Countless firefighters have voiced their frustration to me when their departments open the promotional process to other departments instead of promoting from within. This practice often hurts morale in the department as firefighters feel they are being “dissed,” unappreciated or retaliated against for past issues. On the flip side, it hurts morale when people are promoted to higher positions when they have no business being promoted because they do not possess the experience or competency necessary.
Many departments open up their promotional process to outside candidates from the captain’s position all the way up to fire chief. They do this for a variety of reasons. The main reason is they don’t feel they have an adequate pool of leaders to choose from within their own department. If this is the case, whose fault is it? My answers may surprise you.
Every fire department has the responsibility to develop effective leaders for future promotions and succession planning all the way up the chain of command. Most people think this responsibility falls solely on management. While management certainly bears a good portion of the responsibility to develop effective leaders, the responsibility also falls on fellow firefighters and the union (if you are unionized). Developing effective leaders for succession planning and the future of your department is not just some “program” you put into place – it’s an everyday activity that starts with ensuring accountability and responsibility. That’s everyone’s job.
• Management’s responsibility – To provide strong role-model examples, mentoring and training. Leadership training starts the first day a firefighter enters your department. Leadership training involves equipping your firefighters with the skills and tools they need to be the best firefighters they can be. It means teaching them and modeling for them what principle-based, ethical leadership looks like and what it means to be accountable and responsible. If management doesn’t provide mentoring, training and leadership development, then it can’t expect a great pool of potential leaders when it comes time for promotion.
• Fellow firefighters’ responsibility – To hold each other accountable to the mission, vision and core values of the department. You don’t need to be firefighters’ supervisor to pull them aside and have a much-needed talk with them about their bad attitude or the unprofessional manner in which they treated a member of the public. You can respectfully let them know that their behavior violates the core values of the department and the firefighter’s own core values (and if firefighters don’t have core values that include respect and excellence, they shouldn’t be firefighters). If firefighters sit back and watch other firefighters violate department vales and policies, then they are responsible for perpetuating a void in leadership and shouldn’t be surprised when the promotional process is opened to other departments.
• The union’s responsibility – To hold a high standard of accountability and responsibility. It’s the union’s job to make sure a firefighter who faces discipline gets a fair process. However, it is not the responsibility of the union to try and get a guilty firefighter off the hook or get back the job of a firefighter who is a disgrace to the fire service. If the union engages in that type of activity, it hurts the fire service as a whole, makes the union look bad and puts public safety at jeopardy. Additionally, this type of action by the union contributes to poor choices when it comes to promotional candidates.
I have worked with many departments that have outstanding unions that protect firefighters when needed, but do not make excuses or stand by firefighters who should be fired. Such unions recognize how much that hurts morale and does not serve to create responsible and accountable leaders who are ready for promotion.
If core values and policies are being ignored, it’s everyone’s responsibility to correct this problem to ensure outstanding candidates are available for promotion. If management ignores a company officer who won’t step up to discipline, it is perpetuating the cycle of irresponsibility in the department. If fellow firefighters ignore or cover up bad behavior, they are contributing to the problem as well. If the union allows bad firefighters to remain undisciplined or employed, it becomes part of the reason the promotional process gets opened to other departments.
Unless you are doing your part, you may want to reconsider pointing the finger at others in your department who are not doing their part. When all members of your organization make themselves and others accountable to the mission, vision and core values of the department, you will begin to see a great pool of prospective leaders for your succession planning and promotional processes.
For more about leadership, visit: http://www.firehouse.com/topics/leadership-command.
