Full Contact Leadership.pdf

# Full-Contact Leadership ## Chapter 1: Congratulations on Your Promotion! Now What? - The man who commands efficiently must have obeyed others in the past, and the man who obeys dutifully is worthy of someday being a commander. - Marcus Tullius Cicero - Show me a man who cannot bother to do the l...

# Full-Contact Leadership ## Chapter 1: Congratulations on Your Promotion! Now What? - The man who commands efficiently must have obeyed others in the past, and the man who obeys dutifully is worthy of someday being a commander. - Marcus Tullius Cicero - Show me a man who cannot bother to do the little things and I will show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things. - Lawrence Dale Bell In the moment that it takes to raise one hand and take your oath, you enter into a legal, personal, and moral contract. The oath allows entré into a world of great privilege and responsibility. It is a great gift to be allowed to lead and command women and men who have selflessly chosen to do society's most dangerous work under the most extreme conditions. The gift of leadership comes with great responsibility: You are no longer responsible for your actions alone. You are charged with bottom-up and top-down responsibilities. You are responsible for your crew, the apparatus, all assigned equipment, and the facility in which your company is stationed. A fire service leader must demonstrate loyalty to their superiors and carry out all lawful orders and directions; must enforce department policies and procedures; must support the mission of the formal organization (the fire department); must extend every effort to achieve the goals of the department; and must be committed to excellence 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year (fig. 1-1). **Leadership carries a lot of responsibility, and with responsibility comes accountability. Leaders must do the right thing, protect their people, and serve the community through fire, rescue, and emergency response. The engine that drives responsible leading is loyalty. (Loyalty must be considered an action word. There is no room for passive loyalty.) A fire service leader must be loyal to the community served and the department as well as those they command (figs. 1-2 through 1-5).** The "Prime Directive" of every leadership position is to bring everyone home safely. The next most important directive for commanders is to protect their people from the consequences of self-inflicted wounds in the soft environment (within either the formal or informal organization). The formal organization describes the mission statement and defines the goals and objectives of a fire department; in other words, the fire department is the formal organization. The formal organization provides the framework that guides how an officer should lead and perform the business of fire, emergency, and rescue mitigation in both the soft and the hard environments (fig. 1-6). General orders, policies, standardized operating procedures (SOPs), and training should be designed to support and direct leaders in the tasks assigned. The formal organization is a support mechanism and safe guard and safe haven. The formal organization identifies and arbitrates the next right thing to do. As an officer, you will be supported by the formal organization in direct proportion to the support you provide to the department. Playing outside formal organization boundaries throws everyone's game off. If you choose to play by your own rules and stray from the set parameters, then you must be prepared to accept responsibility for any and all consequences that result from your conduct. Loss of command and control increases risk for all personnel on the emergency ground. Confusion, uncertainty, inconsistency, and failures of leadership are the usual by-products of straying from the formal game plan (fig. 1-7). As a representative of the formal organization, you must recognize all the forces at work, including the informal organization, which is an organization within the organization. The informal group dynamic is an alternative-reality mechanism that is at work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The informal organization thrives on gossip, rumors, scuttlebutt, and other types of unofficial information. In the informal organization, activities contrary to the mission of the organization can find root and grow. Nevertheless, the informal organization is not all evil, and when properly directed, it can complement the formal structure and become an invaluable asset. Effective leaders recognize the existence and power of both the formal and the informal organizations. An effective leader will work with the informal group to get the best out of the job, themselves, and their subordinates. An officer must align the needs of the informal group with the goals and mission of the formal organization. Because the informal group is not going anywhere, a fire service leader must become adept at finding the intersection of Informal Group Freeway and Formal Organization Boulevard. The best way to counter the negative effects that the informal group can inflict on the formal mission and your company, battalion, or division (your little piece of the world) is to ensure that proper information is