All Flashcards
The fire service by tradition is
transactional command style
Problems most encountered in firehouses are
based on a misunderstanding of why people do what they do - their motivations.
Performance problems are most often the end result of relational issues that include:
How fire service personnel interact and feel toward one another.
The level of trust they have for their supervisor.
The degree of satisfaction and pride they have for their jobs.
The degree to which fire service personnel feel appreciated and encouraged.
Gallup study found 4 things the best managers know:
people don’t change much.
It is a waste of time to try to put in what was left out.
They should attempt to draw out what was left in.
That is hard enough.
Conventional wisdom about management may be
contributing to a variety of workplace problems
Most personnel problems in the fire service are the result of
personality clashes - the types of problems the transactional (command) style of leadership is least equipped to handle.
Personality alone is not what puts behavior in motion - _______ does
motivation
Workplace symptoms that require coaching:
under-performance, miscommunication, diminished morale, poor leadership, poor fellowship, lack of clarity in the department's vision, unclear performance objectives.
_______ are often the source of misunderstanding, frustration, and conflict among fire service personnel.
Different motivations and thus behaviors
Top 12 things that make for a “great” workplace:
A good relationship with immediate supervisor.
The opportunity to utilize talent and/or do what one does best.
A feeling that the job is important.
Clear expectations.
Materials and tools to do the job.
Giving/receiving praise/recognition at least twice per month.
A feeling that the supervisor cares about us as people.
Someone to encourage development and progress on a regular basis.
Opinions seem to count.
Associates are committed to quality work.
Having a best friend at work.
Having the regular opportunity to learn and grow.
Coaching is based on the following 7 edicts:
All behavior has a purpose.
This purpose (motive) must be understood before good leadership and coaching can occur.
These motives and resultant behaviors are “privately logical.” They may not make sense to the observer, but make perfect sense to the individual.
Changing behavior requires understanding why people do what they do.
Most people will follow orders and do what is minimally necessary, but will only excel when their needs are met.
People are drawn to great departments, but leave their superior officers. If they don’t leave physically, they will leave mentally.
Personnel problems in fire service are due mostly to ineffective supervision and the fire culture itself.
Constructive leaders employ the 4 I’s:
Idealized influence
Inspirational motivation
Intellectual stimulation
Individualized consideration
The single most significant need in the fire service is for fire officers and firefighters to be able to:
work together more effectively.
There is no skill that can improve the fire service more than:
listening.
______ is the best teacher
experience
Most behaviorial issues in the fire service and in city government are ________ rather than technical skills.
management problems
Effective officer coaching must be both _____ and _____.
strategic
individualized
To engage and motivate individuals, officer coaching must be tailored to
their needs and aspirations.
To deliver service results, coaching must be tailored to the
strategy, vision, and values of the department.
The key to achieving service results and better morale is officer coaching that is ______.
strategic, that focuses on service/operational objectives as well as individual needs
The most important and direct benefit of good executive coaching is the development of
highly effective future leaders.
Another outcome of effective officer coaching is
retention of highly effective firefighters.
A new hire can accomplish only ___% as much in the first 3 months as an experienced firefighter.
60%
Constructive officer coaching produces more effective leaders who facilitate firefighter
job satisfaction, competence, morale, and citizen satisfaction necessary to drive better service and reduce costs.
Before the process begins, the coach must define the strategic context, which involves addressing these critical questions:
What are the key operational and service challenges facing the department?
What service goals are targeted by the department?
What core values best define a common framework for how service results are achieced in your department?
What leadership skills, knowledge, and abilities have been critical for success in the past? What is required for the future?
Does the department have proven methods to attract, develop, and retain required talent?
The actual officer coaching process can begin once the ______ has been mapped out
strategic context
The _______ is the personal component of the coaching process.
strategic context
The common goal of all coaching:
to make you better at something, either tangible or intangible.
Coaching is both a ____ and a ____.
opportunity and risk.
