“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill

Everything Changes

Change isn’t easy!  All of us have a comfort zone that we enjoy staying in, but some people do tend to lean into change a little more readily than others.  As an industry, the fire service has a reputation of being resistant to change as well.  There’s an old saying that the fire service is 200 years of history unimpeded by progress.  Honestly though, I haven’t bought into the belief that the fire service is unimpeded by progress.  If you look at things like the SCBA, thermal imaging cameras, and newer devices like drones it becomes apparent that progress has occurred.  This doesn’t mean that firefighters haven’t progressed without some degree of feet dragging.  Technologically, the fire service has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.

A Changing World

The same can be said for the changing culture in the fire service.  Fifty years ago, the expectation from the citizens was also distinctly different.  At that time, firefighters were simply expected to drive fast to some place where something was on fire and spray water till it went out.  The job itself was relatively simple and accomplishing the task was straightforward.  But as society has grown more complex, the emergencies have become more complex.  Gone are the days of put the wet stuff on the red stuff.

Increasing Complexity

Even the workforce within the fire service has brought a variety of complexities.  Each of us live in a world that has grown more complex.  The pressure and demands that life places on us individually quite often spill into the fire station.  We all have challenges that require you to navigate while working with others who are also having their own life challenges that have spilled into the fire station.  The make-up of the workforce has even become more complex when factoring in all our individual experiences and life expectations.  Being a diverse workforce isn’t bad though.  It makes us stronger and better.  It simply is what it is, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t create complexities.  However, it does require you to be cognizant of the changes that others are facing in these complex times and work to understand each other.

Your Responsibility

The same can be said for partner agencies who work alongside of your agency as it grows and changes.  Issues like adding programs and changes response protocols creates new complexities.  These changes create situations in which one person can misinterpret the intentions and actions of someone else believing there may be ulterior motives when in fact no hidden agenda is in play.  In these types of situations, It’s not the other party who needs to be the first to act in creating clarity and understanding.  Whenever you are in a situation in which you pick up on someone else having a concern or challenge, its your responsibility to take the first step to bring clarity to the situation and work intentionally to maintain the relationship.  Its easy to jump into conflict!  Honestly, nobody should avoid conflict, even when its scary.  However, navigating conflict in a way that maintains the relationship is paramount.

Maintain The Relationship

My encouragement to everyone is to recognize that change is scary for everyone involved in the change process.  Strive to be the person who is known for leaning into change in a way that builds up rather than tears down.  Be the individual who recognizes that the relationship is more important than winning the battle.

“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.” – Dalai Lama XIV

#culturechange #chieftucker #leadershipvoid #itsnotaboutyou