available. Effective leaders must keep the channels of communication open, providing the people who report to them with information that is clear, current, correct, and digestible. Officers who refuse to acknowledge the informal group will undermine and dilute their own ability to lead. Informal groups are part and parcel of the fire business and this reality should be incorporated into leadership strategies. ## Leadership in the Fire Service Leadership is all about human interaction. To be an effective leader, you must become a student of human relations. Leadership involves: - Establishing a clear vision - Sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly - Providing information and outlining methods that lead to the realization of that vision - Balancing the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders A leader in the fire service needs to be many things. The following sections detail eight criteria that a creative, effective, and respected fire service leader must meet. ### Be consistent An employee-centered fire service leader must understand that consistency is the key to effective and successful leadership. A fire service leader must earn the trust of their subordinates and superiors. Consistency is about setting clear expectations and following through. It is about behaving in alignment with department values. It is also about keeping promises or renegotiating promises if you cannot keep them. Consistency cannot exist in a vacuum. Honesty, emotional maturity, fairness, competency, dependability, organization, intellectual curiosity, and courage of conviction are all components of an effective leadership philosophy. ### Be Honest Honesty and integrity are synonyms. Being honest with peers, subordinates, and superiors entails making a conscious decision. Honesty and integrity may seem to be easy choices; however, acting with integrity and being honest are not always the easiest path. Being honest and consistent requires a leader to be straightforward in word and deed. Moreover, being honest often requires a leader to be confrontational. Nevertheless, it is always better to tell the hard truth than it is to try to keep the peace by being dishonest. Honesty keeps a leader and those being led out of trouble. It is always better to be honest and truthful. Honesty reveals character. Character is the lens your co-workers view you through. When we are honest, we build credibility. Being credible simply means that our words line up with the truth. Dealing honestly with people and situations enables consistency of behavior. Honesty reinforces the perception of a leader's trustworthiness and loyalty to subordinates, superiors, and the organization. Conversely, dishonesty is a credibility killer. ### Be emotionally mature Emotional maturity is measured by how a leader deals with situations and controls emotions when dealing with others. A leader with emotional maturity accepts responsibility for personal feelings, experiences, behavior, and life circumstances. Emotional maturity refers to the ability to understand and manage emotions. Emotional maturity is reflected by your thoughts and behaviors. When faced with a difficult situation, your level of emotional maturity is one of the biggest factors in determining your ability to cope. Adrenaline-driven decisions and actions have no place in any leader's skill portfolio. Interestingly, emotional maturity is contagious. When an individual responds with emotional maturity, those they are interacting with often start exhibiting symptoms of emotional maturity. Emotional maturity is not determined exclusively by each individual; instead, the level of emotional maturity exhibited by an organization will affect the maturity levels of its firefighters, fire officers, and chief officers. ### Be fair Fairness is the quality of making judgments that are free from discrimination. Fire service leaders must strive to practice fairness in all dealings with subordinates and superiors alike. How a leader deals with violations and infractions contributes greatly to how that leader is perceived as a consistent leader. Leaders in the fire service must: - Play by the rules - Take turns and share - Be open-minded - Listen to others - Never take advantage of others - Never blame others carelessly - Treat everyone fairly ### Be competent Competency in a job is not the same as competency at a task. Leadership competency relates to how a fire officer carries out the responsibilities of the rank and functions assigned. A leadership competency skill set covers personal and professional abilities. Competency requires a comprehensive understanding of department policies and procedures and the ability to plan and prioritize work projects. A competent fire officer can identify situations that are or may become problematic and decide on the action(s) needed to correct the situation. A competent fire service leader can work with and embrace new methods and technologies. Professional competency skills can be measured by how leaders and their subordinates comply with department policies and procedures. A competent fire service leader must be able to communicate effectively in writing and orally. Without question, every fire service leader must continually demonstrate competency in developing and