Coaching with fire service personnel is both an _____ and _______.
obligation and a responsibility of leadership.
Coaching is an
ongoing process
Coaching if properly conducted can have a most positive change in the _____, ______, and ______ of the client.
life, attitudes, and behavior
An effective coach must lead by
example.
Successful clients are those who are willing to
listen, observe, learn, and grow from the example of the coach.
The 4 P’s include:
Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
A person becomes a ________ through persistent effort and interaction with the client over a considerable amount of time.
coach and role model
Coaches possess a common core set of skills, which includes:
empathizing nurturing teaching organizing responding inspiring networking goal setting.
The ability and willingness to ______ are central to coaching.
empathizing.
Empathy is in many respects the ______ in practice.
Golden Rule
The _____ is a superb guiding principle for all coaches.
Golden Rule
______ encompasses a caring attitude, emphasis on development, and an understanding of the “law of the harvest.”
Nurturing
_______ and ______ are the areas most in need of nurturing.
Relationships and leadership ability
A lack of nurturing can be seen as the coach being unwilling to
learn what motivates the client, and to develop a degree of co-ownership of his/her aspirations.
The key to effective nurturing is to maintain a balance between
protecting the client and weaning them away from their dependence.
Only an actively engaged coach can know the client enough gauge the appropriate mix of
sheltering and weaning.
A central aspect of coaching is the process of
teaching.
Coaches ______ their clients first, and foremost.
teach
Coaching is _______ in its fullest, most developed sense.
teaching.
The most effective teaching method is ____
a common sense approach known as direct instruction.
The best results come from teachers who:
organize the material into logical, step-by-step, building blocks units of manageable size;
correct student’s errors immediately in a calm and nurturing manner;
frequently review all previously covered material and relate it to the current lesson;
include generous amounts of practical exercises on which students can flex their developing muscles;
often test students’ comprehension, formally and informally, and give them detailed feedback on their progress.
To give the client the best possible chance to learn, the coach should provide a mixture of the following approaches:
reading
shadowing
listening
and doing
It is a good idea to provide a written handout that defines all of the key terms and acronyms in _____ verbiage.
layman’s
The _______ method of questions and answers is a very effective way to teach.
Socratic
The _______ is an excellent way to test a student’s progress, quickly, frequently, and informally, and provide crucial early warning of problem areas that require more attention from the coach.
Socratic Method
The Socratic Method is:
asking their clients questions and, based on their answers, assessing the need for either additional questions or further instruction
It is absolutely essential that coaches
periodically review previously presented material with their clients.
All successful teaching programs include frequent
reviews of previous lessons, with logical ties to the areas currently being studied.
______ is an important component of learning
repetition
People internalize new information best when the material is presented in _______ and at _____
multiple ways (reading, observing, hearing, and doing) and at multiple times (reviewing).
The teaching purpose of coaching/mentoring should be _____, rather than structural.
cultural - personal development is the first priority
_____ and ______ are the two essential things that clients are looking for in this aspect of coaching.
credibility and competence
THe ________ is essential, both in preparing an effective coaching program and in building the protege’ into a more effective individual.
systematic, methodical approach
By developing a _________ before beginning the coaching process, a coach gains the ability to gear every effort in that direction.
desired end state
______ and _______ are a vital part of a good teaching/coaching program.
Organization and planning
If you neglect to ________ your efforts, you are unlikely to achieve the best results.
organize
Similar to a good checklist, an ______ provides some assurance that major components will not be inadvertently left out or given inadequate attention.
outline
One significant lesson all coaches should teach their clients is
organizational skill
Coaching is a
communicative process
The primary customer in any coach-client relationship is the
client
The coach must respond on _______ throughout the coaching process.
multiple communication levels
A responsive coach does not merely react, but is
proactive
True coaching encompasses an element of
inspiration
______ is the key to the most fundamental, core level transformations.
Inspiration
______ is one way in which leaders differ from managers.
Inspiration
Probably the most significant factor contributing to one person’s ability to inspire another is
integrity
The coach must have, and perceive to have
integrity
______ is vital to effective functioning in the real world.
Networking
Coaches/Mentors must show how to use, cultivate, and keep a ______ flourishing, now more than ever.
network
First, an integral part of the organizational aspect of coaching is to
set goals.
