Communication Improved for The Fire Services in the UK - Case Study Example

Name Case Study (Management) 17 May 2008 Communication Improved for the Fire Services in the UK Whether it is the hurricane in Myanmar or the recent earthquake in China, while watching the news reports, the first thing that strikes the mind is the amazing ability of the human race to serve through team efforts (BBC, 2008). Right from the prehistoric days, humanity has been aware of this cardinal fact that mighty forces of nature may prove to be ruthless for a single person and the only sure way to survival is through team work and cooperation. The wonderful thing is that human beings tend to be more cooperative and symbiotic during the moments of distress and calamity. The humanity seems to be intrinsically aware of the cardinal truth that team spirit always brings in a wonderful synergy into a stressful situation, which is always impossible to contrive for a single person or an isolated group. Thus team work has become a field of specialisation in the contemporary times and executives strive to inculcate a spirit of coordination in their employees. Team spirit versus individual ambition Any SWOT team member will definitely laugh after watching a movie like Diehard. The popular perception till today has been highly obsessed with the notion of individual achievement and bravado. The Hollywood action movies mostly prefer to portray the concept of selfish heroism where the way out of a critical situation always depends on the courage of a single self motivated person. Practically speaking, such an infantile notion of heroism is far from reality. The fact is that in a modern society, every worthwhile endeavour depends on a close knit coordination between a number of people hailing from different disciplines. A single individual can seldom think of accomplishing a task, which a visionary team can tackle with ease and tact. The era of isolated heroism and individual ambition is over. Twenty first century has awakened to the concept of team work and cooperation. Contemporary corporate culture The contemporary corporate culture is basically about team work, collaboration and cooperation (Wikipedia, 2008). Senior managers prefer to assemble teams which are creative and can be trusted with onerous responsibilities. The whole concept of capitalism is basically about bringing in people with different talents and skills into the framework of a composite team designed to pursue a shared goal or dream. The current information driven economies are too complex to be grasped by an isolated individual or group. In a team scenario, every member brings in a fresh perspective on the challenge at hand and the final outcome is often a pragmatic mosaic of diverse opinions and views. This enriches the ambit of possibilities and combinations in an organisation. Managers and institutions that ignore teamwork often compromise on their ability to bring out the best in their employees. British Fire Service Being a firefighter in the British fire service is not everybody’s cup of tea. It requires certain specific personality traits and skills that are conducive to working in a team environment (Fire Service, 2008). A firefighting team is often called to tackle critical situations where its collective problem solving skills and cohesion could prove to be vital in saving precious lives. The nature of challenges for a firefighting team may vary from road traffic collisions to chemical spillages. Not only a fire fighter has to coordinate with ones team members but has also to be capable of communicating and cooperating with the members of the public who may be distressed and confused. British fire services is primarily a community service and words like community, cooperation and communication often go hand in hand. A British firefighter is not only expected to treat ones team members with utmost dignity and respect regardless of their culture and background but is also required to exhibit utmost commitment to diversity. The people skills and gregarious personal attributes of the employees go a long way in achieving the mission of the UK fire services. The firefighting teams are expected to work closely with the community by visiting schools, community centres and people in their homes. If a person happens to be a loner, then being a firefighter is definitely not a vocation for him/her. Need for communication in the British Fire Service One of the primary objectives of the British Fire Service is to seek, understand and value the diverse individuals and groups both within the organisation and out there in the field. Fire fighting is a daunting job that intends to safeguard human life and assets. Thus any panache for personal recognition and individual achievement during a mission could prove to be grossly counterproductive. Hence all the employees are expected to undertake a continuous training program where the need for team work and collaboration is continuously emphasized and reinforced. Rigorous physical and psychological tests are conducted regularly to ascertain the ability of the staff members to work as a responsible team. Every new recruit is expected to pass all the stages of a rigorous entrance procedure, which assesses ones potential as a productive team member. The marvellous thing about promoting a team culture in the fire services is that it alleviates the individual strengths of all the members and amply compensates for the foibles of the individual team members. As fire fighters often deal with potentially fatal situations, it is imperative for all the team members to believe that their safety lies in a thorough understanding and trust for each other. Working in a close knit team is very different from working as a group. Every team is a group but every group is not a team. Infact a team is a group with a common spirit that is dedicated to the achievement of a shared goal. What is primary and paramount for all the team members is