Okay, so you studied hard and got yourself promoted. Now, what kind of an officer will you be? The grizzled old captain from your early probie days? The “my way or the highway” captain? Or the warm and fuzzy captain who makes sure he doesn’t rock the boat and always tries to make everyone happy?
Hey, Cap! I have some bad news for you! No matter what course you choose, you will not make everyone happy. At least, not all the time. Someone once said, “If you want to lead the band, you have to turn your back to the audience.” You worked hard to get yourself promoted. You have earned the right to lead your company the way you see fit as long as it meets your department standards and is within your rules and regulations. Most new captains tell me they made the sacrifices necessary to get promoted because they wanted to make their department better. Making things better implies doing them differently. Doing things differently means change, and we all know how firefighters feel about change. It takes courage to change things because some will resist. To some, any change is painful, even if it is for the better.
In my management class for new or aspiring captains, I require them to read The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. The book describes some very basic management principles that are a great starting point for any new manager. If you build your management style on these fundamental principles, you will be well on your way to becoming the respected officer you aspire to be.
Does your crew know exactly what their responsibilities are and for what they will be held accountable? The first principle and the foundation of The One Minute Manager is one-minute goal setting. Take one minute and make it clear to your crew what their responsibilities are and for what they will be held accountable.
The second principle: One-minute praise. The premise of the one-minute praise is to catch people when they are doing something right and praise them immediately. Tell them what they did right, how good it makes you feel and how it helps the organization and co-workers achieve their goals. We all like to be recognized when we do something right; positive reinforcement encourages repetition.
The third principle: One-minute reprimand. Just as in the one-minute praise, it is important to reprimand people immediately when their actions do not support the goals. Tell them specifically what they did wrong and how you feel about the errant behavior. Remind them how much you value them and their contributions to the organization. The reprimand is the result of a behavior and not a reflection of the person’s self-worth.
Build your management style around the three one-minute management principles: one minute of goal setting; one minute of praise when you catch someone doing something right; and a one-minute reprimand directed at inappropriate behavior, not the individual’s self-worth, if that behavior not in line with the goals.
Remember to praise in public and reprimand in private.
Captain Mike Sullivan was my all-time favorite captain. Did he know his stuff! Between Mike and Jack Pacheco our tillerman, we knew we were working with “The Legends.” We hung on every word they said but both as humble as new probies. Now, I know that Mike never read The One-Minute Manager, but he had an effective style much like it. If he caught you doing something wrong, he would immediately invite you out to the privacy of the apparatus floor. There he would outline the poor choice you made and how it needed to change. When the captain took you out to the apparatus floor there were three things you knew for sure: You made a bad choice; you felt awful; and you were sure as hell never going to make the mistake again! And if the captain’s reprimand was not bad enough, when you looked over your shoulder, every member of the station had their noses pressed against the window watching you get your butt chewed! When Mike was sure he had made his point, it was over, and you were welcome back in the family, fondly referred to as “The Circle.” Sooner or later, everyone found themselves in The Circle.
Mike knew both sides of this management style and when he praised you, you felt like a million bucks! After a fire, we would return to quarters and Mike would tell everyone how each of us had done an outstanding job. Those words from our hero gave all of us a great sense of pride.
As a captain, your words have an enormous impact on your crew, for better or worse. Use this power wisely to build your company’s pride and self-esteem.
Mike inspired me to become the captain of a good truck company someday. It would take me 10 years to fulfill that dream. On January 15, 2001, I stowed my gear in the truck officer’s room of Station 17 in the heart of San Francisco’s notorious Bayview/Hunter’s Point neighborhood. The station had a perfect mix of young enthusiastic firefighters, older experienced veterans, and plenty of work.
The engine crew received a new boss also. On his first day he tossed his gear on the apparatus floor, called the crew to the communication room, and proceeded to chew everyone out, telling them that he knew their reputation and things were going to change, now! If anyone did not like it, he would meet them outside in the parking lot. Little did he realize that at that very moment, he earned his new nickname; behind his back he would forever be referred to as “Captain Clueless.”
If he had sat down with his crew and discussed some common goals, he probably would have successfully instituted the change he wanted. Had he demonstrated any patience, he would have discovered that his preconceived notions about his crew were unfounded. In fact, they were an exceptionally skilled and aggressive group of firefighters. They were a crew that any captain would be proud to lead!
Subjects: Fire officer development, leadership