supporting teams. A competent leader is willing to confer and collaborate with peers, subordinates, and superiors. Every fire service leader must demonstrate the capacity to build quality work relationships and communicate sincere interest for the group's well-being. A competent leader will look to utilize the strengths of others and give them opportunities to contribute to the mission, task, or assignment. ### Be organized Organization facilitates a leader's capacity for competence, consistency, and fairness. Effective leadership cannot coexist with the chaos of disorganization. Organizational skills begin with clarifying priorities and objectives. Decide what you want your command to look like. An effective leader will have a personal command image, for good or ill: Will yours be General Washington or General Wishy-Washington? Organization does not just happen—it must be developed and practiced. Learn a system to process records, files, reports, and other paperwork. Deal with all administrative tasks in an ordered and professional manner. Learn how to prioritize and schedule. Incorporate alternatives in case plan A goes awry. Organization frees a leader to focus on what is truly important by identifying what is unnecessary. Organization allows a leader to evaluate activities, routines, and systems that are not working. Recognizing what does not work allows leaders to focus on the activities that are necessary to achieve success. Schedules and checklists are two of the simplest and most effective organizational tools available for line officer planning and execution (figs. 1-8 and 1-9). All assignments require some or all of the following: - Time - Staffing - Funding - Tools - Equipment - Resources - Facilities - Documentation Without a plan, assembling any type or number of assets is a monumental waste of time. Action without planning is a form of Russian roulette: Spin the cylinder enough times, and the results will be disaster, tragedy, or death. Creating a checklist and a schedule eliminates the downside of Russian roulette-style planning. Competent planning requires attention to detail. The failure to recognize and attend to details will invariably blow the best plans out of the water because each detail can have an exponential effect; therefore, there is no "little" detail. Regardless of the task, think it through and make sure you have the proper resources. ## Chapter 15: Setting Expectations Being an effective officer and leader starts and ends with expectations. Before setting expectations for others, fire officers must first set expectations for themselves. Successful officers will develop and adhere to a code of conduct, reflecting both personal and professional values, that will serve as a leadership compass. Leaders need to be headed in the right direction because that is where the next right thing to do will be found. Personal and professional expectations should align with the needs of subordinates, superiors, and the department and its mission. When setting expectations for subordinates, a full-contact leader will be clear and specific so as to be understood and acknowledged. Subordinates cannot be expected to follow directions if they are not told what needs to be done. Telling does not guarantee comprehension, so holding a question-and-answer session should be part of setting expectations: - Ask the person or group if they understand what is required and if they have the ability to do what is expected; - Ask them to repeat what they understand to be your expectations; - Ask if any information, support, or resources are required in order to meet those expectations. Expectations are personal, professional, and organizational parameters and boundaries. Rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and schedules are expectations that have been formalized, and most expectations and directions for safe and effective firefighting operations are codified in department rules, regulations, SOPs, and policies. These tools are provided by the formal organization to guide and direct actions and decision-making, as well as to identify levels of accountability and responsibility. Leaders are responsible for the personnel, equipment, apparatus, and facilities under their command. Commanders are accountable to the department. The department is accountable to the population served (fig. 15-1). Officers are responsible for supporting the organization's mission and enforcing department expectations. When it comes to which formal expectation needs enforcing, there is no room for picking and choosing; fire service leaders must know, follow, and enforce all department mandates as well as meet department expectations themselves. Moreover, all officers must understand that department rules, orders, policies, and procedures are meant to be enforced fairly, consistently, and universally. To this end, fire officers must ensure that assigned personnel are educated and informed about all department expectations specific to their position. The responsibility for all operational proficiency and compliance with requirements of the fire service is the job of the company officers, battalion chiefs, division commanders, and ultimately the chief of department. Every officer must understand that the fire department is a single