By Daniel E. DeYear
When it comes to company officers, you are either already an officer, just became an officer, or aspire to be an officer–unless, of course, you just work for, work with, or supervise one. We all know there are many qualities, traits, attitudes, and expectations that play into your success as an officer, but one of the most important is trust.
You can claim to be a tough firefighter. You can often get the job done, your way, with little regard for the feelings, worth, or values of others. At the end of your career, will have accomplished little, harmed other careers, and struggled repeatedly if you are not trusted. This is magnified when you promote to company officer. Your chief needs to trust you, your supervisor needs to trust you, your peers need to trust you, your crew needs to trust you, and the community needs to have trust in you. Everyone needs to trust you.
You should know by now that you should view your career as one long journey where you are constantly learning, sharpening, and improving as you mature. Let’s just focus on trust for now.
The fire service already has trust from our communities and citizens. Historically, firefighters are considered one of the most trusted professions on the earth. This is global, not just in your community. Firefighters are aware of this through the brotherhood. It simply derives from the common set of beliefs and values we have as firefighters, whether volunteer or career. Our communities give us this trust, and we must continue to earn that trust and, more importantly, never cash in that trust. This trust is never ours. We do not own it. It is bestowed on us by others.
Therefore, the trust of a company officer is never owned, and it must continually be earned but never spent.
It’s not as easy as it sounds. The job of a company officer is one of constant motion. Few professions and industries have supervisors who are also players on the same team dynamics. Bill Belichick is not playing tight end on the Patriots; the orchestra conductor is not playing an instrument; but company officers are, in fact, team players. This leads to the unique measurement of trust within the fire service.
If you are earning the trust of everyone around you, you must know your job–not someone else’s, but your job, all of it, the good along with the bad. The unique position of a company officer is daunting at best; mistakes will be made, and you will never truly know it all. When you make a mistake, own up to it, fix it, learn from it, and move forward.
Communicate, and work some more on communicating. We all stink at it. In today’s busy world full of distractions, our words are often interpreted, misunderstood, and assumed. Toss in confirmation bias and a culture of contempt, and we realize how difficult communication really is.
Be as consistent as possible. No one wants to work with a Jekyll and Hyde. Never be the officer everyone is trying to figure out which one showed up for the first 30 minutes of the shift. This will bring normalcy to your daily relationships. The best way to keep focused on consistency is by being fair. This does not mean you treat everyone the same. You treat them fairly and equally.
Walk your talk. Only say what is true, factual, and a benefit to the organization, the crew, and the community you serve. They are all equally important. If you say you believe it or mean it, then do it. When you speak, others are listening. What you say does have power. You must always work for trust.
You must have trust when you give thanks as well as when it is time for criticism. You can do this by always supporting your firefighters. What does that look like in a world where etiquette, kindness, thoughtfulness, and consideration for others rarely exist? If you are trying to earn trust, you must be familiar with all these terms all the time, every time.
Good company officers know they are responsible for influence and inspiration. This is your crew–the crew you are responsible for, all day, every day. If your focus is on self-protection, you are cashing in on trust. Consistently put others ahead of yourself, and there will be success–maybe not in the first 10 minutes or even the first month, but remind yourself it is a journey. Hiccups, setbacks, and issues will certainly occur, but your focus is on serving others, especially your firefighters and crew. It is simply the right thing to do, serving.
What about consequences? If you communicate effectively, your crew will know and understand your expectations. This does not mean you have your own set of procedures, standards, and rules apart from the organization. It is simply your job to make certain everyone knows what the guidelines are of the organization and what consequences exist when anything strays from the mission. If you are following people around trying to catch them making a mistake, you clearly have no trust from anyone on the crew. They may smile and tell you how great you are and how important you must really be, but they will not have trust in you. Why? Simply because you are failing at your job. This is never part of your job.
One of the most challenging aspects of being a company officer is administering discipline. If you have done your job the way the organization, the chief, and the community trust you will do, then no one will be surprised when they receive the consequences they have earned. Finding hall passes, looking the other way, and circumventing the discipline process all erode the trust your job title and description are holding you to as well as the trust everyone has given you.
Your expectation should be that everyone wants to be successful at their job. Most of the time this is all that is needed, then get out of the way. If you are prone to having a blood pressure issue every time someone makes a mistake, you are in the wrong field. You want trust? Show compassion when they make a mistake, coach when needed, counsel when needed, and train constantly. Remember, you are being watched. Your trust is incumbent on how you handle things when they go wrong. We are clearly in the “When things go wrong” business. Sleep deprivation, hazardous environments, and fast-paced decision making are all recipes for errors. Maintain your poise and professionalism, and always be thoughtful.
Members who make mistakes should not be immediately faced with discipline. Unless the mistake places the organization in the news, the mayor’s office, or the hospital, most mistakes can be chalked up to learning. Your members should never be afraid of making a mistake. In fact, if you are doing your job correctly, you should be encouraging them to take risks, not in the sense of safety or cowboy mentality but in the sense of getting them out of their comfort zone and broadening their horizons. If any member of your crew is ever confused, doesn’t understand something, or feels underprepared, encourage them to challenge themselves to make the job safer, better, and more professional. If you are micromanaging, then you are once again losing trust.
Even though trust is only one of the many dimensions of being a great company officer, everyone will always be trusting you to do your job, serve your crew, and continue to improve in all aspects of the job.
BIO:
Daniel E. DeYear began in the Texas fire service more than 42 years ago. He worked for the Carrollton (TX) Fire Department for nearly 10 years, serving in several capacities. He then served for two years as an international fire marshal for the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Building Operations, where he traveled to more than 35 countries providing fire and life safety to the United States embassies and consulates. He has been with the Dallas (TX) Fire Department for the past 30-plus years and has held every rank up to deputy chief. Currently, he is the deputy chief of the Training Division. He also serves as the chairman of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Firefighter Advisory Committee and is a member of the Curriculum and Testing Committee and the Health and Wellness Committees. He was the TAFE 2020 Instructor of the Year.