The coach should carefully establish some tangible goals to achieve with the client
very early in the relationship with the client
The goals should be
worthwhile specific attainable measurable and have a timetable
The ______ will be the target for everything that is done - the end towards which all efforts are directed.
goals
A coach must also teach
proper goal setting techniques
A major challenge of contemporary departments is to nurture the talent and interest of all personnel so that the needs of both ____ and ______ are met
the employees
the public
The ______ rank is a natural springboard for coaching
fire officer
The main qualification is that a coach must have _______
some skill, knowledge, or ability beyond that of the client.
The primary non-acedimic qualification for coaches is the desire to
see peple break out of unproductive patterns, manage change, learn new skills, embrace new roles in response to change, and stretch into unfamiliar territory.
An organization’s culture is the collective:
attitudes,
beliefs,
values,
behaviors that define “how we do things around here.”
Truly effective leaders
Set clear direction for the department,
Role model the core values of the department
Coach people to alignment and optimal performance on the above
Another reason for using coaching comes from the fact that the fire service industry has witnessed
many management failures
A fire department will benefit from coaching by increasing
Cost Effectiveness Flexibility, Transfer of Learning Mentoring Skill Practice Feedback
Less than ___% of stated objectives are remembered within 7 days of training. Within 60 days, there is less than ____% retention of stated objectives.
20%
5%
To retain information, training must be presented
more often
Coaching provides a much higher rate of transfer because the skills and knowledge are
targeted and immediately used on the job
Both coaches and mentors have the competence to pass on knowledge and skills through
example, inner authority, and dialogue
Certain benefits can be derived from team coaching that are not available in one-to-one coaching, namely
the opportunity to practice skills safely.
practice new skills in a supportive environment prior to trying them out on the job
________ coaching teaches officers better communication skills, increases their understanding of personal style differences, delivers 360 degree feedback practices, and gives them experience in team building.
team
_____ provide an opportunity for members to receive feedback.
groups
_______ feedback is often more powerful than individual feedback.
Group
There are 5 different kinds of coaching
individual pair team group organizational
______ coaching indicates that a given set of learning objectives applies to only one person. It also lends itself to inner work that is related to self-efficacy, self-esteem, perceptual accuracy, and interpersonal attractiveness.
Individual Coaching
______ coaching can form a partnership that maximizes the strength of their relationship or help the two people gain direction in their departmental mission.
It can be a powerful way to help a leader and one of his or her supervisors to strategically plan for departmental or team improvement
It provides a process for dealing with conflict.
Pair Coaching
______ Coaching refers to a department or smaller segment of a department in which the members have regular contact with each other and share common goals and mission.
Team Coaching
These groups may be composed of managers or supervisors of the various departments, various emergency management units, or an organization composed of fire chiefs from around the state.
Group/Shift Coaching
________ Coaching recognizes that behavior is explained by motivation and emotional factors, not simply rational reasons that are implied with the traditional transactional leadership approach.
Constructive Coaching
______ always present challenges to the team coach.
Intact teams
An effective _______ must possess skills and knowledge in the psychology of group development, family dynamics, and conflict management.
team coach
The goal of ______ is usualy educational or visionary in nature and membership varies more frequently than does the membership of intact teams.
Groups
_______ is becoming more vital function in today’s fire departments.
Succession Planning
The roles of fire officers who are involved in career coaching within fire departments include:
Creating succession plans for the organization Facilitating personal insight Educating Action Planning Counseling
Understanding ______ is a must, especially for managers and supervisors who, sooner or later, will direct the activities of culturally diverse employees
cultural differences
_____ theory is a theory of personality development, as well as a theory of psychology.
Alderian
Coaching is intended to:
Help clients perform to their personal best.