unified fire, emergency, and rescue force. All fire operations are preplanned, cooperative, and coordinated activities. All fire operators must understand the symbiotic nature of the fire business; everyone has everyone else's back. To operate as an effective firefighting force, every firefighter and officer must meet the requirements and expectations that guarantee a consolidated effort. Some expectations must be set in stone. Expectations that have to do with life safety and property conservation can never be compromised. Other expectations have a shelf life, and these need periodically to be reviewed, adjusted, amended, and sometimes discarded. When setting expectations or giving orders, a full-contact leader will leave no room for ambiguity or misunderstandings. It is the responsibility of the officer to ensure compliance. Proper compliance is dependent on subordinates' understanding of what is expected. Clarity of expectations is dependent on mutual understanding and agreement. Failure to comply and poor performance are often the result of poor communication and misunderstandings. Failure to come to agreement regarding the duties assigned or the expectations set will guarantee failure to comply (fig. 15-2). Firefighters want to do the right thing, and effective, engaged leadership is the recipe that guides firefighters to do the right thing. Setting expectations is the key to consistency and fairness. Expectations should be set for all line and staff personnel and at every level of command, including the company, battalion, division, and department. To set expectations, officers must maintain fluid communication with subordinates and superiors. Subordinates have the right to know exactly what they can expect from their boss. An officer does not have to justify every order given; however, all orders must be justifiable. Every order given and every expectation set must have purpose and must be reasonable, rational, logical, and in line with the requirements of the service. Firm, fair, and friendly are the respective tone, manner, and demeanor an officer should project when issuing orders or setting expectations. ## As Avillo Sees It: A Mini Case Study You are a new officer assigned to an engine company. This is your third tour of duty. It is 0745 hours. The tour of duty started at 0730 hours. An alarm sounds for a reported smoke condition at a school. As you are donning your gear and checking the information from the computer-assisted dispatch system, you see two of your firefighters stroll out the kitchen. One of the firefighters has a cup of coffee in her hand, and the other is putting on his uniform shirt. The two firefighters casually make their way to the gear rack to get their PPE. Are you getting uncomfortable yet? If not, you certainly should be. ### Establishing Command Presence and Taking Command Action In this case, the hard truth is that you are not in as strong a position as you should be to take the errant firefighters to task. This is because you have already had two (which is one more than should be sufficient) tours of duty to explain how you intend to run the company and clearly set your expectations. What you consider to be the roles and responsibilities of the firefighters under your command should not remain classified information. Your expectations must be set early, often, and as needed. You are a fire officer, not a psychic; similarly, the firefighters under your command are equipped with PPE, not ESP. It is your responsibility to fix casual attitudes and promptly reboot any erroneous perceptions held by firefighters under your command. The casual behavior regarding the PPE should have, quite rightly, made you uncomfortable. Perhaps these firefighters were allowed to operate casually under their former company commander, or maybe the officer you replaced tolerated a casual approach to the job. Either way, it doesn't matter. You are the boss now, and you are responsible for ensuring that your firefighters, all equipment, and apparatus are always in service and ready to respond. Life safety and property protection are two areas of responsibility that can never be compromised. There is no room for a casual approach to being ready to respond. The fire department's entire focus is life safety and property conservation. The reason citizens call the fire department is that they fear for their life or their property or both. What should be done about your firefighters? Immediately upon return to quarters you should perform a quick attitude adjustment on the two firefighters. Do not wait-but also avoid falling into the quick-fix trap. Straightening the two firefighters out regarding the PPE is just a stopgap measure. An officer must have both a vision and a command philosophy to guide action and decision-making. A leader needs to share and clarify both of these tenets with the assigned personnel. An officer should sit down, organize their thoughts, and come up with plans based on these two tenets. The belief held by many fire officers that they can hold forth extemporaneously on any and every command-related issue is unjustifiable. Expectations, vision, and command philosophy are integral to effective, productive, and successful leadership. Thus, the officer’s plan, vision, and philosophy all need