Two Options for Getting Involved in your Organization’s Future

Is there something happening, changing or being created within your organization that you feel could be done differently?  Are things not going quite the way you feel they should be going in your Fire Department?  Are you feeling a little left out or not included in the direction your Fire Department is going?  Or maybe you want that promotion and feel you deserve to become a Fire Officer.

How do you manage this?  How do you accomplish getting where you want to be within your organization? Most of us want to be involved and have some sort of influence, but not all of us go about getting there the correct way. You have two options and you should think wisely before choosing which way to go. 

In order to have a successful fire department, especially a volunteer, on-call or combination department, everyone needs to be on the same page. The leadership needs to know that the Fire Officers and Chiefs have the same vision for the organization. We must do our best to work as a team and not develop personal agendas. Once someone is in there with a personal agenda, things can begin to go sideways. So, what option will you choose?

Option 1

The first option is you can take the easy route, play the victim and complain that things aren’t going your way. You can run to your buddies and snatch them up into the negative emotions and have them follow you around complaining as well.  This will of course result in you feeling a little bit better now that you have people on your side complaining with you.  You now belong to something and won’t feel so left out as you did before.  In a sense you’ll feel some instant satisfaction.

By also going this route, you could even go above and beyond. You could go above the chain of command and run to your city or town administration to express your dissatisfaction and try to get your way.  You could report deficiencies of your organization and request a promotion or persuade the powers to be to change your Fire Department to your liking.  You could throw certifications, ego and entitlement down on the table, explain how great you are and that you deserve to be a Fire Officer.

If by chance Option 1 does work for you, congratulations. You’ve become a part of the team, or you’ve been promoted, or you got whatever it is you wanted.  But you only did this by force and without any integrity or real work.  You accomplished this goal by either complaining, manipulating or persuading.  You essentially cheated your way through, ultimately cheating yourself. You’ll need to carry this on your shoulder the rest of your career.  Your peers among you will resent you, especially those who put in the work to get where they are within the organization. 

Option 2

This option takes a little bit of work.  You’ll need to take the path of most resistance. You’ll need to accept yourself as a part of something much bigger than you are.  Option 2 requires you to step up and get yourself involved on your own accord.  This time you’ll bring your skills, your knowledge and your passions to the table.

With Option 2, you won’t be complaining about the way things happen, or the direction the organization is going in.  Instead, you’ll be bringing your solutions to your peers for discussion and consideration. You’ll be able to exercise your skills, experience and passions freely among the others who want the best for your fire department.  You’ll soon see that you are involved and belonging to a team.

Option 2 will also allow you to become an influencer.  Other members of your organization will see the work you’re doing and the progress you’re making. They’ll see your potential to be a real leader and they’ll want to follow you. You’ll influence them to work hard themselves and to bring solutions forward rather than complain.  This is positive motion and positivity can be contagious.

Option 2 requires you to go through the proper promotion processes spelled out in your SOPs or SOGs. It means taking tests when they are offered.  It means you will need to do the work to improve your leadership skills, incident command skills and whatever else is required. It means you’ll accept a fair process for other candidates within your department.

Option 2 does not work with an entitled attitude. Those who feel they are entitled will most likely choose Option 1.  None of us are should be entering the fire service, or looking to progress in the fire service with an entitled attitude.  We are not entitled to anything. Hard work, commitment, passion and discipline are what will get you where you want to go.

There is no question that our society today is becoming one of entitlement. However, there is absolutely no place in the fire service for such an attitude.  We must always be working as a team and being on the same page with all aspects of the industry and within our individual organizations.  So, if you’re looking to be a part of the progress, changes and leadership of your Fire Department pick wisely how you will make that happen. 

Will you be the complainer, become a victim and beg for things to go your way?  Or will you step up and become disciplined with yourself? Will you be the one to present solutions, be on the same page and work as a team for the better of the organization? 

It’s natural for all of us to want to be a part of something.  We want to feel ownership to the organization. It’s what keeps us interested and coming back most of the time. It is also natural for us to want to be the greatest we can be.

So which option will you choose? You have your own ideas and your own visions.  Will you cheat your way through and pursue your own agenda with no regard to the rest of the organization? Or, will you choose to get on board with the rest of the leadership, present solutions and ideas for everyone else to get on board with? I know what I would choose.