Help departments create and hold a competitive advantage through high performing employees.
Create an atmosphere of ongoing learning through mutual accountability and feedback at all levels of the department.
Instill the spirit of service to one another and to the community at large.
What challenges do coaches face?
Challenges can be those that require _____, meaning that a behavior, action, or attitude has been designated as problematic and needs to be corrected.
Or, the challenge can be _____ meaning that the coaching is used to forestall a problem or build strength toward a targeted goal.
Remediation
Proactive
Most rotten behavior is created or at least maintained, by an ongoing,
cyclical system of interactions
People do what they do because ______ within the context of other people.
it works
Feedback loops can be ____ or _______.
negative or positive
_________ Feedback loops reduces deviation or change. _____ feedback loops amplify it.
Negative
Positive
The role of the _____ is to establish and create a setting of mutual respect, dialogue, inquiry, and of goal setting on the way to performance improvement.
coach
In coaching, the bottom line is ___________ enhancement and, to the extent possible, targeted changes are measured.
performance
The goal of coaching meetings is to facilitate alternative possibilities and experiences for:
Helping fire officers see the influence of their immediate sphere of influence - the system.
Helping fire officers learn how to positively impact the system, given the reality that challenges are systemically influenced.
Helping officers overcome what they are doing that gets them the responses they do NOT want.
The quality most people desire in leaders is _____, grounded in respect, and the number 1 value they look for in a leader is _______.
credibility
integrity
Both coaching programs and relationships fail due to a variety of causes and problems, which can be categorized into:
Contextual
Interpersonal
Procedural
Contextual problems for schemes relate primarily to issues of _____,.
clarity of purpose
Clarity of purpose within the relationship is critical for _______ the relationship.
energizing
Two Schools of Coaching:
Traditional -
Developmental-
United States-originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
United States-originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
United States-originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
______ School of Coaching - United states originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on-help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
Traditional School of Coaching
_____ School of Coaching - much more of a two-way learning partnership, with the expectation that the client will do things for hi or herself, with the focus more on developing the less experienced person’s capability, and owing its origins more to European experience.
Developmental school of coaching
______ problems for coaching programs arise from the reactions of people, who are not included in the pairings, for example, the client’s direct supervisor or peers.
Interpersonal
_____ problems arise from the ay the coaching program or the relationship is managed.
Procedural
A core skill for a coach is to recognize when to lead and when to enable the client to
lead discussions.
Coaches and clients should be matched based on
Client’s preference
Coach’s preference
Personality Assessment
How to avoid major pitfalls?
Preparation Selection Training Process Ownership Post-Training Support Measurement
The most successful in=company coaching programs train both___
the coaches and clients
Training coaches alone raises the success rate to around ____%
65%
Training coaches and clients and educating officer coaches about the program, pushes the success rate above ____%
90%
_____% of the coaching programs do not meet one or more of the following criteria:
Achievement of a clear business purpose
Achievement of most clients’ personal development objectives
Learning by most of the coaches
Willingness of both parties to engage in coaching again and many coaching programs and relationships meet NONE of these.
40%
Much of the displaced aggression prevalent in the fire service may be attributed to
critical incident stress
Critical incident stress has a ____ effect
cumulative
Coaches need to be aware of potentially unresolved stress in fire officers and must
prepare to deal with it effectively
Most experts agree that _____, _______, and ______ about the incident soon afterward, help manage critical incident stress.
physical exercise,
a work routine,
talking
_______ for firefighters and the fire service family should be a top priority
Pre-incident education
Ins that can do you in:
Intolerance
Inflexibility
Indiscretion
Ineffectiveness - The worse of all the above
Those who treat employees with _____ are inviting legal action.
intolerance
One challenge to coaches is to ensure that _______ officers are replaced with officers who embrace change and can evolve with modern practice.
Inflexible
