American Models of Fire Service Provision - Coursework Example

Case Study (Management) 7 April 2008 American Model of Fire Service Provision To any avid fan of nature oriented channels like Discovery or the National Geographic, the thing that seems to be most evident in a majority of the documentaries is that animals always act in a team. It is not that the animal world is devoid of negative feelings like aggression or anger. Still over the ages, animals have raised the standards of sophistication of their team approach to the level where every member gets ample opportunities to give vent to all types of feelings in a collective scenario. In fact our entire ecological system is a big team effort in itself. The change of seasons, the flowering of plants, the mating of animals, the migration of birds, the flooding of rivers, and a thousand such phenomenon, though appearing isolated are infact intricately related to each other. Humans and hero worship We as humans have got used to associating achievement and success with a few gifted individuals. Till now, the human civilization has overwhelmingly laid emphasis on winning, being a hero, and coming out on top. A majority of people and organisations still pathetically hold on to the fact that a great outcome in any difficult scenario is always dependent on the performance of a few exceptional individuals. People are always looking out for a hero to provide them with a vision and leadership. Though being an outdated concept, ‘hero worship’ still seems to be the most preferred option for a number of individuals and groups. Contemporary work scenario Operating in the contemporary global arena is all about specialization and delegation. The existing corporate scenario is not so simple that it can be run by a few talented individuals only. Today, no person can claim to be a ‘Mr. know it all’. The modern work culture demands that organizations and institutions should strive for a high level of collective achievement rather then opting for individual perfection. Most of the current enterprises are knowledge based and demand the services of individuals belonging to diverse backgrounds and disciplines. Teams comprising of dedicated individuals having a variety of skills do always have a better chance of achieving a goal. The 21st century is not about hero worship. Team work, cooperation and collaboration are the need of the hour. U.S. Fire Administration U.S. Fire Administration is a massive organisational juggernaut. Its mission is to reduce the loss of life and money due to fire and other related activities (USFA). To achieve such a daunting mission, the attributes that USFA relies on are leadership, advocacy, coordination and support. USFA works in cooperation with other Federal Agencies and participates in and support the activities of community related fire prevention and emergency services. Aspiring for a fire safe America is a demanding job and requires ample coordination and cooperation between related agencies and groups. Being responsible for fire services provisions is a risky job and necessitates close cooperation between all the concerned individuals and groups. The USFA intends to safeguard the communities and citizens against fire through data collection, public education, research and training efforts. This certainly calls for excellent team work abilities. Need for team work in American fire services provision A team is basically a group of individuals dedicated to a common purpose or goal. The two words that deserve our attention in the given definition are ‘group’ and ‘common goal’. The thing to be kept in mind is that every team is a group but every group is not a team. A team usually comprises of many members who have complementary skills and who are willing to coordinate and cooperate with each other to achieve a mutually cherished goal. The main advantage of working in a team is that it enhances the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of all the members in a team. All the members in a team are dedicated to a common goal that stands way above all individual aspirations and ambitions. Every fire fighting mission is an excellent example of efficient team work and cooperation. No body has ever come across a conflagration that was doused by a single fire fighter (Hall, 2002). The necessity for team work becomes more acute for fire-fighters considering the fact that most of the times what is at stake is human life. Any misunderstanding, any lack of communication, any craving for individual heroism could result in the loss of precious human life and assets. Thus it is important for American fire fighting services to encourage a culture that values cooperation. It is imperative for all the team members in a fire fighting team to believe that their job will become easier when done cooperatively. Roles of individual members in a fire fighting team Though the roles assigned to the respective team members are broadly predefined, the nature of the job is such that it calls for on the spot improvisation and much flexibility Pennstate, 2007). Still it is important that every team member aggress with ones role. This enables the team leadership to assign roles according to each team member’s temperament and skills. No matter what is the role assigned to a member, it is imperative that all the on the job decisions are taken on a collective basis, after receiving inputs from the entire team. Each team member contributes a unique perspective as per ones experience. This enhances the rate of success. The Leader Each fire fighting team has a leader who is responsible for the management of an entire operation. The leader primarily gives broad guidelines and monitors the progress of an operation by communicating with other members. Though a leader is given the authority to give directions, it is imperative that all the team members agree about the course of action chosen by a leader. The team leader ensures that all the team members have a diverse background and experience, so that the team can take advantage of diversity. Initiator An initiator is a person who suggests new ideas. This does not mean that new ideas are not expected and accepted from the team members having alternate roles. Recorder A recorder is a person who keeps a record