Initiating Change
MANAGEMENT
The fire service manager not only needs vision but must carry that vision through every stage of a most difficult process—change.
TODAY’S FIRE service manager must either adapt to and become an agent for change or become a victim of it and join the proverbial dinosaur in extinction. Rather than viewing the change situation as hopeless and resigning in despair, the manager should view these challenges as opportunities for service and for both personal and professional growth.
In a previous article (“The Management of Change,” Fire Engineering, August 1988) I identified the various types of demands that might stimulate change within an organization. I also discussed how to identify the organization’s capacity for change and offered suggestions for expanding that capacity. Now I will discuss factors necessary to initiate change widiin an organization. These factors include the development of a vision of the desired change, the sharing of that vision, the institutionalization of the vision, and the maintenance of the vision. We are operating on the assumption that change is desirable and will benefit all those affected by it.
Before attempting to implement change, remember that a fire department is a complex system shaped by its traditions and bound by a bureaucracy highly resistant to change. By its very definition, a system is a group of items or parts, forming a whole, that tends to exist in an equilibrium. It is the nature of all systems to maintain stability and balance. In other words, systems tend to do what they were originally designed to do. The system and its inhabitants desire to maintain the status quo and resist any intrusion or disruption.
Our systems, or organizations, are the evolutionary products of their environment. By and large they are constructed in an autocratic monopoly and thus become turf-bound in their orientation. The virtual vacuum in which these systems grow and develop fosters a mindset that reinforces a belief that each individual fire department is inherently unique. Firefighters tend to think that ideas that work for others will not work for them, because after all, if the idea was that good or that important they would already have been doing it. These viewpoints are coupled with the rigidity imposed by a semimilitary structure and the legal constraints imposed by various labor contracts and merit systems. Volunteers are no less affected than paid departments. They also have their various written and unwritten codes of conduct, bylaws, and constitutions.
VISUALIZE AND PLAN
If the organization warrants and has the capacity for change, the manager should initiate the required or desired plan is the road map to success.
- changes. The first step in this initiation process is the development of a plan of action, which includes the visualization of the desired results or outcomes of the changes. This is nothing new. Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The tendency all too often is to focus on the processes involved in implementation rather than the results. Projects often fail when we become bogged down by the process of change rather than focus on the achievable results. People do not plan to fail; rather, they fail to plan. The vision or
In this respect, today’s chief is similar to the main character, Pilgrim, in John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress. Pilgrim’s goal was to reach the rewards of the Celestial City. His journey, however, was filled with setbacks, discouragement, and hardships. Pilgrim did not lose sight of his goal or vision and thus was able to overcome all the obstacles he faced and eventually reach his goal. In order for us to succeed as Pilgrim did we must follow his example. First, we must develop the vision that we desire to pursue. Second, we must believe that it is worth the hard journey that lies ahead. Third, we must begin the lonely, difficult trek toward change and be prepared to take each step by ourselves. And finally, once we begin, we must never turn back.
SHARE THE VISION
Once we develop our vision and make the commitment to transform our organization, we must share our vision with the other members of the organization. Before they will help us, they must first understand what we are asking them to do. If we keep our vision a secret, no one can be expected to share it. Therefore, leaders must clearly communicate their vision, goals, and expectations to all other members of the organization. They must publish and widely distribute the vision so it becomes the entire organization’s mission.
SEEK PARTICIPATION
In what is perhaps the most crucial step in the process of initiating change, the leader must then institutionalize the vision by soliciting participation to achieve it. The mission/vision must be considered worthwhile to pursue before anyone will exert effort in trying to achieve it. The leader must embody the vision and sell it to others. It must become our vision, creating a sense of ownership. This is the first step in building a committed, clearly focused team.
The key lies in creating an environment that will both allow and encourage people to join the leader’s team. The team must grow and develop in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. It must become “our” team, not the chiefs team. The team can be successful only if all of its members believe in the team and contribute to the cause. The team must understand what it will take to win and that everyone will share the win.
Members must join the team on their own. They cannot be forced to join. Processes will function more smoothly when people want to participate. Even if people think privately that the change is good, they may resist publicly if they are forced to participate. In this respect, people tend to fall within one of four groups:
- those who change willingly;
- those who change to avoid getting into trouble but do not believe in the change —they bad-mouth the program but still perform;
- those who say they will change, then don’t; and
- those who openly oppose any change and refuse to accept change regardless of its purpose.
By and large people are comfortable with the status quo and primarily desire to be left alone. Do not be dismayed or intimidated by this. In time, leaders who are patient and remain steadfast in their commitment can overcome opposition. In the beginning stages of implementation only a small percentage of supporters are needed for the idea to take off. Enthusiasm is contagious and peer pressure will help aid enlistment. People find it increasingly harder to oppose programs they have helped create. People also want to be part of a winning team. Each success will attract more interested participants. There will always be pessimists in any organization; the key is not to let them discourage you.
EMPHASIZE UNITY
In the early stages of change, not everyone will be heading in the same direction. It may seem as if each fire station is its own department. Individuals within each station or shift may not even share the same goal. In the extreme everyone is doing his or her own thing and the department exists in a state of anarchy. Literally, the inmates have control of the asylum!