to be put to paper. ## As Avillo Sees It Proactive leadership makes things easier both for officers and for the people under their command. Its opposite, reactive leadership, is a come-from-behind, catch-up style of leadership. Reactive leadership is a fallback position that is called on only in the absence of proactive leadership. Because there are situations and events that truly do come out of nowhere, there is a real need for reactive leadership in this business. No officer or department can predict every single event. However, proactive planning and action dramatically have been proved to reduce the need for such reactive leadership. - Identify the duties and responsibilities that are required immediately upon reporting for duty. This includes immediately putting out PPE and ensuring that all self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and personal alert safety system (PASS) units are in ready status. - Perform a 360-degree check of the apparatus and compartments (firefighters and officer). The company commander should do the 360-degree check with the members of the company until confident that assigned firefighters can do the inspection on their own. - Confer with firefighters and officer you are relieving regarding any changes or information that will have an impact on the in-service and ready status of the unit. - Review the company journal. Only after these duties are completed can any member of the crew have coffee or breakfast. The kitchen and coffee or breakfast provide an ideal place and time to brief the firefighters on the days' activities. Activities listed above are a short list of expectations regarding a specific responsibility. The duties and expectations are straightforward—no surprises! Everyone is ready to roll, and everyone has an idea as to how the day will unfold (fig. 15-3). ## More As Avillo Sees It Experience has taught that when I begin my day or any activity in the right way and move forward from that point in the right direction, things work out well in the end. Primacy is a learning concept whereby we learn best when we get it right the first time. As a firefighter, I worked in a ladder company. My ladder company officer was Captain Ed Flood. Immediately upon reporting for duty, we were expected to do all the duties mentioned above. Once all duties were completed, we would be given our tool and riding assignments. The company would review initial scene assignments and go over any other company-related matters. Holding an early-morning “at-the-rig” meeting is a great way to set and reinforce expectations on a daily basis. It also is a chance to confirm the in-service and ready status of the apparatus and members. Meeting on a regular basis starts a dialog, opening lines of communication by members with the ultimate goal of getting everyone on the same page (fig. 15-4). During our at-the-rig meetings, the entire ladder was checked out, every member was prepped, and all pertinent and necessary information was disseminated. In other words, the ladder company was in service and ready to roll. I was never in the dark and always knew what was what, who was who, and who was what. I was prepared, I was confident, and I knew what jobs I was responsible for. ## Avillo Gets Promoted I retired as the division commander of the 1st Platoon. Prior to my promotion to deputy chief, I worked as a battalion commander on the 3rd Platoon under Deputy Chief Flood. I felt comfortable on the 3rd Platoon. I was engaged and had invested time and energy building what I considered to be the best battalion on the entire department. I was promoted up the ranks and was in line for a division command assignment, and I was confident that I would eventually take over the 3rd Platoon once Deputy Chief Flood was promoted to chief of department. However, much to my dismay, Chief Flood transferred me and assigned me to be division chief on the 1st Platoon (fig. 15-5). At the time I felt entitled and was unhappy that I was being moved out of my comfort zone. Though I went to the 1st Platoon, I went kicking and screaming. In between my kicking and my screaming, Chief Flood told me that going to the 1st Platoon was the best thing for me at that time. The chief predicted that one day soon I would thank him. Chief Flood was right. I learned a lesson about comfort zones, for which I have thanked him many times since. When I got to my new platoon, I knew some of the personnel, and I had a good relationship with the battalion chiefs. In fact, the 1st Platoon was the most senior shift on the department, but there had been no real leadership for quite a while. Instead of jumping in and making demands right away, I decided to give it a few weeks to a month, as an observation period before meeting with the shift and setting my expectations. During my observation period, we had many alarms, several room-and-contents fires, and one especially challenging multiple-alarm fire. I began to get a feel for who was who and who wasn’t. It was at that first multiple-alarm fire that the firefighters and officers of the 1st Platoon were also able to take my measure. My command presence and competency in the hard environment helped the platoon members see what I was all about. That fire and the watch-and-see strategy enabled me to gain