VOLUNTEER LEADERS SURVIVING MODERN TIMES
BY JOHN M. BUCKMAN
The volunteer fire service is dying. This is a statement often heard lately–sometimes in the form of a question. I do not believe the volunteer fire service is dying. It is changing, it is adapting, it is striving to cope with a changing society–just as the fire service in general and many other business enterprises are. Volunteer fire department leaders and members must learn new skills and techniques to keep up with a changing society that is demanding more from each of us every day.
Today`s volunteer fire department leader, for example, must be able to accept change. In today`s environment of constantly flowing information, altered ideas, and growing government regulations, volunteer chiefs must keep learning. The fire department desert is layered with the bones of those who felt they understood completely and stopped learning.
Also, there is more outside intervention from codes, standards, and laws, which will have an even greater impact on fire departments in the future. Volunteer departments can have more control over these influences if we become involved in the developmental processes for these codes, standards, and laws.
LEADERS MUST HAVE VARIED SKILLS
Possess people skills. Leaders of volunteer fire departments must be better prepared to lead people. They must address the concerns of department members, public officials, and citizens and develop appropriate responses to these situations. Our leaders may have a pretty good understanding of how to lead and manage people during emergency operations. In the future, however, there will be fewer emergencies, which act as a bonding forum. Consequently, leaders will have to become very good at team building because even though we will be responding to fewer emergencies, the risk factors for those emergencies will still be there and the team will have to be motivated so that it will be alert and ready when such an emergency occurs.
An important concept in team building is consensus, which makes it possible to arrive at a group decision without having to take a vote. The old method of having the group vote on issues, which in effect designated “winners” and “losers,” created hard feelings that sometimes hampered future group relations and cooperation. By building consensus, all group members support the decision even though it may not be exactly what each of them wants. Everyone basically “buys in” to the decision, realizing that the overall goals and objectives of the organization are the most important consideration.
As leaders, we need a whole lot of common sense and a tremendous sense of fairness. Respect is earned by the leader who faithfully tries to follow the golden rule in interpersonal relations.
An effective leader also allows others to make decisions and contribute meaningful input to the organization. The effective leader realizes the department belongs to the membership. All members have equal shares in the organization–a radical thought perhaps for some chiefs, who believe their share in the group is greater than that of each rank-and-file member. Members treated as though they are less important than other members or the officers will react in kind and may not be there when they are needed. It is everyone`s organization, and all members have an equal interest in its successes and failures.
Adding to the challenge is the ethnic, gender, and cultural diversity of new members. The age of the average volunteer firefighter is younger than ever before. Some young people are using the volunteer fire service as a stepping stone to better-paying jobs and don`t stay in the volunteer fire service as long as they used to. Young people today want to know, What will you do for me? This creates a tremendous burden on the officers of our volunteer fire departments, who aren`t used to having that question asked. Does this mean we are dying? No, it means that we have to work at trying to keep these men and women interested in the volunteer fire service. We have to spend time and effort on keeping our volunteers interested, challenged, and happy.
Women in the fire service is an issue that affects every organization sooner or later. Departments in need of volunteers should consider recruiting women. There is no logical reason for a department to try to prevent women from becoming members of the department. Equal rights apply to the volunteer fire service. If you set standards for membership, you had better be sure they are fair to all prospective members and within the law.
Don`t write standards with the intent of keeping any group of people out of your department. If you do or have done that, sooner or later you will be called to answer for it. Someday, you will be hauled into court. When that happens, the court will tell you how your department will operate. It will tell you what rules you can have and what rules you can`t have. None of us wants to lose control of our department. When you get into a courtroom and someone is suing you because of your rules, it is too late. The judge will decide the type of fire department you can have from that day forward. And, it might cost you money–tax money that could better be used to purchase equipment and provide services instead of having to pay a court settlement. You don`t have insurance for a discrimination lawsuit.
The volunteer fire service is no longer considered a private club. If you are taking public money, you will be held accountable for the proper handling of that money and the running of your organization`s affairs. The public likes to look closely at the people who take their money. As a leader in your department, you must ensure that you are prepared to have all your fire department activities scrutinized by the public.
Manage conflict. A skill vital to today`s volunteer department chief is the ability to effectively manage conflict so that it ultimately enhances change–not subverts it. Unless skillfully managed, conflict–a common by-product of change–can destroy a team, lead to stalemates, and negatively affect interpersonal relationships.