MANAGEMENT
INITIATING CHANGE
In the case of each station exercising its own individuality, normally a group leader emerges to focus and guide the smaller group. Ideally, that group leader is the station commander, but that often is not the case. When the alarm sounds, individual differences usually disappear and individuals normally focus on extinguishing the fire. Once the hose is rolled up and the station returns to quarters, safe on its own turf again, group interests reemerge. This type of system encourages free enterprise and freelancing. If left unchecked, it could have dire consequences resulting in both unsafe practices and damage to the organization’s overall health and well-being.
In many instances such severe group individuality hinders the department. I have seen actual cases in which there was such difference of opinion among the various shifts and stations that each oncoming shift would reload the preconnects in a different manner. In another case, officers rode in different positions on the apparatus on each shift. Imagine the confusion if you had to work extra on another shift!
As counterproductive as this fragmentation may appear, it is not entirely bad. The shrewd leader can take advantage of this lack of organization and use it to buy time to allow the newly formed team to grow strong enough to counter organized opposition. People really would not want to belong to an organization as out of control as described here.
For purposes of illustration, I will call the groups formed by each station and shift group “tribes.” This term is appropriate because of the social bonding and interaction among shift members and their tendency to view the other shifts with suspicion. A tribe is defined as a group of people united together because of a common value, race, religion, ancestry, or allegiance. The number of tribes within a given organization can usually be determined by the product of the number of work units multiplied by the number of shifts. This determination may be more difficult in an all-volunteer department, but careful observation will yield the number of different tribes present.
This fragmentation is comparable to the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. After fleeing Egypt, the 12 tribes migrated to the land of Canaan in 1200 B.C. and formed a loose-knit confederation. These tribes were the descendants of the 12 sons of the patriarch Jacob (later known as Israel). Each tribe was assigned its own territory and was, for the most part, autonomous. A judge represented the only central leadership. Because of their common ancestry and religion, the tribes banded together in times of danger to face a common enemy. However, a lack of team effort and a measure of distrust prevented any real unity.
In approximately 1020 B.C., the international situation had changed. The tribal leaders of Israel realized they could not be competitive militarily or economically under their decentralized form of government. Since the most common form of government in those days was a monarchy, they decided that they should have their own king, who would fight their battles and mold them into a powerful nation, reasons Bernhard W. Anderson in Understanding the Old Testament, 4th Edition (PrenticeHall, 1986). Unfortunately Saul, their first king, was not a man of vision and lacked the interpersonal skills necessary to transform the fiercely independent tribes into a single, unified nation with a common goal and purpose. Saul’s failure to unify the infant nation ultimately led to his defeat by the Philistines and to his tragic death by his own hand at Mount Giboa, according to Anderson.
Fortunately for Israel, Saul’s successor, David, had a keen vision of the nation that Israel could become. A charismatic young shepherd, he molded the 12 tribes into a single, powerful nation and established a dynasty that lasted until 587 B.C., according to Anderson. David succeeded where Saul failed because he understood his culture. He built upon Israel’s strong sense of tradition, history, and religion. He fought his subjects’ battles and earned their trust. He shared his vision with them and it became their vision.
MANAGEMENT
INITIATING CHANGE
KEEP GOALS IN SIGHT
Just as Rome took more than a day to build, a smooth-running, focused organization may take years to construct. In fact, it may always be under construction. The formulation of a vision, a mission statement, goals, and lists of objectives is not a one-shot deal. The vision must be kept alive and renewed daily and must reflect the current needs of both the team members and the people they serve.
The leader’s role is similar to that of a missionary. Leaders must always proclaim the virtues of the organization and fine-tune the department. They must be consistent and stay the course. If leaders live and embody the organization’s vision, people will take their cues from them. This will build mutual trust and respect within the department, essential ingredients in any successful transition.
Unfortunately it is easy to become discouraged and to lose sight of the vision. It’s cliche but true nonetheless: “When the gators are snapping at your backside, it is easy to forget the fact that your original mission was to drain the swamp.” Often there will be considerable opposition from members. They do not want to change. Some members have spent years developing negative attitudes that are difficult to displace.
The fire department that stands behind a single visionary leader is a department with a common purpose. Ideally, among those shared goals and objectives is the provision of the best quality of service possible to its customers. Anyone who has ever observed a team of horses pulling a wagon knows that the team functions best when each horse pulls with the others. The leader’s task is to coax the horses into pulling together rather than acting individually and pulling against each other.
Before an organization can unite and function efficiently, it must first institutionalize its vision. The organization’s written policies and procedures must constantly state and restate the vision. The organizational structure must be geared toward the accomplishment of this vision. Individual and group performance levels must be established and positively reinforced. Gradually, then, the organization will be transformed as people begin to understand and embrace the vision as their own.
It is easy to lose sight of the vision. When the gators are snapping at your backside, it’s easy to forget that your original mission was to drain the swamp.
It would be easier to concede defeat and just give in to the pressure. But consider the implications if you give up. Our customers lose. They deserve the best quality of service that we can give them. Those people, however few, that joined our team also lose. They deserve more from us for staying committed, and we should reward and protect them, not desert them by giving up.
Finally, fine-tune your own vision, nurture it, and encourage it on a daily basis. Constantly reevaluate and renew your position, and remember, your vision must change as the mission of your organization changes. Change is a dynamic process. If we are not vigilant, our organization will pass us by even though we were the original catalysts. The journey is long and hard, but the results worthwhile. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. With any luck, it will not be the headlights of an oncoming train.
