Changing the culture should start with the setting the climate.

I hope by now that you have taken  some time to read the 16 Life Safety Initiatives that has been created through the work of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.  If that doesn't suit your fancy, maybe you have taken the time to read the National Safety Culture Change Initiative FA-342/April 2015 produced through FEMA.

If you have NOT already read either of these items you need to.

Right away.

We, as in all your brothers and sisters. We'll wait. Go ahead. Copy and paste into your browser.

Now, hopefully you have taken the time to become familiar with them. It leads into our next series of thoughts.

The 16 Life Safety Initiatives were developed in 2004 in Tampa FL at the Firefighter Safety Summit. They are a series of well thought out and well researched items.

They have been around since 2004. Did I mention they were written in 2004?

Its 2015. Maybe we didn't get them all right the first time. It was Florida. It was sunny. I hear they have beaches and such. Maybe the guys just didn't get them all on paper the way they intended. I doubt it. The list of folks involved seems pretty legit. They all play hard ball for the most part.

Okay, lets fast forward to April 2015. A group of like minded folks got together and had some ideas that they got down on paper. They gave a respectful nod to the folks that created the life safety initiative info. Then, they outlined one very special, one very crucial component.

Climate.

If you want to change the culture you first have to start with changing the climate. This likely is going to start small. It may even mean that you are going to have to make some internal changes in the organization, or maybe....eeek.....within yourself.

Its ok to change. Are you the same you as 15 years ago?

The career world is a much different place then when some of us began here. Its different for a multitude of reasons. Some good and some bad. Regardless it has changed and its time that we keep up with it. Are you being or doing?

I realize that we have taken kind of a long road to get to this. We have to start to evaluate on small scale approaches. A majority of the Unites States is served by smaller scale departments. Its time that we begin to evaluate and develop a course of action for these agencies. It can not always be a top down or training by radio transmission approach.

If we take a deeper look at climate change in an organization I think that we need to look at organization and sense community as it relates.

Four Factors that Contribute to a Sense of Community.

1) Membership
2) Influence
3) Integration and Fulfillment
4) Shared Connection

Membership is a starting point for so many lessons in organizational development. You have to have the commitment of the membership to move in any direction. Some will catapult ideas into the future and others will keep things on a low simmer and let something spoil. The bottom line with this is that you have to maintain momentum and you have to allow the members to move the project along. Provide parameters and allow for movement to occur. Failures will happen and people will leave the momentum at times but you must be able to keep progressing in a forward direction. Engage the people that are motivating factors within the group. Remember, motivation can be positive and negative.

Influence is something that can be a little more difficult to manage. Some people have lots of influence and its all in the wrong direction or with the wrong motivating factors. When you are in a position of influence you do not necessarily have to be in a position of leadership or authority. Identify your sources of influence and bring them into the project.

Integration and fulfillment applies directly to whatever your project may be. If you are working on increasing participation in a volunteer or combination department you are aware of the daily struggle to maintain  participation levels. Its a ripple effect problem. Some departments in the nation are having great success with integrating per-diem or paid staffing times. This does come with a new host of combined problems but with the right levels of direction and organizational guidance they are great solutions.

Develop shared connections within your cadre. Its highly likely that you have folks that have unexplored connections within their lives. Some of them may be able to work collaboratively to put solutions on the table.

Develop a mindset that you are going to approach problems in a team like atmosphere. The team may consist of different shifts or crews or it may be from a management or officer team.

Engage your folks in an internal mentoring program. Develop connections within the department that will help to promote through the ranks but will also help to develop follow through as transitions in and out of roles occurs.

In closing its not easy to commit to an organization that does not share a common thread. Making the people and the mission of the organization the common thread is bound to improve the outcome.

Look our and network with other agencies. In this day and age their is no acceptable answer to not be able to connect with someone. If you need a resource or need some guidance let us know and we will be happy to help connect you with someone!

Best wishes for you and your organization in 2016!

Expectations are up to you.

 This is an issue that plagues every station. It has infected every agency at any given time.

It doesn’t always appear in a time that you would expect. I always thought that it would arrive around low morale or periods of intense conflict.

It seems to be part of the cultural divide. It appears that holding people accountable has somewhere along the way gotten mixed up with lack of oversight and a myriad of other things. It looks to me like there are lots of people that know how lots of people should be doing there job but go on not being able to skillfully execute theirs. This is, at times, comingled with the lack of integrity. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. 

Its is important for you to remember something, its up to you to “Do your job”, Captain Mark VonAppen has put this to the boards time and time again. 

DO YOUR JOB! 

Not what you think the Chiefs job is, not what you think the Captains job is, not another officer or firefighters job. Do what you are assigned. You must do YOUR job, you must do it proficiently and must do it without haste and to the best of your ability. If you do that every single time you are setting the expectation. Not just internally that you are going to give your best effort every time, but that you expect this from the others in your company.  This generates the expectation that you are no longer going to accept anything less than this level of accuracy.

If you want to set standards you are going to have to be willing to set the standards and maintain them as well. As a leader or a follower remain consistent. It is at the heart of the matter.

 

I challenge you to join the ranks of the people who live what they teach, who walk the talk. Be a human doing not a human being. 