a great deal of trust from the officers and firefighters I had recently come to command. During my observation period, I made sure to take notes and identify strengths and weaknesses of the platoon. By observing and documenting, I was able to develop a plan and a vision for my new command. While I was in the wait-and-watch period, I had been conducting daily meetings with my battalion chiefs. My mantra at these early meetings was “Do more listening than talking; do more asking than telling.” These early meetings created an environment that allowed my battalion commanders to understand that I wanted and needed them to be invested in a common command philosophy. The chief officers under my command would enable and implement the changes that I saw as necessary to move the platoon forward. Once I had formalized my plan and understood what needed to be done, I met with the entire platoon. At this meeting, I laid out my expectations and explained my vision and command philosophy. The meeting set the tone and expectations for the future leadership of the platoon. I explained to the members of the 1st Platoon that I was there to provide support. I further explained to my firefighters and company officers that all of the 1st Platoon chiefs were there to help them do the next right thing. If the firefighters and captains were doing the right thing and meeting expectations, then the chief officers of the 1st Platoon would go to the wall for the people under their command. My command philosophy recognizes that once a subordinate deviates from the path, there is a direct relationship between leadership support and the degree of the deviation. The meeting described above took place more than ten years ago. In the interim, I have learned as much from the people under my command as they have hopefully learned from me. At the time of my retirement from NHRF&R, the expectations that were set at that initial meeting were still in place. Consistent compliance with and enforcement of expectations allowed the entire platoon to move forward in a unified and productive manner (fig. 15-6). My assignment to the 1st Platoon had given me an opportunity to grow personally. I was able to develop a platoon-level firefighting force in line with my command philosophy. Had I stayed on the 3rd Platoon, I doubt that I would have been as challenged. Instead, the assignment to the 1st Platoon ripped me out of my comfort zone, as a result of which I got to put my stamp on a platoon. The assignment was one of the greatest favors Chief Flood could have done for me. I was permitted to cast my own shadow, and my shadow was good. ## Chapter 16: Coaching and Counseling Synergy occurs when individuals work together in a positive and supportive working environment. When individuals work in positive and supportive environments, the organization reaps great benefits. Every firefighter, fire officer, and chief stands on the shoulders of the legions of men and women who came before, who did the “JOB” and made it what it is today. Each generation of firefighters has left the profession better than it was and made it better through the service they gave (fig. 16-1). My personal philosophy is that the “JOB” should always be, at the least, a little better when I got off duty than it was when I reported for duty. I have worked to ingrain this philosophy into the firefighters within my sphere of influence. This may be achieved by teaching, learning, fixing, cleaning, or repairing something; whatever you choose to do, it should make the “JOB” better. This is called making a contribution. The fire service is where synergy, cohesion, division of labor, specialization, dedication to mission, personal courage, and teamwork come together to serve, protect, educate, mitigate, rescue, and make safe the lives and property of the citizens we are sworn to serve (fig. 16-2). A fire department is the equivalent of a Swiss Army knife for a community; that is to say, firefighters do it all and make do with whatever they have. We adapt, adjust, retool, repurpose, reinvent, and respond to every type of fire situation, every form of calamity, and the infinite number and variety of emergencies encountered in modern society. Anyone signing up for the job of firefighter is agreeing to be a productive contributing and dedicated member of an elite team of emergency operators. From the time a firefighter is sworn in to their first tour of duty and all the way to the end of their career, a firefighter is a member of a profession. **Profession. A calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation; or the body of qualified persons in an occupation or field, or “THE JOB.”