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