Live what you read, promote directed and intelligent change, and be willing to move mountains if that’s what it is going to take to make things better. Not just for you. Do it for the others on the line, for the crews to come and for the communities that we serve. They are expecting it. Your peers are expecting it.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present.

-NexGen

Sentenced to Death

In what is becoming an all to usual fashion again at the hands of the mighty dollar we see that training is being slashed once again.

The bean counters have spoken and they have decided that the cost of out of state or out of department training is too costly to have a benefit for the department.

The bean counters have decided. Does anyone see the flaw? I know very little about counting beans. I would never presume to tell the bean counters what they would need for continuing education or professional development. Is their a bean counting HOT program?

Training can and should happen everyday. Not every training is going to be grandiose. Encourage each member of your crews to develop a training series on something that they are passionate about. All of the major media players have downloadable drills on their websites. Use them. Its why they are there. If we do not train regularly we are sentencing each other to death. We cant afford to not train. No one knows it all. Despite what "that guy" thinks.

This being said we have had some trade show incidents that don't necessarily help our plight. Some ethanol fueled shenanigans have placed some of our less scrupulous brother and sisters in some hot water. Don't hand out black eyes. These things impact more than you.

Soon many of you will be headed to the Inner Harbor where you will meet with many other brother and sisters whom are their to learn. Yes, I agree that the networking and fellowship is part of the training. You gain the ability to meet with others and see what they are doing in their agencies. Be level headed, Play nicely with others and don't do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the Padre.

Yes! It matters!

What you do matters. What you say matters. How you treat others matters.

What you drive does not matter. What you wear does not matter (except for PPE). The number within your bank account doesn’t matter.

What matters is your connection to others, the way that you treat them and the manner in which you conduct yourself. You are wearing and driving a billboard. That is what matters.

Somewhere along the line a lot of people lost site on what matters. I am guilty of it. We all struggle with many things that rob us of our focus. I am fortunate to have a group of people that do their best to keep me on task and directed. If you haven’t found your board of directors and what that is about then I suggest you start here. Captain Andrew Starnes does an amazing job of outlining what your Board of Directors should look like.

                    https://bringingbackbrotherhood.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/the-board-of-directors/

Where did the shift come from?

Did we focus too much on science and technology and changing bad or outdated techniques?

Is it a cultural divergent that has led us to this point?

Do we just not care?

Interpersonal skills are not covered in Fire I or II. It is only covered nominally in many of the leadership programs.

An entire market has been created by motivating individuals to grow and succeed. It is one of the reasons that NexGen is developing some of the programs that we are developing. The bottom line is this though. You still have to be able to effectively be a people person. You have to be able to speak with them on their bad days and their good days.

Its not just here in the fire service folks, its everywhere. Workforce dynamics are changing dramatically. Close nit people in close nit environments tend to develop a connection. I will agree that those of us blessed to be able to go out and battle ole man fire may have a different level of resolve to our friendships but the bottom line is that the “brotherhood” isn’t really dead. It is still there. It’s just a little more diverse now, it’s a little more “kinder & gentler” now.

Internal Affairs - Sometimes it time.

 There comes a time within every organization that some checks and balances need to be checked and balanced and the process of reviewing the overall operations has to happen.

This is about making strategic changes.

6 Integral Organizational Values:

1)      Integrity

2)      Value of Employees

3)      Quality Service

4)      Forward Thinking

5)      Open Administration

6)      Community Centered

In our class on organization modeling we discuss at length how each value applies to the individuals in the crew, the officers and the organization as a whole.

Briefly, it is about people. It is always about people.

The crews don’t get away with it that easy. We outline the important things that they have to bring to the table also.

8 Desired Crew Qualities:

1)      Integrity

2)      Teachability

3)      Growth

4)      Productivity

5)      Self-Motivated

6)      Honesty

7)      Transparency

8)      Authenticity

Sounds like the crews get more of the responsibility doesn’t it?

As you step back and begin to look into the organization you have to do it from a neutral

perspective. This can be difficult to do if you are involved within the organization. This is why we recommend finding an outside source to do this. It doesn’t have to be a highly polished consultant agency but a disinterested party will certainly level the playing field. I have tried to do it from within an organization and failed miserably. You may be able to reach out to your state fire service oversight board and see if they can look at things.

 

  

You have to first start this process with evaluating your mission statement.

If you are not articulating what your common goal is supposed to be you are setting everyone up for failure. The goal should be established by a core group of interested people.

Everyone! Your leaders, your followers, and everyone in between must buy in to this mission. It is the only way to make it explicitly clear that

you are all working in the same direction. Post it everywhere!

When you have new rookies make sure that they get a copy of it. I recommend on the first day that they report to actually give them a copy. Frame it. Make it clear that this is the expectation.

One of the most important things that we have learned from the people that we have worked with is that they want to know what is expected of them. This can be difficult in smaller organizations when people hold multiple roles within an organization but it still will need to be clearly defined what their purpose is.

Make sure that everyone is working on the same page. If someone needs to be temporarily reassigned make sure that they are aware of the mission for the assignment.

Finally, we wanted to point out some of the instant killers in organizations. These are the things that will send your people heading to the next job fair.

