Leadership II Strategies for Personal Success

LEADERSHIP II u MANAGING MULTIPLE ROLES u CREATIVITY u ENHANCING YOUR PERSONAL POWER BASE u ETHICS

MANAGING MULTIPLE ROLES FOR THE COMPANY OFFICER SECTION ONE

ICE BREAKER u Why am I here? u Why are you here and what do you expect from this experience?

OBJECTIVES u Identify multiple roles and responsibilities of a CO u Prepare personal role-set analysis u Identify 4 levels of accountability

OBJECTIVES u Identify sources of role conflict u Develop balancing strategy for resolving role conflict u Importance of serving as a role model

OVERVIEW u Identify & Prioritize Multiple Roles u Role Expectations u Role Conflicts u CO As A Role Model u Accountability u Leadership Role

DEFINITION: ROLE u A set of expected behaviors that characterize your part in a particular situation. u A function or office assumed by an individual

BRAINSTORMING u Examples of roles you presently play, both inside and outside of the fire department

ROLES FORMAL u Station Officer u Paramedic u Parent u Child u PTA President INFORMAL u Mentor u Informal Leader u Friend u Neighbor u Community Activist

PERSONAL ROLE-SET ANALYSIS u Identify roles (All roles = your role set) u Prioritize multiple roles u Define role expectations u Identify conflicts u Develop balancing strategies

BENEFITS u Clarify personal values u Understand others u Better time management u More equitable to others u Improves performance

ACTIVITY 1: Role-Set Analysis u SM p. MR-5 Step 1 - List Roles Step 2 - Prioritize on circle of SM p. MR-4 OH example of fire chief

ROLE EXPECTATION How you are expected to act within a specific role

SOURCES OF ROLE EXPECTATIONS u Key senders - who are they & what do they expect? u Yourself - who are you & what do you expect?

ROLE AMBIGUITY u When you’re not sure what’s expected of you in any given role u When a key sender sends conflicting messages

ROLE AMBIGUITY u Do you play any roles in which you are not sure what is expected? u How does it make you feel?

ROLE AMBIGUITY CAUSES: u Stress u Confusion u Feelings of inadequacy u Lack of direction

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT OTHERS EXPECT: 1. Seek clarification 2. Open up lines of communication

CLARIFICATION Good job descriptions should spell out what is expected in order to decrease ambiguity. Defining Expectations: u Performance standards u SOP’s u Effective communications

ACTIVITY 2: Role expectations u SM p. MR-8 Step 3- priority list from step 1 & 2. Step 4-define key sender expectations Step 5- define your expectations of yourself

INTRAROLE CONFLICT A conflict within a specific role 1.When your expectations conflict with the expectations of key sender 2.When the expectations of one key sender conflict with the expectations of another key sender

INTRAROLE EXAMPLES A CO might value sensitivity while subordinates might expect toughness As a parent, your spouse & children might be key senders with conflicting expectations of you

INTERROLE CONFLICT A conflict between two or more separate roles 1.When an individual is expected to perform two or more different roles 2.When role priorities are out of balance

EXAMPLE: 2 or more roles In Wichita Falls, Texas, 50% of on-duty firefighters and officers left their duty stations to check on their families when multiple tornadoes swept into the city. Most all returned immediately after assuring their families were safe.

EXAMPLE: Out of balance Refer to OH role set analysis of fire chief. If the chief spends more time on consulting work (low priority) than on being a parent (high priority), then the chief has a serious interrole conflict

INTERPERSONAL ROLE CONFLICT A conflict between two or more individuals playing parallel roles

EXAMPLES: Interpersonal 1. Two parents disagreeing about how children should be disciplined. 2. Two COs disagreeing about station maintenance.

BALANCING CONFLICT u They are inevitable and happen in each person’s life u Recognize serious conflict and develop balancing strategies u Most critical: delineate your priorities

INEVITABLE ROLE CONFLICTS ARE INEVITABLE Chief wants Spouse asks BC requires Troops need School principle needs

INTRAROLE PRIORITIES Whose expectations are most important? Your expectations & key sender- Priority? INTERROLE PRIORITIES Which role is more important? Closer to ‘ME’ in the analysis? INTERPERSONAL PRIORITIES Which ones need resolution? How important is the issue? Can you live with it?

CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO HANDLE ROLE CONFLICT WELL u Preference for taking initiative u Are confident and persuasive u Display social poise, flexibility in action u Desire to affiliate with people u Desire achievement and power u Reach their own conclusions

CHARACTERISTICS - cont’d u Attain rewards from success of the task u Give priority to planning & goal setting u Lack excessive feelings of pressure u Agree with department policies (in general) Examples of people you know?

ACTIVITY 3: Role conflicts u SM p. MR-11 Step 6- Identify serious role conflicts and develop balancing strategies. Refer to manual for definitions.

THE CO AS A ROLE MODEL Past and present supervisors as role models Examples: u Good ? u Bad ? Something is learned from every supervisor you work with, whether good or bad.

ROLE MODEL: DO THE BEST JOB POSSIBLE 1. Your subordinates are watching you! 2. Being a CO means you are part of management & must support its positions 3. You must become an effective role model - a person subordinates and peers can look up to and emulate.

“REMEMBER, YOUR SUBORDINATES ARE WATCHING YOU!”

PROFESSIONAL “ABCDE’s” A. Attitude B. Behavior C. Communication D. Demeanor E. Ethics

ATTITUDE One’s state of mind or how you feel about your leadership role. “Your attitude is showing.”

ATTITUDE - A STORY An example of how attitude or the perception of attitude can make the difference in what you hope to achieve.