** Firefighters are required to follow, to the best of their ability, all lawful and service-related orders and direction. This is the fundamental contract every firefighter agrees to by swearing in good faith to serve and protect as a member of the fire service. Fire officers understand their job. Officers are familiar with and adept in the technical knowledge, as well as the principles and practices used for confining, controlling, and mitigating fire, emergency, and rescue operations. Fire operators are at their best and most comfortable when they can see it, touch it, feel it, aim it, hook up to it, knock it down, cut through it, drive it, throw it, carry it, and so on. It is often much harder to develop and apply the skills necessary to coaching and counseling. Nevertheless, a leader needs to have and hone coaching and counseling skills. Coaching and counseling comprise an essential part of a leader's workload. Enlisting the support and labor necessary to get any job done, meet any goal, and accomplish any mission is possible only when leaders invest time and energy in coaching and counseling the people placed in their charge. Coaching and counseling skills do not come easily. These are sophisticated human interactions requiring maturity, compassion, empathy, personal courage, the ability to set boundaries, and a complete understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the participants. Coaching and counseling skills are acquired through study, practice, and then more study and more practice. A fire department is a large team divided into smaller teams—platoons, divisions, battalions, and companies. Each of these component parts is placed under the command of an officer, chief officer, and chief of department. In this book, we have been exploring management theories and skills that officers rely on to lead others. In addition to being a steward, a servant, a leader, a boss, a peer, and a subordinate, you, the fire service leader, are a coach and a counselor. Today’s firefighter is a sophisticated, intricate, high-maintenance, complex, and sensitive asset—the most valuable asset to any department. The entire success of every fire, emergency, or rescue operation depends on synergy—individuals coming together, with each individual contributing and extending a combined effort to accomplish a common goal. All fire departments require every facility, all equipment, and all apparatus to be inspected, inventoried, and serviced on a routine basis. The care and maintenance of this fire department “hardware” is codified within policies and procedures. Thus, care and maintenance of fire hardware becomes routine according to an established schedule. Every time a firefighter reports for duty, PPE is situated and apparatus and equipment are inspected and made safe, in service, and ready. The company officer is responsible for overseeing this routine and ensuring that all hardware is ready to roll. While a lot of care and attention is directed at ensuring the in-service and ready status of fire department hardware, it should be universally understood that even more care and attention must be given to the human assets—who are the “software” of the fire department. The in-service and ready status of the human component of a fire department must be a concern at the highest levels of authority. Responsible leaders must develop and implement conscientious methods to routinely monitor, tune up (train, educate, and support), and facilitate the in-service and ready status of the human components of their command (fig. 16-3). ## Leader-Coach Counseling is interpersonal communication. This may take any of several forms, including (but not limited to) an interview, a job appraisal, a performance review, employee assistance, and support or guidance regarding a personal or job-related issue. Leader-counseling creates an interpersonal space where open and honest discussion of a subordinate’s negative or distractive perceptions, behaviors, or actions can be identified and recognized as areas that need to be addressed. Counseling is used to clarify and reinforce team members' understanding of their roles in and responsibilities to the department. The goal of counseling is to align the needs, perceptions, behaviors, or actions of the firefighters with the needs and requirements of the formal organization. A counseling session is never focused on a person or personality; it is always focused on behavior and conflict resolution. An effective leader-counselor must be able to separate personalities from the problems. A counseling session is a meeting between the team leader and a team member. The meeting is never about the person. Counseling must be confined to and focused on an issue, a pattern of behavior, a specific incident, or a particular aspect of an employee’s performance. The focus of all counseling is to realign the needs of the employee with the goals and requirements of the department. Leader-counselors should never confuse themselves with other specialists or advisors such as therapists, marriage counselors, physicians, priests, accountants, or fortune-tellers. Leader-counselors must understand that their function is as a reference to find other resources, by assisting employees to find and access problem-specific resources tailored to their needs. Thus, one of the most valuable statements to a leader-counselor is, “I’m not qualified to help you with that particular issue, but I can help you find someone who is an expert in that field. If you would allow me to help, I could check on that and get right back to you.” Resist the tendency to tell people what to do. A leader-counselor is a facilitator or advisor who helps subordinates recognize and identify specific problems. Once an issue has been defined, the leader-counselor can guide the firefighter through alternatives, options, and actions that may address or resolve the problem. Under the