The following items are things that are lethal toxins. We believe that they lead to toxic environments and are things that need to be addressed quickly and efficiently.

1)      Poor leadership

2)      Under Appreciated Staff

3)      Requiring blind trust

4)      Gossip

5)      Negative Environment

6)      Failed Communication

This article is just scratching the surface of what to look into with organizational wellness. It is truly a difficult task to undertake and inevitably not everyone will be pleased with the outcome. We are a constantly changing community service field with more restrictions and requirement to participate with unrealistic expectations. No one ever joined the book club in town expecting that they were going to drag hose and climb ladders. We are a different breed and this is why we need to stay on top of issues as they arise.

If you want help evaluating your organization reach out to us and we will help.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present. 

It goes beyond a white board.

1. Classroom management. I think that we are looking at it in the wrong manner. I think what it needs to focus on is making the environment clean and comfortable and conducive to learning. It should be free of distractions and if its in the room it should work (technology issues). Equally as is important as those things I think that the classroom needs to be dynamic. Learning is NOT a static environment. Utilize all the space, utilize all the abilities of the space. If your lesson out grows the classroom....change out of the classroom. 
2. Your title is Instructor or Educator or Professor and everyone recognizes that you have worked really hard to get their. I completely respect the efforts that you have put in to get to this point in your career. Try to not to focus on it too much. Really. Think of yourself more as a facilitator. The person that helps to find knowledge and leads to lessons. I have an appreciation for lesson plans. Dont be afraid to learn from the students. Education = knowledge exchange. I understand that they are going to make sure that all of the material is covered and that we are meeting standards. Prescribed education is no fun for the student or the facilitator. This outside the text. Its O.K. Really. 
3. Remember that being a student does NOT mean that you are not smart. You are in the class for a reason. Interactive classrooms and dynamic classes are SO MUCH more fun for everyone to be in than a room of nodding heads. 

Just some thoughts from a guy that has spent some time on both ends of the desk recently.

. 

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present. 

-NexGen

Mediocrity is just as toxic as bad leadership.

Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? You can’t scream for cultural changes if you are not willing to change yourself.

 

Mediocrity is just as toxic as bad leadership.

It is one of the jobs of a leader, especially in the firehouse culture, to help set the tone. The folks on the line are going to look to you to set the standard for training, for operations, for more things than could possibly be outlined in an SOP manual or directorial doctrine. They will look to this to the point that you may even need to set the moral compass. It will be up to you to set the tone.

Conduct yourself in a manner that leaves little room for questioning motive. Clarity, authenticity, and transparency are excellent blocks for foundational leadership.

Here are some things to consider:

Don’t assume that everyone is starting from the same starting point.       

           

• The folks on your crew may not be reporting as ready for duty as you would have hoped. This is an opportunity for you to set the standard. Outline to them when they begin that this is the way that your shift, house, assignments run.

• Develop a system to measure progress with them. Establish benchmarks with them and measure the progress to these things regularly. This is a key element to include in the review of probationary personnel. If you are not reviewing with them their ability to meet objectives then you are not leading them. Coaching is a huge part of leadership. Generally the standard department level review process is not enough and is usually set in place to make sure that people are meeting the minimum standards. We can no longer accept the minimum standard.

• Train. Yes, you. With them. Train with them and know their assets and limitations. Get to know your folks on the line. Find out what their story is. Why they are there. What have they done in the past. What do they aspire for. What are their hobbies. Find out about their families. I am asking you to invest in them. It will give you a little insight and give you a much better place to start from when you need to fight next to them.

• Share in the triumphs and tragedies as they come along. This happens to everyone as we negotiate our way through life. Whether it be personal accomplishments throughout the process or difficult life situations that arise as they come through the program. Be there for them. You said you wanted to be. 

• Show them who you are. Give them your contact information. Send them a note or even a text message just before their 1^st shift or assignment or meeting to let them know that you are looking forward to working with them.

The fire service has had a lot of discussion of the last few years about the loss of the brotherhood or the death of it. It certainly isn’t just relative that we have had the same cultural issues in society. With that you have to ask yourself if you have been part of the brotherhood or a poll bearer at its demise.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present. 

Don't get your pride wrong.

I think that we have come to a time where we need to step back and evaluate the message that we are sending on pride.

 

To be perfectly clear I think that we are getting it wrong.

I, much like you, am very proud to be a firefighter. I am proud to be in a profession that is steeped in tradition and is solely based on what we can provide for others. I do carry on a long family tradition and am honored to be able to.

In our chosen profession we are, by nature, giving people. We want to provide all that we can for every person that we come into contact with. We want to be the person that extinguishes the fire or saves a loved one. We are supposed to be selfless and brave. I am going with the notion that most of the time we are on the mark.

I am aware that there are a few anomalies that have managed to maintain that level of dedication to one another that was only destroyed by illegal acts that forced expulsion or by death. That’s right, I am saying that you were in until you were kicked out or you passed on and even then if you had passed on believe me you would never be forgotten.

I have been fortunate. There are some that have stayed the course as I have moved from agency to agency I also have been blessed enough to have met some new brothers and sisters along the way. They are like gold.