ATTITUDE u Attitude is reflected in appearance, attire, adornments--your image Be physically fit Clean and neat in appearance Good personal hygiene

ATTITUDE u A positive attitude is contagious. COs with a positive attitude think in terms of: Challenges, not problems Opportunities, not aggravations First impressions are critical--fair or not!

BEHAVIOR You represent the department Control Emotions Self- Discipline Exercise, Moderation, & Discretion

BEHAVIOR u How you act: Directly influence subordinate behavior u Professional COs will: Exercise self-discipline Maintain control emotions Exercise moderation & discretion

BEHAVIOR When in the public view, you are representatives of the department. Discussion: The need for the CO to maintain control in the work environment at all times.

COMMUNICATION u How we as leaders get our message across. The CO accepts responsibility of being in the ‘people’ business versus the ‘things’ business previously dealt with as a firefighter.

COMMUNICATION 70% of our time is spent communicating with others

COMMUNICATION SKILLS u Oral communication u Written communication u Nonverbal communication

DEMEANOR The bearing of the supervisor, or the sum total of...

DEMEANOR ATTITUDE + BEHAVIOR + COMMUNICATION SKILLS = DEMEANOR

DEMEANOR Demeanor can be managed by a conscious awareness

DEMEANOR - Aware of: u Appearance, behavior, communication skill u Remember mission & goals of organization u Consequences of poor behavior u Courses to improve communication skills: –College courses –speaker’s groups –self-development courses

ETHICS $ $ $ $

u Ethics involve conforming to the standards of conduct for a given profession. u Lack of ethics can destroy respect for a supervisor. Ethics module is part of Leadership course.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD ROLE MODEL u Enthusiasm u Initiative u Self-discipline u Courage u Integrity u Loyalty u Good judgment u Empathy u Discretion u Desire for self- improvement

SUMMARY- CO as a role model u Professionalism in the form of the ABCDE approach will help ensure status as a professional u The CO should always remember: “Your employees are watching you!”

ACTIVITY-Role model profile u SM p. MR-15 u 5 Minutes to complete profile u Small groups to discuss findings & differences u Highlight differences to rest of class

ACCOUNTABILITY u Webster’s definition: 1. Responsible, liable 2. Explainable (Responsibility: obliged to account, answerable to.) u All roles that the CO must assume fall into one of four areas of accountability

FOUR AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY 1. Accountability to self 2. Accountability to the company 3. Accountability to the organization 4.Accountability to the public

ACCOUNTABILITY- self u Must live with our decisions & actions. u What do you think of the person you see in the mirror? u We are harder on ourselves than others are.

ACCOUNTABILITY - company u The ‘norm’ in one company may not be the same in another company (working on personal vehicles..other example) u The first job of the supervisor is to look out for the personnel assigned to him/her.

ACCOUNTABILITY- organization u Blaming ‘upper management’ for your problems will generally come back to haunt you! u Your actions and professionalism as a CO can help to motivate others & ultimately the organization itself.

ACCOUNTABILITY- public u The department mission must be carried out u The more efficient and effective we are as COs, the better the service we can provide. u The better our company can work together as a team, the better the job it will do on the fireground.

LEADERSHIP ROLE u How many in the class included their leader or supervisor role as a priority role? This section focuses on the leadership role and will help clarify key sender expectations for that role.

LEADERSHIP ROLE FUNCTIONS u Things the organization expects you to do u Behaviors critical to leadership success

LEADERSHIP ROLE u Henry Mintzberg identified 10 critical role functions that effective leaders perform. They fall into 3 distinct categories: 1. Interpersonal functions 2. Informational functions 3. Decisional functions

LEADERSHIP ROLES INTERPERSONAL FUNCTIONS

FIGUREHEAD

u The performance of ceremonial duties The CO at awards ceremony Chief presiding over promotions

LEADER

u Taking the direct actions typical of a leader: directing, ordering, counseling, disciplining CO directing personnel on the fireground CO conducting a counseling session

LIAISON

u Making contacts with others, both inside and outside the organization.....serving as a link CO as a link between upper managent and company members CO setting up a drill on natural gas hazards with Mountain Fuel

LEADERSHIP ROLES INFORMATIONAL FUNCTIONS

MONITOR

u Scanning the enviornment for critical information; staying informed; keeping up with the times CO conducting size-up of the building Keeping abreast of new technology Spotting trends

DISSEMINATOR

u Giving out information others would not otherwise have CO holding a meeting with personnel CO acting as a coach with new recruit

SPOKESPERSON Public Information Officer Media Interviews

SPOKESPERSON u Giving information to people outside of their unit or staff Addressing a group on the value of smoke detectors in the home CO serving as department PIO CO notifying the chief of a critical company problem

LEADERSHIP ROLES DECISIONAL FUNCTIONS

ENTREPRENEUR

u Seeking to improve the unit by initiating creative or innovative changes CO designing new preplan form on computer CO commandeering the use of heavy equipment to help control spill of hazardous materials

DISTURBANCE HANDLER

u Responding to unexpected conflicts CO dealing with an argument between two subordinates CO dealing with an unruly crowd on the scene of an emergency incident

RESOURCE ALLOCATOR

u Deciding who will get what and do what CO assigning daily station maintenance CO assigning units to tactical positions on the scene of an emegency while serving as IC

NEGOTIATOR

u Settling issues and resolving conflicts CO dealing with the first step of a union grievance CO serving as a member of a task group containing wide representation from various segments of the community (Olympics)

ACTIVITY - 5 u SM p. MR-17 u Video Scenario #1 u Role-Play Scenario #2 u Video Scenario #3

SUMMARY u CO must manage multiple roles u Role conflicts are inevitable u Balancing strategies must be developed u Accountability is critical - self, company, organization & public u The CO is a role model