of all the ideas furnished by various team members. Sceptic The duty of a sceptic is to look for specific flaws in the selected course of action. Optimist This is a person who helps the team members in retaining a positive and confident frame of mind through out an operation. Time Keeper A time keeper is a person who keeps track of the time spent in each job. Gatekeeper This is a person who ensures that all the team members have an easy access to the required inputs and apparatus during an operation. Resource investigator This is a person with immaculate networking skills and helps in bringing in new resources and help from outside, during an operation. Implementer This individual helps a team in converting hypothetical ideas and suggestions into practically manageable tasks. Such a person is mostly logical and disciplines and may have difficulty in being flexible. Team worker A team worker is a member who keeps track of the needs and requirements of a team throughout an operation. This person often proves immensely helpful in safeguarding an operation from any unnecessary stress or shortage. Specialist A specialist is a person who has a thorough knowledge pertaining to one or more skills and extends reliable inputs when needed. How is a team selected? Having a right team could make or break an operation. Thus ample care is taken while selecting a team for fire service provisions (BPR Online, 2001). Various factors are taken into consideration while selecting a team, like overall team composition, team size, team selection criteria, etc. A well rounded team includes people having variegated skills, capabilities, and individual temperaments, which can perform in one or more specific roles required in a fire fighting team. Ample care is taken that all the chosen team members have a thorough training besides being creative and open minded. Every selected team member must have the support and acceptance of all the major stakeholders and peers. Any person selected in a team should naturally be a good team player. How is team work encouraged in the fire control services? Both during training and on the job, ample care is taken by the administration to inculcate the value and importance of team work in the staff (Seattle Gov., 2008). Executive leadership from time to time unequivocally conveys to the staff that team work and collaboration is expected of them. Executive leaders regularly practice team work in their interaction with the staff. Staff members are encouraged to talk about and identify the relevance of a team work culture. Members exhibiting team spirit are encouraged and rewarded. Popular stories and folklore that people discuss within the organisation emphasize team work. Factors hampering team work Though the diversity of thought and experience in a team enhances innovation, still their exist a few factors that can dampen the team spirit in an organization (Lencioni, 2008). Any absence of trust between the members can make them feel vulnerable within the organization. This may inhibit them from coming out with positive inputs and ideas, thus hampering the very purpose behind a team culture. Fear of conflict may also restrain the members from freely expressing their views. Hence it is imperative in a massive and vital organization like fire services that all the members share a spirit of trust and camaraderie with each other. Sometimes the members get so carried away by their personal emotions or a yearning for individual achievement and recognition that they tend to compromise on their commitment towards team objectives and goals. Such a mindset also dilutes the spirit of trust and faith in the organization. These scenarios often give way to petty conflicts and power politics within a team that hampers the team spirit. Teams that suffer from a lack of commitment towards a common goal often fail to contribute their best. This discourages the free exchange of ideas and views. This leads to guarded comments and veiled discussions. Because of a lack of trust, acceptance and commitment, members often resort to the tactics of avoiding any responsibility. This trend undoubtedly proves to be damaging and counterproductive in a team scenario. As a team culture always thrives on the spirit of sharing and exchange of views, it is a must that every team member stands accountable for the role assigned to him/her. The team members should be clear about the responsibility assigned to them and the areas in which they stand accountable. Any accountability crises in an organization will definitely give way to a situation of chaos and anarchy. When the team members put their individual aspirations above the collective goals, this makes them inattentive towards end results. Hence it is the duty of any organization having a high requirement for a team culture to always keep on working in inculcating and repairing the team spirit in the organization. All the members working in a team should have high levels of cooperation and communication and should be thorough with their social intelligence skills. Sometimes cultural differences in a multicultural team could also lead to misunderstandings (Wederspahn, 2005). Thus team managers should keep on striving for building ample levels of trust within the team members. Conclusion The present era being an age of information and specialization, it is cardinal that institutions and organizations should strive for promoting a team culture at their work space. This calls for recognition of the strengths and weakness of the individual staff members and assigning them roles that are compatible with their unique temperament and skills. Team work should be encouraged and steps should be taken to enhance the levels of trust amongst all the team members. Works Cited ‘About USFA’, U.S. Fire Administration, viewed 7 May 2008, ‘Building Blocks for Teams’, Pennstate, viewed, 7 May 2008, ‘Fire Facilities Plan’, Seattle Fire Department, viewed 7 May 2008, ‘Global Teamwork and Cultural Differences’, Grovewell, viewed 7 May 2008, Hall, R.J. (2002), ‘A Needs Assessment of the US Fire Service, Viewed 7 May 2008, Lencioni, P. 2008, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Jossey- Bass, USA. ‘Selecting the Right Team for Your Project’, BPR Online, Viewed, 7 May 2008, Read More