The pride that we are supposed to be focusing on is for our house, for our job and for each other. We have to be proud of each other.

If your spending too much time being proud of yourself your not doing it right.

This job is not about you. Ever.

Teaching about the past is valuable. As we move forward with progress we need to be conscious of the past. Their likely is a reason that something is done that way that it is. It does not mean that we cant look it over and see if we can do it more efficiently or safely. This may seem odd from a guy that is hosting a page titled NEXGEN but I am concerned that the message is being crossed. I strongly believe that we are able to bridge the gap. 

I am very much about progress. I am very much about promoting and educating the next generation of leaders and firefighters. I am all about scientifically proven tactics applied to fire suppression.

I am also about brothers and sisters recognizing that there is much more to this than “I”.

This goes well beyond being the smartest or fastest or favorite person in the department. This goes beyond the wall full of plaques and degrees and certificates.

This starts with a core human value: Compassion.

We are losing the compassion for one another not just in the fire service but in the human race.

As you go forth from here think about how you can bring compassion back to the table. Think of the one act that you can bestow upon the others. This is your family. This is your crew. You depend on them just as much as they depend on you.

Maybe it is time that we stop letting each other down. Perhaps it is time for us to step back and look at how we can make we better. It isn’t going to be easy and there is likely going to be a bunch of yelling, kicking, screaming, bitching, pissing, and moaning. Build the better fire service culture from you. 

Start with you. Start with one small step.

I am beginning with me. My first step is to be less critical of people. This doesn’t mean that I am going to be handing out free passes all around folks. It just means that I need to be more approving of things. Less smug I guess.  

What are you going to do?

The Affliction.......YOU ARE LAZY!!!

Stop being lazy!

I am sorry that all the way through your real world educational experience you were patted on the back and sent along and told that everything would be ok.

I am sorry that you were given a trophy or certificate just for participating.

I am sorry that when you parents called and gave your school administrator a hard time that it trickled down to your teacher and suddenly your grades some how started to seem a little better.

I am sorry that people gave up on you! I don’t know why and I certainly don’t think that we should be giving them an award but since we have in the past we will give them a trophy of some sort.

You’re on the line now. If you want us to take you seriously you have to put in the effort.

You see when this all started it was misunderstood that we were going to be here to teach folks how to be fair to everyone and how we would have to be easier on the NexGen.

Totally not the case! Sorry if you misunderstood us. We are about hard work, dedication, tenacity, grit, determination and lots of really, really, really hard work.

You see no one is saved easily. Not every rescue will go like a textbook say it is supposed to. Not every fire suppression tactic can be seen on YouTube.

Hear me know and hear me loud and clear.

THERE IS VALUE IN EXPERIENCE!

NO ONE IS TRYING TO HURT YOU OR LOOK BETTER THAN YOU!

WE WANT YOU TO NOT DIE OR GET BURNED IN A FIRE!!!!

This is precisely why that instructor at the academy has been riding you so hard. We really don’t care too much about your letter grades. Nobody has ever “lettered” at the academy.

We really just want to keep you safe and alive and keep you here so you  can help us help keep them safe.

Thanks,

The less huggy and gently side of

NexGen

Lucky #13

As we begin to transcend generations in the fire service we are at a pivotal moment. We are rapidly approaching a shift in direction. The changing direction is not based on tactics, science, or procedure. It is based on leading people and not simply managing an organization. At the heart of the organization is its people. 

Leadership is about people.

We are coming into a social series in which leadership is now based on credential based leaders and away from the motivational styles of the past. This is a double edged sword. Leaders must be knowledgeable in the craft of fire suppression with a reasonable understanding of the technical and scientific based aspects but they also must be able to motivate a multigenerational organization toward a common goal.

There are many opportunities where emergency services and military services have come into the arena looking to tackle the same problems. Recognition Primed Decision Making was one of the first models that was used to evaluate the interaction between leadership decision making between leaders in the fire service and leaders in the armed services. In this study they evaluated how leaders in both groups made calculated decisions and what models they used to make them.

The military style of leadership trends more toward rank, structure and discipline. We in the fire service have attempted to mimic that and have had limited success. The success on this is really dependant, at times, on the organizational model that is in place, having clearly defined roles for leaders within the organization and adhering to the policies, procedures, and overall tone of the agency.

Motivating factors for leaders can come from a variety of different things. Some are there for the power and authority others are in place because it was their time, while some have risen through the rank and file based on performance and dedication. The method in which leaders are chosen varies through out the fire service. While some go through an assessment center still others are voted in by populous within the organization, and in a few remaining places within the country they are voted in on the general government ballot by the citizens of the communities for which they serve.

When looking at the base for which they are selected it’s not unreasonable to look and see that some of the leaders are failing miserably. We are seeing this in small towns and large urban centers. We can’t blame the leaders, well, not entirely anyway. They may have never had any sort of leadership development. As we said earlier, some were voted in by popular vote. Some may be suffering from antiquated notions from which to operate. This will likely not end well for these leaders. Especially if they are of the thought process that nothing is wrong and that the way that they have always done it is working just fine.