Disruptive or distributive conflict occurs when team members do not understand the value of conflict as a vehicle for discussion and do not have or use constructive means of channeling the conflict into deliberations. In a distributive situation, the climate is competitive; members perceive the disagreement as a game in which someone wins and the others lose. There is no integration toward a common goal, no sense of team spirit in which all ideas belong to all team members. “Getting my own way” is more important than finding the best solution for the team`s common problem. In distributive situations, members tend to employ such defense mechanisms as aggression, withdrawal, repression, and projection of blame onto others. Members also tend to become locked into their viewpoints and are unwilling to even consider that others` ideas may have value. Frequently, in disruptive situations, members resort to personal attacks instead of focusing their disagreement on the issues. The situation could lead to the formation of cliques or subgroups within the organization and an increase of hostility and distrust that make members less likely to understand (or try to understand) each other`s positions. When disruptive conflict permeates an organization, it may be impossible to reach any decision because the team becomes deadlocked and no member is willing to shift position. Even if the team manages to reach a decision, members will seldom be satisfied with it.
To develop a program successfully, all team members must understand their responsibilities. An effective team can solve its own problems, including removing any obstacles that may deflect energy from those problems. When team members expend energy on hidden agendas, internal conflicts, role ambiguity, confusion about the team`s values or mission, or how to give one another essential feedback, they cannot focus their best efforts on solving the work-related problems that continually arise.
Handle resistance. The basic assumptions underlying a positive approach to dealing creatively with resistance are the following:
Resistance exists. People will always try to resist, knowingly or not, those things they perceive as not being in their best interest.
Resistance needs to be honored. It must be dealt with in a
respectful manner.
Recognizing these assumptions can turn resistance into a team asset that can enhance, instead of injure, relationships between department members. Another condition must exist for the positive approach to work: The demander–the individual who confronts the resister–must make absolutely clear to the resister what is expected from him. Stating the expectations in terms of time frames, specific outcomes, potential benefits, and concrete behaviors needed, for example, increases the probability of compliance.
Lead by example. Successful leaders work harder than their subordinates, who seldom would put in more inspiration or perspiration than the leaders. The troops follow a leader who sets the example. Think about a leader you know who never seems to come out from behind the desk, who likes to sit there and give orders and watch what everyone does. This type of officer may come up with a lot of ideas, but very seldom will one of them be brought full term. This type of leader operates within his “comfort zone”–where what he says and does is comfortable to him. There the leader will remain until he is replaced or changes his way.
Such a leader, when having difficulty getting his subordinates to perform, might sit and wonder, Why can`t I get them to do the things I want them to do? The members won`t do anything for the officer until the officer gets out from behind the desk.
Take risks. Managers usually try to keep things on an even keel and not rock the boat. Leaders, on the other hand, are bold in decision making and action. They take the extra step and use uncharted trails to look for uncommon ways to solve common problems. Leaders must come out of the comfort zone from time to time to keep the organization vibrant and alive.
Be accessible. Officers must be available to their people. Volunteers must have the ability to meet with, report to, and talk with officers on a regularly scheduled basis and at times the volunteer deems it necessary. A leader`s availability communicates to the volunteer that his work is appreciated enough to merit the attention and time of an officer and encourages the volunteer to consult with the officer when and if problems are encountered.
Firefighters influenced or controlled by a leader must feel they have personal access if it`s necessary. Face-to-face discussions are not always possible in large departments, but access in written form is a viable option. Confidential letters and memos should be able to get through a tangled bureaucracy. In smaller organizations, the leader must get about and be willing to talk to anyone who shows up. Firefighters want to know there is no layer of underlings that will prevent the leader`s receiving important information. They want to know that the chief, who is supposed to be the smartest of the bunch, will have the opportunity to pass judgment on what is happening in the department. If firefighters do not achieve this feeling, they will be afraid to raise problems and situations–no one will ever know that the tank on the engine has a tiny leak and that the company officer does not plan to do anything about it.
Be positive. A suggested motto for today`s chief officer is “Success Comes in Cans, Not in Cannots.” A positive attitude makes the chief executive`s job a little easier to withstand. An elusive challenge for the volunteer chief executive is to keep the job fun. When the fun goes out of the title, it probably is time to give up the white helmet. If the leader has a sour attitude, the members will take their cue from the leader and react accordingly. Remember, leaders are not alone in the job–hopefully, they have loyal subordinates who will help make the department a success.
The five keys to maintaining a positive attitude follow.
1. Have professional pride. As the organization becomes more complex, it will take highly trained, motivated firefighters to meet the public`s demands. Take pride in your profession. Put 100 percent into your efforts.
2. Invest yourself in the profession. You have to invest time, energy, and enthusiasm to master your skills. So many tasks must be accomplished; second best is not acceptable. As a firefighter, you must constantly prepare for the next task. Your reward will be accomplishing your goals, be they a complicated rescue or extinguishment of a particularly challenging fire.
3. Invest in yourself. The most important asset you have as a firefighter is yourself. You must continually upgrade your skills and knowledge of the job and strive to better understand your department and superiors. Top firefighters take advantage of every available training opportunity.