best conditions, counseling should be understood to be positive discipline. A counseling session is often a proactive or preventive disciplinary action. In many cases, a counseling session is a form of intervention. In an ideal world, every counseling session will result in a positive outcome; however, in the real world, it can go either way. A counseling session can go bad and result in negative disciplinary action when the employee refuses to take the suggested remedial actions or remains determined to continue the behaviors that initiated the session. When this occurs, the counseling session is documented and classified as an oral reprimand. Counseling does not need to be confined to a formal office meeting. Leader-counseling is a skill that gives the officer a capacity to provide support and acknowledge employee efforts and positive contributions. Counseling is a tricky business fraught with pitfalls. The up-close and personal demands of counseling have a discomforting effect on both the superior and the subordinate. The close living quarters and fraternal culture of the firehouse has the ability to muddy the lines between formal and informal. Interactions between leader and follower are often affected by personal relationships and friendship. It is easy for an officer to shy away from the requirements of being a representative of the formal organization. Coaching and counseling are the heavy lifting of full contact leadership. For most officers, coaching skills are easier to get their mind around, and counseling skills are more difficult to embrace and practice. Counseling begins with supervision. The key to leader-counseling is being present, not only physically but also intellectually and emotionally. Successful counseling demands hypervigilance regarding the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the dynamics at play within the group. Effective counseling is the result of a leader doing much more listening than talking. An effective leader-counselor will do more asking than telling. Counseling skills are often paired with coaching skills in three main forms: formal, semiformal, and informal (the last two of which are essentially the "lite" forms). Although some situations will benefit from on-the-spot attention, such spot-counseling should never be used to deal with an issue that requires a structured, formal, and confidential meeting between leader and subordinate. An effective leader will learn to recognize opportunities that require formal versus on-the-spot attention. Just as fire department hardware requires regular tune-ups, software tune-ups are also beneficial. These are also perfect venues for a leader to make use of semiformal or informal counseling and coaching. The same basic rules apply to all three forms of coaching and counseling: - Keep confidentiality regarding delicate issues. - Identify the problem. - Gather the facts. - Gain an understanding with the actor. - Explain the consequences. - Solicit feedback and input regarding the solution. - Offer an alternative solution if necessary. - Ensure understanding and reach an agreement regarding expectations. - Document and follow up. The counseling process can be initiated and executed at the company, battalion, division, and chief of department levels. Counseling is not a negative form of discipline. Rather, it is face-to-face communication between the officer or supervisor and the firefighter or fire officer. Leader-counseling should be understood to be a constructive forum. The focus for the leader is to provide feedback to the employee to correct the problem. All formal counseling sessions should be conducted in private. Counseling skills and methods cannot be snatched from the air and successfully applied ad hoc. One-on-one, face-to-face interpersonal interaction is an art and a skill that requires tact, compassion, diplomacy, and a full and complete understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all participants and levels of command. Subordinate counseling has five distinct components: 1. Recognize the importance of establishing an appropriate environment. - Use nonverbal communication to set the stage. Arrange furniture in a formal or less formal manner. For example, sitting behind a desk sends a completely different message than a more informal seating arrangement. - Greet the employee cordially and establish a rapport by asking a question regarding something other than the issue at hand. For example: “Good morning, Ben. Have a seat. How’s that boat of yours?” - Identify the reason and purpose of the meeting. - If the employee is upset, angry, or frightened, a counselor will display sensitivity and understanding to calm the employee and defuse the situation. - Ensure that the employee understands that the meeting is the about the behavior, not the person. - Let the firefighter know that he or she is a valued member of the team and the department. 2. Understand supervisory responsibilities and demonstrate problem-solving skills. - Clearly identify the standards, expectations, and responsibilities required by the department. - Explain the need for improvement. Offer a path for achieving improvement. - Have the employee acknowledge that there was a problem. Then have the employee clearly state what the problem was.