 Shared with this article is a clip from a presentation by Stormin Norman Schwarzkopf, in 2010 General Schwarzkopf shared with the world 14 basic rules for leadership. They are easy enough to find, all you have to do it enter it into any search engine and you will find them. We are going to focus on lucky #13:

“When placed in command take charge”

This doesn’t simply mean that now that you are there it time to toss over the apple cart and see what you can stir up.

It starts simply with “When placed in command…….

However you may have ended up in the leadership role is not of any relevance to the rule. Regardless of it how you got there it is now time to take charge. 

Develop your leadership skills in a manner that affords you to interact with all the personnel within your organization.

Above all now that you are here own it. Own up to everything that is involved in your position. Honesty and transparency are strong character traits that will compliment any great leader’s character.

While we are on the topic of character, be of strong character, in a positive manner. Be something that sets the example. No one is going to follow you if you aren’t willing to set the tone and show them that this is where the bar is.

Strong leadership has nothing to do with managing people. Leadership is about people. Its about showing them their value to the organization, about showing them that without them their the team is incomplete. Engage them. Bring them in and show that you are accountable to them just as they are accountable to the organization and then you.

Go out with the crews, engage them and set the standards.

They expect it. 

-NexGen

www.nexgenleadership.net

Be 100%.

I sit down to write tonight not to promote my organization, not to bring in the dollars, not to develop some sort of strong hold on a market. I sit down to write tonight because I feel compelled to.

NexGen started as a vision. The vision that I would someday travel the globe speaking on the behalf of the up and comers within organizations and companies and motivate them to do their best in everything that they do. I wanted to be the person that had the one phrase that would bring someone to a new level of understanding and motivation. There are many amazing programs out there that are under recognized or utilized. We have a wealth of possibilities. By no means have I met my mark, but I am not calling myself a failure either.

I have interacted with people from many walks of life and many successful people through this journey. Some have given me guidance and advice and others not so much.

What I am saying is that at some point along the way I discovered something. I am fallible. I am real.

I have watched countless guru videos on team building, leadership motivation, organizational culture and to this point have found that they are all kind of saying the same thing. Do your best, seek to improve daily, stay motivated toward a goal and find your path. I am still finding my path. I am human. I am real.

I will continue to seek out ways to improve myself. If I don’t I am not benefitting myself, my family or my community. My journey is quite different. My journey is solely mine and yours is solely yours. All we can do through this time is try to understand that we are all on our own journeys and that we must stay focused on our journey.

I have goals that are still on the horizon and I am working toward them. The path toward my goals isn’t always clear to me. I am sure that all in time they will be revealed. I just have to be still enough and quiet enough to see the plans laid out for them.

I sat down with the blank screen with thoughts of discussing my outreach toward God and working to discover my purpose in life. I was going to write great things about the lessons that I am learning and how my soul is changing. But that is my journey. Not yours. I am human. I am real.

So as I finish tonight please understand this. We all have a journey. Many of us don’t recognize this journey until it is almost over. I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be part of my journey. I want to be a human being….not a human doing.

Go out. Be safe. Be well. Respect the journey.

-NexGen

Incipient Leadership

 For purposes of the article I am using IFSTA definition of fire growth.

“According to the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) there are 4 stages of a fire.  These stages are incipient, growth, fully developed, and decay.”

If you travel back to any of your basic fire service education models you learned at one point that a fire has an incipient stage. This is defined as the early stages of development when all of the elements are coming together to then evolve into the growth period, then moving to a fully developed fire and finally ending at decay.

We are focusing on incipient. This of course is the stage in which there are many variables that will have an impact on the development of the fire.

I’d like to explore and analogize this as it relates to developing leadership characteristics and behaviors in the fire service.

The initial elements in the incipient stage are:

• Heat
• Oxygen
• Fuel Source

Heat:

As generally correlated we will place heat and passion in a similar context. When you began your exploration of the fire service you were likely filled with unwavering passion that led to long hours in the books or on the drill yard mastering the craft. The craft was what you lived for. It coursed through your veins and mind like an intoxicating notion of grandeur. It brought you to the level of intense dedication that every single fire chief looks for in a new recruit. You were unstoppable. Maybe you were the guy that could without reservation site any number of suppression theories and the reasons and science behind them. Maybe you were the guy that knew the design and history of every piece of equipment that was in the station or assigned to the apparatus. Which ever you were you were certainly one thing, you were a Firefighter, in every sense of the word.

Oxygen:

This is the area in which you began to breathe. You had some time under your belt and maybe a few jobs along the way. You were beyond smelling fire and had probably extinguished a few room and contents by now. Maybe made some intense medical runs. You were able to exercise some of those honed skills that you had been ready with for what seemed like far too long. You got to actually do. You got to show the guys what you are actually made of. You had grit, tenacity, skills and abilities. What could possibly get in the way .

Fuel Source:

Finally you get seen for what you are doing. You are not looking for the pat on the back. You just want to be seen for what you are doing. Maybe taken under the wing of someone that is ready to help you get to the next level. This, much like in the world of fire is where things can get difficult. Everyone see the new up and comer and not everyone is ready to help you along. Sometimes it can be down right impossible to find someone to mentor you in the middle. Chief Officers are too busy to doing Chief Officerish things and to be quite frank some of the guys just below them may have checked out already or worse yet are going to go to great lengths to keep “things” to a minimum. Do I need to spell that out? Unfortunately I am pretty sure I don’t.