4. Be positively persistent. Firefighters are extremely persistent; they find positive ways of being persistent. It`s more of a job than just showing up on citizens` doorsteps when they dial 911. Probably one of the toughest decisions for a firefighter is to stop pursuing a rescue or go defensive on a fire operation. Persistence is an essential ingredient in a firefighter, but knowing when to stop is important to remaining positive.
5. Learn from failure. If you don`t have the courage to fail and learn from your mistakes, you`ll never develop the skills necessary to be a great leader. Failure isn`t failure if we discover its lessons.
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If the volunteer fire service, as we know it, is to survive, strong leadership is needed at the local level. There also must be strong involvement at the state and national levels to ensure input into new regulations and codes that affect the volunteer fire service. The volunteer fire service must become proactive in dealing with its problems instead of reacting to them after they slap us in the face. Members will be equipped to meet these challenges only if their leaders are dynamic and unafraid of taking risks. They must be led by example.
Department members desiring to move up the promotion ladder in their organizations will have to be innovative and learn to adapt to new methods. If you have the desire to become a chief officer in your organization, you must be technically and tactically proficient–that means, trained in management and equipment. Management training is a requirement for anyone desiring to become chief or chief officer. It probably is not as much fun as tactical training, but it`s equally as important. After all, more of a chief officer`s time is spent dealing with people problems than suppression problems. n
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAM LEADERS
Following are some traits and methods of operation that effective team leaders have in common:
They communicate.
They are open, honest, and fair.
They make decisions with input from others.
They act in a consistent manner.
They give volunteers the information they need to do their jobs.
They set goals and emphasize them.
They keep focused through follow-up.
They listen to feedback and ask questions.
They show loyalty to the department and other volunteers.
They create an atmosphere for growth.
They have wide visibility.
They give praise and recognition.
They criticize constructively and address problems.
They develop plans.
They share their mission and goals.
They display tolerance and flexibility.
They demonstrate assertiveness.
They exhibit a willingness to change.
They treat team members with respect.
They make themselves available and accessible.
They take charge.
They accept ownership for team decisions.
They set guidelines for how team members should treat each other.
They represent the team and fight a “good fight” when appropriate.
Volunteer Fire Officers` Responsibilities
Among the primary responsibilities of officers in volunteer fire departments are the following:
Lead by example.
Plan to meet future needs of the community and personnel.
Provide adequate funding.
Assign responsibilities.
Recruit new members.
Provide adequate training.
Provide a safe working environment.
Maintain complete and accurate records.
Evaluate activities, programs, and volunteers.
Provide for recognition of volunteers.
Provide adequate supervision.
Keep no secrets from subordinates.
Allow as much participation as members desire.
Provide for direct input to the fire chief.
Characteristics of Effective Team Members
Team members are most effective when they
support the team leader;
help the team leader to succeed;
ensure that all viewpoints are explored;
express opinions, both for and against;
compliment the team leader on team efforts;
provide open, honest, and accurate information;
support, protect, and defend the team and team leader;
act in a positive and constructive manner;
provide appropriate feedback;
understand personal and team roles;
bring problems to the team leader (upward feedback);
accept ownership for team decisions;
recognize that they each serve as a team “leader”;
balance appropriate levels of participation;
participate voluntarily;
maintain confidentiality;
show loyalty to the department, the team leader, and the team;
view criticism as an opportunity to learn;
state problems, along with alternative solutions;
give praise and recognition when warranted;
operate within the parameters of team rules;
confront the team leader when his/her behavior is not helpful to the team;
share ideas freely and enthusiastically;
encourage others to express their ideas fully;
ask one another for opinions, and listen to them;
criticize ideas, not people;
avoid disruptive behavior such as side conversations and inside jokes;
avoid defensiveness when fellow team members disagree with their ideas; and
attend meetings/training sessions regularly and promptly.
Volunteer Firefighter Responsibilities
The responsibilities of volunteer firefighters are to
be sincere in the offer of service and believe in the value of the job to be done,
be loyal to the fire department and officers,
maintain the dignity and integrity of the fire department,
carry out duties promptly and reliably,
make available time for emergency and nonemergency activities,
accept the guidance and decisions of the officers,
be willing to learn and participate in training and meetings and to continue to learn on the job, and
understand the function of a team and the importance of maintaining a smooth working relationship with all the members of the fire department. n
JOHN M. BUCKMAN, a 24-year veteran of the fire service, has been chief of the German Township (IN) Volunteer Fire Department since 1977. He is chairperson of the International Association of Fire Chiefs volunteer Section, a member of the National Fire Protection Association volunteers Advisory Task Force, president of the Southwestern Indiana Survive Alive, Inc. public fire safety education facility, and an editorial advisory board member of Fire Engineering.
