FO Ch. 10 Applications of Leadership

Annual goal setting for firefighters, aligning personal goals with organizational objectives and mission.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. These goals help firefighters track progress and stay focused.

A log used by fire officers to document a firefighter's activities, observations, and performance over time.

Regular, informal feedback sessions between a fire officer and a firefighter to discuss performance, goals, and development.

A proactive and systematic approach to address behavior and performance issues by focusing on systems design and behavior management.

A classification system used in Just Culture that identifies human intentions behind actions, ranging from unintentional errors to reckless behavior.

Unintentional mistakes or errors that happen due to human failings, lapses in attention, or system limitations.

A series of steps taken to address unacceptable behavior by providing coaching, feedback, and performance appraisals.

A written document outlining the specific performance deficiencies an employee needs to address to achieve a satisfactory evaluation.

A formal evaluation period where an employee's progress is monitored and documented.

A process of progressively administering increasingly severe consequences for continued unsatisfactory performance.

The most severe consequence of negative discipline, resulting in the termination of an employee's employment due to continued unsatisfactory performance.

The principle of providing employees with ample opportunity to improve before formal evaluation.

The initial steps taken to address unsatisfactory performance, emphasizing positive reinforcement and guidance.

Regular progress reports provided during a special evaluation period to track an employee's improvement.

The process of evaluating an employee's performance at the end of a specific period, typically annually.

Official written warning issued to a firefighter for violating department rules or regulations. It serves as a formal record of the disciplinary action and a deterrent for future offenses.

A documented meeting between a fire officer and a firefighter before the firefighter faces serious disciplinary actions like suspension, demotion, or termination.

The initial step in a formal disciplinary process, usually initiated by a fire officer when a firefighter's actions or behavior breach department regulations.

The behavior that led to the disciplinary action must be clearly explained to the firefighter in detail.

A fire officer needs to consult with superiors and HR officials before issuing any formal discipline, ensuring the process is fair and compliant.

A written reprimand should include details about the specific violation, the official nature of the reprimand, previous offenses, and the potential consequences of repeated violations.

Fire officers must consult departmental regulations and guidelines when crafting written reprimands, ensuring consistency and fairness.

A fire officer's supervisor should review and approve the written reprimand before it is issued to the firefighter, ensuring accuracy and appropriateness.

A formal documentation of an individual's skills and knowledge, it is developed and maintained throughout a person's professional career.

A set of standards that outline the minimum qualifiactions needed for a specific role in the fire service.

The process of evaluating and verifying the capabilities of an organization to award certifications that meet specific standards.

An independent organization that accredits fire service training and certification programs.

A non-profit organization that accredits fire service training and certification programs like NBFSPQ.

A comprehensive set of standards for fire officers that outlines the necessary skills and knowledge for different levels of leadership.

The first comprehensive standard specifically for fire officers, adopted in 1976 by NFPA.

A plan that outlines a firefighter’s career goals and developmental strategies.

A personal opinion or belief that can influence decision-making and create unfair or biased outcomes. This occurs when one's subjective experiences affect their judgment.

The most recent information or event is more likely to be remembered and given more weight in decision-making.

The tendency to focus on average or typical values, ignoring extreme cases, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions.

The background or context in which something is perceived, influencing how it is interpreted and understood.

A cognitive bias that uses a general impression of a person to influence the assessment of their specific traits or abilities.

The tendency to judge something based on its comparison to something else that came before it.

The legal framework that defines an employer's obligations and an employee's rights in the workplace.

A set of rules and guidelines that govern the employment relationship within an organization, including safety, performance, and discipline.

A leadership style involving a leader engaging with followers, raising their motivation & morality levels.

A relationship where individuals primarily focus on their own needs, with actions based on expected reciprocation.

Goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound for clear objectives.

Monitoring and recording each firefighter's activities through a log or a T-account.

A conscious choice to take a risk that isn't recognized or is mistakenly believed to be justified, increasing potential danger.

A conscious choice to ignore a significant and unjustified risk, despite recognizing its presence.

a. Behavioral choice that increases risk b. Correcting at-risk behavior is the most significant impact a fire officer can have on a subordinate. i. Recognizing the risk ii. Providing an informed opportunity for change c. The first goal in correcting at-risk behavior is to understand the thought process that lead up to the action. d. Based on the information gathered, the fire officer should consult with a supervisor to determine the most appropriate action. i. Individual training or coaching ii. Revision of policy, procedure, or SOP/standard operating guideline (SOG) iii. Modification of the organizational structure that led to this at-risk behavior

The primary responsibility of a fire officer, involving recognizing risks and guiding change.

The first step in correcting at-risk behavior is to comprehend the reasoning behind the action.

Fire officers must work with supervisors to decide on appropriate actions for at-risk behavior correction.

Possible actions include individual training, policy revision, or modifying organizational structure.

a. A behavioral choice to consciously disregard a substantial and unjustified risk b. The fire officer needs to understand the fire fighter’s thought process leading to this behavior and to determine if the member understood the risk. c. The reasonable person standard describes the actions that a similar person with the same background would take given the same situation. d. Conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustified risk requires negative reinforcement to discourage future reckless behaviors. i. Remedial training ii. Formal discipline iii. Punitive action

Describes actions a similar person would take in the same situation based on their background.

Using consequences to discourage future reckless behaviors through actions like remedial training or discipline.

Conscious disregard of risk can lead to remedial training, formal discipline, or punitive action.

a. Slip, lapse, or mistake b. Fire officer must identify the factors that created error. c. Outside factors may include: i. Process ii. Procedures iii. Training iv. Design v. Environment

a. Human error b. At-risk behavior c. Reckless behavior d. Knowingly causing harm e. Purposely causing harm

A classification system identifying human intentions, such as errors and behaviors.

Evaluating actions based on the organization’s mission, values, and goals.

6. At-Risk Behavior 7. Reckless Behavior

Evaluating based only on recent incidents, not the entire period.

Concentrating on one good or bad trait affecting all ratings.

A formal record of an employee's performance, required annually.

Form provided by HR to fire officer for annual assessment.

A standard process where an officer completes an evaluation form, the subordinate reviews and comments, followed by a face-to-face discussion. Goals are then set for the next evaluation period.

A formal discussion offering clarification on the evaluation and setting goals for the upcoming period.

Specific and measurable targets set for employees to improve their performance during the next evaluation cycle.

The idea that regular, ongoing conversations makes formal evaluations less surprising and more focused on future goals.

Federal and state laws, labor contracts, jurisdictional regulations, and fire department policies.

A fire officer must be aware of and comply with federal and state laws.

A few of the most common laws that apply such as FLSA, Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, USERRA, FOIA, HIPAA.

Fair Labor Standards Act: Establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.

A review focusing on job roles and goals.

A review of expectations to identify resources or adjust goals.

When firefighters assess their progress on goals before evaluation.

A meeting to develop the formal evaluation report and set goals.

An officer's job to assess work, recognize achievements, and encourage growth.

Logs and reviews used to create the annual evaluation.

Unintentional rating errors due to personal opinions.

Rating all firefighters higher or lower than actual performance.