BY RICHARD MARINUCCI
Everybody has a boss. Fire chiefs sometimes forget this because they are often left to operate their organization with minimal supervision. Other positions in the fire department also may have relatively minimal direction, which creates a perception of total control. Most of the time, things go along with little problem, but every once in a while, we are reminded that we do not control everything and we do indeed report to someone. To further complicate things, often the “boss” has an associate who does not have authority over you, but has the ear of the “boss.”
THE PROBLEM
You are the fire chief. Your boss’ assistant calls you at the end of the day to ask for information for a report she needs that night. The details of the report are with the deputy chief. You ask the deputy for the information. The deputy has had numerous instances of this person’s asking for things at the last minute. The deputy says he does not have time (he probably doesn’t) and does not think it fair that the assistant always waits until the last minute to make such requests. The deputy says he will see what he can do. He does not get back to you and leaves for the day. About 30 minutes later, the city manager calls and wants the information. You explain the last-minute request, but he will hear none of it. He wants the information for his assistant. What will you do?
DISCUSSION
The obvious answer is to do what the boss wants. That is the easy part. This is not a “juicy” issue but one that will require appropriate action so as not to create a bigger issue over time. It can become a big deal with any of the individuals involved, or even all three. It can affect your relationship with your boss, his assistant, and your deputy. It can affect future dealings between your deputy and the assistant, as well as the perception the boss has of your deputy.
You are definitely in the middle and need to consider your loyalty both up and down the chain of command. This can be a factor regardless of where you are in the organization. If you value loyalty, and you should, you must demonstrate it to your subordinates and also to your boss. In fact, to your boss, it might also be an issue of being a good team player. The need for teamwork is always preached; inside the fire department it is usually good. Yet there sometimes is the perception that fire department personnel do not always “play well with others” outside their fraternity.
The issues involve your relationship with your boss, your relationship with the boss’ assistant, and your relationship with your deputy.
First, take care of the boss. Do what he wants, as long as it is legal! You need to do what you can to find the information and provide it as soon as possible. This is about doing what is requested, showing loyalty, and being a good team player.
You also need to respect the relationship between the boss and assistant. There is a reason they work together. They spend a lot more time working with each other on “stuff” and have daily dealings. You will not overcome this by badmouthing the assistant or asserting that the assistant created the problem. Nor can you place the blame on your deputy. In the eyes of the boss, the buck stops with you. You also do not want to taint the reputation of your deputy in the eyes of the boss.
Next, discuss your concerns with the assistant. What you discuss will depend on your relationship and the relationship between the boss and assistant. If you have a good relationship, you can have a candid discussion and try to deal with future issues. Everyone is going to have some flaws. You are going to try to minimize the number of times this happens. If it is a recurring issue, perhaps you can work together on a solution. Sometimes a simple explanation of the hardship created can raise the awareness, which may take care of future problems. Is there a way to anticipate potential requests? You may never solve the problem, especially if the assistant has this history of making similar last-minute requests. It may be something you deal with, hoping it is not frequent.
What about your deputy? You also need to show loyalty by not placing blame. You needed to do the work regardless, so it makes no sense to create additional hard feelings with the boss and assistant for either you or your deputy. I am sure the deputy has covered you in the past or will have an opportunity to do so in the future. That is the way a team works. Of course, you do not want this to happen regularly, so take the time to discuss and mentor with your deputy. If he is new to the position, perhaps a discussion on internal politics and relationships would be beneficial. It is also a good time to discuss the art of knowing when to push back and when to accept certain circumstances. It can also be a matter of degree. Do not allow a relatively small issue to affect potentially bigger issues later.
What about the future? Most likely, if the assistant has a reputation for repeating this type of action, it will happen again. Accept this fact. Even so, there are a couple of things you can do. Continue to build relationships with everyone. This will allow you to discuss similar issues openly and candidly (after this problem has been addressed). If you have good communications with your boss, you may ask for his advice as to how he would handle this type of problem. A good relationship allows this to happen without casting any aspersions on the assistant or your deputy.
With respect to the assistant, a good relationship allows you to discuss this issue without everyone getting defensive about their behavior. You may be able to minimize how often this happens and also gain support for some of your issues.
Finally, a good relationship with your deputy allows you to candidly discuss what happened and what to do in the future. There should be no blame placed, since it accomplishes nothing. You are looking to make things better the next time. Demonstrate loyalty, and it will be returned to you when you need it.
RICHARD MARINUCCI has been chief of the Farmington Hills (MI) Fire Department since 1984. He was president of the IAFC in 1997-1998 and served as acting chief operating officer of the United States Fire Administration in 1999. He has bachelor’s degrees in secondary education from Western Michigan University, in fire science from Madonna College, and in fire administration from the University of Cincinnati.