Most often this is where things start to decay and the fact of the matter is that we never had a change to get through fully developed or growth. We are missing two of the 4 things that we need to for fully developed leadership. We got stuck before we could grow. Starved, smothered, extinguished.

This is where we need to focus. We really need to start to divert our attention in the land of leadership development to the guy in the middle. The guys that are ready for growth. Develop an evaluation system and start to look for growth from within your agencies before its time to have new leaders.

Leaders, build your replacement.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present.

-NexGen

Developing Standards

 There comes a time within every organization that some checks and balances need to be checked and balanced and the process of reviewing the overall operations has to happen.

This isn’t an article about making strategic changes without anyone knowing about it. It is not a guide to getting things over on the Chief. It is merely a stroll thru what I think is important in the process.

6 Integral Organizational Values:

1)      Integrity

2)      Value of Employees

3)      Quality Service

4)      Forward Thinking

5)      Open Administration

6)      Community Centered

In our class on organization modeling we discuss at length how each value applies to the individuals in the crew, the officers and the organization as a whole.

Briefly, it is about people. It is always about people.

The crews don’t get away with it that easy. We outline the important things that they have to bring to the table also.

8 Desired Crew Qualities:

1)      Integrity

2)      Teachability

3)      Growth

4)      Productivity

5)      Self-Motivated

6)      Honesty

7)      Transparency

8)      Authenticity

Sounds like the crews get more of the responsibility doesn’t it?

It’s true. They do.

It’s up to them to make the organization function. 

Without people its just stuff.

     As you step back and begin to look into the organization you have to do it from a neutral perspective. This can be difficult to do if you are involved within the organization. This is why we recommend finding an outside source to do this. It doesn’t have to be a highly polished consultant agency but a disinterested party will certainly level the playing field. I have tried to do it from within an organization and failed miserably. You may be able to reach out to your state fire service oversight board and see if they can look at things.

Yes, we realize that is a very intimidating prospect.

You have to first start this process with evaluating your mission statement.

If you don’t have one in place you have found your first issue to address.

The purpose of your mission statement is the driving force for your agency. It is operations 101. It has to be present. It has to be spelled out.  If you are not articulating what your common goal is you are setting yourself and your organization up for failure. The goal should be established by a core group of interested people. It should be brief and pin point accurate. 

Everyone! Your leaders, your followers, and everyone in between must buy in to this mission. Post it everywhere!

When you have new rookies make sure that they get a copy of it. I recommend on the first day that they report to actually give them a patch in a case with a mission statement attached to it. Make it clear that this is the expectation.

One of the most important things that we have learned from the people that we have worked with is that they want to know what is expected of them. This can be difficult in smaller organizations when people hold multiple roles within an organization but it still will need to be clearly defined what their purpose is.

Make sure that everyone is working on the same page. If someone needs to be temporarily reassigned make sure that they are aware of the mission for the assignment.

Finally, we wanted to point out some of the instant killers in organizations. These are the things that will send your people heading to the next job fair.

The following items are things that really do absolutely nothing for your department. We believe that they lead to toxic environments and are things that need to be addressed quickly and efficiently. Usually with a big hammer.  

1)      Poor leadership

2)      Under Appreciated Staff

3)      Requiring blind trust

4)      Gossip

5)      Negative Environment

6)      Failed Communication

This article is just scratching the surface of what to look into with organizational wellness. It is truly a difficult task to undertake and inevitably not everyone will be pleased with the outcome. We are a constantly changing community service field with more restrictions and requirement to participate with unrealistic expectations. No one ever joined the book club in town expecting that they were going to drag hose and climb ladders. We are a different breed and this is why we need to stay on top of issues as they arise.

If you want help evaluating your organization reach out to us and we will help.

Be safe out there. We need you back.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present.

-NexGen

Dont be a Fake'n Jake!

Tonight I write out of frustration. I guess I really am the odd guy out. Maybe I am the guy that doesn't fit into the culture, maybe just maybe I am the problem. I am totally OK with this. I am happy to be the problem child. I have filled that role many times. 

If I am the guy that is going to hold you to the standards that you are going to hold others to than I am OK with that also. I will be that guy. Every. Single. Time.

We are supposed to be building the brotherhood. That is what all of us are saying here. We lost the brotherhood. There is no brotherhood left. The brotherhood is dead. YOU killed it. You! That guy! The guy that is the last to show and the first to leave.

The guy that is there for the applause but wont check the saws. If you want to know where it is look. Look inside. Are you the guy that you would want to hang out with? Are you the one that you would turn to in life’s trying times? Are you?

How do we get through to them or do we just be done with them? I hate the idea of throwing anything away. People shouldn't be thrown away. A small list does exist though, of people and types that are disposable. Please make your own list. My list is mine.

If you want to be a brother be one. But for heavens sake be willing to put some heart and soul into it. Stop being a “Fake’n Jake’.