not the expression of personal valour and charm, but the safety and wellbeing of all the team members. Individual aspirations are set aside in the pursuit of a common goal and no maverick and foolhardy behaviour is exhibited to the risk of any team member or any common citizen. Each team member is assigned a specific role as per ones abilities and field of specialization and the collective decisions of the team always stand supreme over personal aspirations. Role of members in a fire fighting team The role assigned to a team member in a fire fighting team not only depends on ones specific abilities and skills but also upon the peculiar needs of a mission and the wishes of all the team members (Crawford, 2005). Not only is it necessary that all the team members agree to the specific roles assigned to them but they should also agree to the roles assigned to their colleagues. Every team member should be thoroughly satisfied with the role assigned to him/her and the role assignment should be undertaken with the objective of bringing out the best in all the employees. It is also important that there exists a great deal of flexibility in the decision making process in a firefighting team. In addition, rotating roles throughout a semester may also prove to be a positive idea. It will give every team member a chance to develop his/her latent potential. All the important decision taken by a team should be based on the inputs contributed by each and every team member. The Leader Most of the teams do have a leader who is responsible for the management of an entire mission. However, the leader should not be authoritative and must be sensitive to the needs and aspirations of all the team members. The primary duty of the leader is to set a basic agenda, to facilitate meetings and to promote communication within a team. Finisher A finisher takes care that a team follows all the deadlines and works as per the agreed upon agenda. Inflexibility of the part of a finisher may jeopardize the effectiveness of a team. Timekeeper This team member keeps track of the time spent in performing each and every task. Plant This is a person who comes out with most of the innovative ideas that challenge the conventional ways of thinking. However, it is important for this person to have the requisite patience and communication skills, so as to convey the relevance of his ideas to the other team members. Specialist A specialist is a person who has the specialized knowledge pertaining to a particular skill or discipline. This person provides technical advice and assistance during a mission. Sceptic The duty of a sceptic is to look for chinks in all the strategies and decisions agreed upon by a team. Optimist This is a person who helps a team to retain a balanced and optimist state of mind during the tough times in a mission. Summarizer A summarizer is a person who has the ability to summarize all the decision taken by a team. Gate Keeper This is a member who stimulates all the other team members to come out with their unique views and opinions pertaining to the situation in hand. Resource Investigator The resource investigator is a team member with ample contacts and networks to bring in additional support and assistance during an operation. Besides the above mentioned roles, additional roles may be assigned to specific members in a team, as per the needs and requirements of a mission and according to the views and opinions of all the team members. Skills required for successful team work In order for a team to be cohesive and successful, many skills and personality traits are expected in all the team members (Career Guide, 2004). It is imperative for all the team members to be good listeners and should be able to conduct discussions without causing unnecessary friction and provocation. Every team member should have an inquisitive mind and should have the ability to persuade his/her colleagues pertaining to the relevancy of his/her views. A spirit of sharing and caring should prevail in the work culture. All the team members must genuinely respect each other despite their differences. Care should be taken to encourage ample participation and communication by all the team members. How is team spirit fostered in the UK Fire Service Executive leaders play a proactive role in fostering a spirit of camaraderie in the work force. Time and again staff members are unequivocally communicated that teamwork and collaboration is expected of them. Top executive leaders exhibit team spirit in their interaction with their counterparts and juniors. Staff members are encouraged to talk about and discuss team work culture. Ample care is taken that good teamwork on the part of the deserving employees is suitably recognized and rewarded. The performance evaluation system in the UK fire service places emphasis and value on team culture. Impediments to team work culture It takes tremendous effort and will to inculcate a team work culture in a behemoth organisation like the UK fire service. It is vital for all the team members to understand and respect their differences. Any lack of understanding can invariably give way to distrust and confusion. This may make people feel vulnerable in the organisation that may inhibit them from expressing their views with openness and candour. Lack of commitment and accountability on the part of a team member can sometimes jeopardize the safety and well being of an entire team. Modern UK is a multicultural society. Thus it is important to take cognizance of the cultural differences in this organization (Lankard, 1994). Ignoring this important factor can compromise the organizations ability to manage such differences. Thus the team spirit and frank communication in the UK Fire Service is a mandatory requirement that needs to be repaired and bolstered on a regular basis. Works Cited ‘Cultural Diversity and Teamwork’, ERIC, viewed 17 May 2008, ‘Quake effort resumes after panic’, BBC, viewed 17 May 2008 , Read More