Promote as If a Life Depends on It – Because It Does!

A common adage in Public Safety is “Train as if Your Life Depends on It, Because It Does.” Being in training, this resonates with me. Lack of training, policies or policies out of date could be a matter of life or death during incidents or day to day operations.

This phrase is also associated with martial arts or self-defense. This emphasizes the importance of being prepared for unexpected situations and living intentionally.

In the academy, we have strict minimum standards of pass/fail. If you do not pass during block testing whether hands on or academic, you are dismissed from the academy. We cannot allow individuals who do not pass minimum standards to move through the academy. We cannot pass unqualified firefighters to serve and protect our communities as they are not fit for duty.

After graduating from the academy and on the floor, ongoing training includes practicing skills on the training ground and around the station is mandatory. Failure to do so can result in termination. Training also includes and not limited to reading articles, listening to podcasts, taking classes, reading fire service and leadership books, reviewing case studies of close calls and LODDs and taking care of our bodies and mental health.

In this article from Fire Rescuce1 discusses the 3 habits great firefighters share. Constantly training, teaching others what you know and always being prepared are the hallmarks of great firefighters. Full Article bit.ly/406sXzA

Public safety personnel need so many skills that we cannot waste any moments -we have to train! Otherwise we will limit our potential and skills. So, make every moment count and train as if your life depends on it.

The same standards should apply during the promotional process. If you fail to promote the most qualified individual(s) it could result in a matter of life, death or destruction to property and the environment to those in the communities we serve and to our personnel in the organization. So why do we promote the unqualified?

“Often, leaders and organizations promote unqualified people due to political pressure, favoritism, special interest groups, trends, quotas, box checking and fear.”

The Fear Factor. Fearful managers often need to have fearful people around them. Obviously, it would make better sense to hire the most qualified person for the position, but time after time we see instances where that doesn’t happen. A fearful manager promotes a fearful employee because fearful employees won’t challenge the fearful manager. Their ego is stronger than the fear of failure from being challenged or looking incompetent.

The Peter Principal. The Peter Principal is a concept in management that observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to “a level of respective incompetence”. Employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another.

“If you needed heart surgery, would you want the most qualified cardiologist or one that received the position based on poor hiring or poor promotional practices”

Few things can impact workplace performance as negatively as a promotion system that fails to promote people based on their accomplishments. Sadly, our society prides itself on demands from special interest groups, “box checking” or to appear that the organization “fits in” with societal beliefs or going with the flow to avoid scrutiny.

Unfortunately, in too many instances, existing promotional systems in both the private and public sectors do not promote the truly qualified. If a company’s performers are not properly recognized through such promotions, the organization risks alienating qualified candidates or seeing a high turnover in the organization. Also, the organization’s most productive workers will experience low morale which impacts the good order and goals of the department.

Leaders Not Puppets. In both public safety and the private sector, we need true leadership. True leaders have integrity. Integrity is the very core of their influence. Living the values they profess to believe is what gives them credibility and allows others to place their trust in them. Leadership skills are crucial because they help ensure effective crisis management, promote teamwork, and enhance decision-making under pressure.

Public Safety Needs Good Leaders – Are You One of them? One of the most important things a public safety leader does is make critical decisions for the future and help those they supervise learn to participate in and adapt to changing policies, training and conditions within their agencies. Full Article: bit.ly/3Dm4VHR

Conclusion: It’s time for leaders to stand up, stand your ground and stop promoting the wrong people by improving accountability for wrongdoing by emphasizing consequences and repairing harm. Avoid the Peter principle by promoting qualified individuals and avoiding promoting unqualified people. Focus on best practices for recruiting, hiring, and promoting to enhance public trust and safety. Promote qualified individuals to maintain quality and prevent a cycle of poor performance. Otherwise, the consequences of promoting the wrong people in your organization could become life or death to your employees and/or community members. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?

Sam DiGiovanna is a 40-year fire service veteran. He started with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, served as Fire Chief at the Monrovia Fire Department, and currently serves as Chief at the Verdugo Fire Academy in Glendale. He also is Associate Director for the California Training Officers Association and a consultant for www.Lexipol.com