Be accountable to the guys that you said you would be there for. If you have a different opinion then you have a different opinion. We don't have the time or the inclination to continue on a path that is only self fulfilling. We have people dying for gods sake. People in the communities that we swore that we would protect. Brothers dying from preventable illnesses. Not every firefighter killer is going to come out of a NIOSH report. 

Some of you died a long long time ago. Something happened. We need you back. We need you back on the line ready. Ready to teach the new guys and girls that are coming along. We need you to stand BESIDE us, not in front of us, not behind us, we need you to join us, and as a team, as a commanding presence pass along to these folks the knowledge that they need to protect themselves, their fellow firefighters and the communities that they swore to protect. 

NexGens, be real. Above all. 

Thanks for all that your all doing. Go forth......fight the good fight.....be a good one....we need more good ones. 

Striving for mediocrity.

Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? You can’t scream for cultural changes if you are not willing to change yourself.

Mediocrity is just as toxic as bad leadership.

It is one of the jobs of a leader to set the tone. The folks on the line are going to look to you to set the standard for training, for operations, for more things than could possibly be outlined in an SOP manual or directorial doctrine. They will look to this to the point that you may even need to set the moral compass. It will be up to you to set the tone.

Conduct yourself in a manner that leaves little room for questioning motive. Clarity, authenticity, and transparency are excellent blocks for foundational leadership.

Here are some things to consider.

Don’t assume that everyone is starting from the same starting point.       

           

• The folks on your crew may not be reporting as ready for duty as you would have hoped. This is an opportunity for you to set the standard. Outline to them when they begin that this is the way that your shift, house, assignments run.

• Develop a system to measure progress with them. Establish benchmarks with them and measure the progress to these things regularly. This is a key element to include in the review of probationary personnel. If you are not reviewing with them their ability to meet objectives then you are not leading them. Coaching is a huge part of leadership. Generally the standard department level review process is not enough and is usually set in place to make sure that people are meeting the minimum standards. We can no longer accept the minimum standard.

• Train. Yes, you. With them. Train with them and know their assets and limitations. Get to know your folks on the line. Find out what their story is. Why they are there. What have they done in the past. What do they aspire for. What are their hobbies. Find out about their families. I am asking you to invest in them. It will give you a little insight and give you a much better place to start from when you need to fight next to them.

• Share in the triumphs and tragedies as they come along. This happens to everyone as we negotiate our way through life. Whether it be personal accomplishments throughout the process or difficult life situations that arise as they come through the program. Be there for them. You said you wanted to be.

• Show them who you are. Give them your contact information. If you really want to freak them out send them a note or even a text message just before their 1^st shift or assignment or meeting to let them know that you are looking forward to working with them.

Their is a lot going on. Their is almost always constant access to instant information. We are living in a microwave work force. We want a rapid response to the every situation whether it be in regards to an emergency or a workplace issue. Don't create committees to develop solutions. Committees further cloud and complicate an issue. The phrase "Dead in committee", wasn't coined because of the high efficiency of the system.  

The fire service has had a lot of discussion of the last few years about the loss of the brotherhood or the death of it. It certainly isn’t just relative that we have had the same cultural issues in society. Be real. Be what you want them to be. be the reasons that legends are passed along. Every minute is a chance to be a better you. With that you have to ask yourself if you have been part of the brotherhood or a poll bearer at its demise.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present. 

-NexGen

A divided house will fall.

The House Divided.

This is an issue that plagues every station. It has infected every agency at any given time.

It doesn’t always appear in a time that you would expect. I always thought that it would arrive around low morale times or periods of intense conflict, like budget problems or highly contested promotions, changes in leadership models or expansion of services but I can’t correlate it to those things.

It seems to be part of the cultural divide. It appears that holding accountable has somewhere along the way gotten mixed in with lack of oversight and many other things. It looks to me like there are lots of people that know how lots of people should be doing there job but go on not being able to skillfully execute theirs.

Its is important for you to remember something, its up to you to “Do your job”, Mark VonAppen has put this to the boards time and time again. DO YOUR JOB! Not what you think the Chiefs job is, not what you think the Captains job is, not another officer or firefighters job. Do what you are assigned. You must do YOUR job, you must do it proficiently and must do it without haste and to the best of your ability. If you do that every single time you are setting the expectation. This generates the expectation that you are no longer going to accept anything less than this level of accuracy.

If you want to set standards you are going to have to be willing to set the standards and maintain them as well. As a leader or a follower remain consistent. Its at the heart of building things to be better.

I challenge you to join the ranks of the people who live what they teach, who walk there talk.

Live what you read, promote directed and intelligent change, and be willing to move mountains if that’s what it is going to take to make things better. Not just for you. Do it for the others on the line, for the crews to come and for the communities that we serve.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present.

-NexGen

Keeping Bad Company.

            We have all had the experience of bad leadership. Here is how we can explore some of the skill in dealing with the leaders that just seem to miss every point about leadership.  

I have broken this down into 4 areas. These are the basics and will likely snowball into greater issues as we explore the traits that we are sew from leaders that are not meeting the grade.

