Firefighters love change right? WRONG!!!! We've all heard the saying, “100 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.” Many are guilty of living in the past, but how often do we truly learn from the past and move forward. It is achieved in part by disrupting the status quo and challenging what is possible -- the caveat -- we have to be willing to change the way we operate as an organization and even as an industry. Hey, I'll be the first to agree that some firehouse traditions should be relished and shouldn't be altered. Some are even fun, for example - + pushing a new apparatus into the bay, + having Sunday chili as a shift just to name a few. So, this begs the question, how do we go about change and avoid the temptation to resist progress??
John Kotter, a Harvard and MIT alum who by many is considered a thought leader in several disciplines including leadership, business, and change developed an eight-stage model nearly 30 years ago that we will unpack in this blog. He argues you have to go about change along 3 distinct phases: (1) create a climate for change, (2) engage and enable the organization, and (3) implement and sustain the change long-term.
Phase 1- is about creating a shared understanding of the change you want to make and WHY you want to make it.
Phase 2- is about engaging the team so that are all empowered and enthusiastic to affect change within the department.
Phase 3- is about pressing ahead after your initial successes to build momentum and fully embed the change within your agency.
These steps are tied to Phase 1 - building support is arguably the hardest part
Create urgency - to convince others of the need to act
Build a compelling case for change so that your colleagues understand why it's necessary
Build a coalition - be sure to include key people who hold influence
Create the future vision and make sure it is clear and concise
These steps are tied to Phase 2 - engagement
Communicate the vision - it needs to be laser focused (mission vs. project)
Empower others to act on the vision - remove barriers if necessary
Create quick wins - nothing breeds success like success - its energizing
These steps are tied to Phase 3 - sustainability
Build on the change - real change take a long time (prevent going backward)
Embed the change - get the change to stick - make it become second nature
The image below helps summarize all of the 8 bolded steps above
Remember change is the only absolute, the one true constant in life. Sometimes it just has to be embraced as our service to the community evolves. Take a moment for some self-reflection:
Are you an innovator? An early adopter? A laggard?
Regarding change:
We NEED it - so don't resist it
We WANT it - so don't feat it
We DESIRE it - so don't condemn it
Good luck with your next Fire/EMS initiative!
July 15, 2024
Author: Joshua Ishmael, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM, NRP
Pass with PASS, LLC
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