe reassure myself that things will be ok.

Many of my coworkers didn’t know how to react to the news any better than I do now. This problem like all problems faced by fire officers is not beyond being overcome through tenacity and maintaining hope. This particular problem seems like the end of the world today but I know in a few years may be the beginning of something better.

The point that I am trying to make is that whether it’s a medical problem, financial issues, or some other life altering event; the need to take a structured approach is appropriate. Like any other curve-ball thrown at us on an emergency scene, life’s emergencies need to be evaluated, mitigated, and restored back to the best condition possible. The biggest benefit to being in the fire service is that at the end of the day you never have to face your problems alone.

I often tell people when I teach the lesson concerning the wellness of first responders to know when to seek help. Often just sharing your problem with someone is enough to give you room to breathe and look at your options. Don’t put on the blinders and face any problem with tunnel vision. Anchor yourself to someone or something that can weather the coming storm and prepare to face adversity with open options. For many there is nothing stronger than the desire to succeed. Life wouldn’t be worth living if everything was handed to you on a silver platter. Embrace your adversity and above all, never give up!

I close this posting with a quote that has helped me when things looked the worst….

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
– Thomas Edison