The tactics of deceptive leaders:

1.   Misaligned Interest

2.   Inconsistent Leadership

3.   Negative Influence

4.   Management Mediocrity

Misaligned Leadership

Misaligned leadership becomes evident when leadership teams or indivicual leaders are not in touch with the organization, staff, or mission. This can be literal or metaphorical. If leaders are not aware of the abilities of their staff, organization or equipment they are unable to adequately make assignments that are appropriate and are setting up for failure. This level of misconduct usually lends to more of a self serving leader or ego driven leadership mentality.

When leaders operate from this platform it severely inhibits the overall baseline operations and growth of the organization. If crews aren’t able to place faith or trust into the leadership model they are not going to work to their highest potentials.

Inconsistent Leadership

Firm, fair, and consistent. This theory is lost on the inconsistent leaders. The inconsistent leader waivers on everything from accountability to discipline. When these leaders set standards they don’t apply to everyone or they will soon change with the wind. This makes it difficult for even the most dedicated professional to try and meet the standards because the standards are constantly changing. This style of leadership also tends to be inconsistent with disciplinary actions andaccountability. Staying out of hot water with this style of leadership is next to impossible. If the crew is always worried about getting in trouble they are never going to work outside of the box. They are stuck in the “we have always done it that way” world.

Negative Influence

These leaders are the hand grenade slingers. They create an environment that generally pulls the attention off of them and is all around cancerous to the organization and staff. They are quick to criticize other leaders, organizations, crew members and even policies and procedures. Ironically some of which they have promoted or developed.  They often display high levels of favoritism as well. These leaders are drunk on power. They will readily remind you that they are the boss and tell you exactly why they are the boss. They are a big deal when it comes to power posturing. They do a lot of telling and very little showing. Mentorship is lost on them.  

Management Mediocrity

When you have these leaders in place you wont be going anywhere FAST. These are the guys that have earned that rank, generally surreptitiously, and will be just as happy to dominate a desk. You will not likely find them on the training grounds and when you do they are their in a role that will likely not get their white knightness dirty. The mediocre manager will keep things low key. This leader is not willing to try new tactics and will rarely be interested in making any changes.

We realize that this is not your first exposure to these types of leadership styles.

           

As the future of emergency services and developing leaders are emerging we need to be conscious of these styles and kill them. These are no longer acceptable characteristics in our line of work.

We have too few people to do what we need to do safely and we can no longer afford to place people into positions of authority  that do not operate as leaders.

Too frequently authority and leadership are being placed into the wrong hands. If you’re a good leader you won’t need the authority. 

Until next time, keep yourselves safe and be ready for anything.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present.

-NexGen

Its not about the dollar. It was never about the dollar.

Training costs are always one of the first items that are cut in most agencies. Fortunately in most areas a solution is hatched out and people go on learning in house from folks that are great at the craft. This network of "in-house" instructors is invaluable. Many of them are credentialed instructors with whomever their governing body is some are not but are just as valuable. Without the dedication of the individuals dedicated to this many folks would be left with little to no training. Kudos to those that step up and take the initiative to help educate the new arrivals in our rank and file and keep the saltiest of Jakes on the path to solid tactics and procedures.

Additionally folks, with the easy access to the WWW and the advent of many social media ventures into the world of training and education, including ourselves and many of our friends, we think that we are all approaching some interesting avenues.

I think that there are a TON of options out there.
A number of years ago I wrote an article for a widely published print trade magazine. It was a northeast region article but it was in the early years of web based education programs in emergency services.

I will spare you the stroll down memory lane but I was really excited about the idea of web based didactic education. It amazed me that we, as students,  were provided access to experts in our fields and that they would take the time answer our questions. They would actually take the time and communicate with each student. They were passionate about passing it on. One of the educators later went on to use this phrase very effectively! I though it would go far, and it has, but now the question is this.
Is this now too much of a good thing?


We have a lot of guys with a lot of great ideas and sometimes it just seems to get lost in the shuffle. There are still a ton of web based educational programs out there and most people understand that this is no replacement for time and practical experience. MOST people. We have a few members out their that may still need some special attention. Their helmet stinks of scented candles and ethernet cable and is sprinkled with a dusting of megabyte.


I get asked a lot as to whom is the best. Who has the most up to date ideas and is following trends that are occurring now. My answer is quite simple. What is working for you and your agency. They are the ones that are the best. I have the ones that I am a fan of. I always like to hear from them and I think that the content that they put out is spot on and too the point. The bottom line is still this. What works for you and your agency.

One thing that I want you to consider is this though. It is not always about the dollar. Sharing information doesn't have to come with a dollar sign. It doesn't have to have proprietary rights, its not a patented technique.

 I want information to get to the working line firefighter so that it will help them do their job, it will keep him safe and get them home to their loved ones at the end of the incident. I want to help officers whom are struggling with understanding their crews and how to work with them make it a better environment. If you ask would I like to make a few dollars along the way, like any other hard working guy, of course I would, but it has never been about the dollars. It has never been the sole purpose.

In the end you can look to the guys that are out there and see who is doing with heart. Connect with those guys, ask TONS of questions, instructors, leaders, mentors, coaches, whatever you want to call them love questions. We thrive on connecting with people and we always want to help.

Happy webbing and until next time, stay low and stay safe.

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present.

-NexGen