Ch 3 Leadership Skills Flashcards
Belonging to a lower or inferior class or rank; secondary
OR
Subject to the authority or control of another
Subordinate
The 3 U’s:
- Unaware - unaware, or not conscious of what is going on
- Unable - lacking mental, or physical capability or efficiency; incompetent
- Unwilling - resisting authority, or having a defiant attitude (insubordinate)
The three top reasons a person works are:
- Money
- Security
- Self esteem
Acronym for program development
P-R-DIE
- Plan
- Research
- Develop
- Implement
- Evaluate
What is a trap many people in leadership positions fall into?
Trying to prove that they know more than everyone else
These people will not only want smarter and more talented people on their team, they will actively seek them out.
Smart leaders
These people will become threatened by talented people. Someone performing them or getting credit for a specific job is a blow to their ego or self-esteem. Because of this, they tend to consciously or unconsciously sabotage the efforts of others in an effort to keep from appearing weak.
Positional leaders (those simply with a title, rank or position of authority)
A leader will accomplish far more through this than by taking on 100% of the responsibility of every project and are making the terrible mistake of chronic micromanagement.
This is one of the most important aspects of time management.
And this is an absolute necessity when it comes to an organizations success.
Effective delegation
By doing this, it multiplies your chances of success
DIVIDING tasks
(It’s math!)
In order for supervisors to delegate effectively, they first must do this (2)
- Feel secure about their own position
- Understand the talents, skills and abilities of those around them
1) Establish and maintain an environment that is favorable to delegating
2) Select the right person for the job
3) Assure that the person accepting the assignment understands it
4) Keep an open door policy
5) Be prepared to accept and deal with the consequences of the persons actions
6) Always reward performance
6 Tips on how to delegate effectively
You should establish and maintain an environment that is favorable to delegating, and this begins by
Creating team spirit
The five steps of progressive discipline
1) verbal reprimand
2) written reprimand
3) suspension
4) FINES
5) termination
The main reason for a subordinate interview
To determine which of the three U’s you are dealing with (unaware, unable, or unwilling)
Format for Critiquing Others
What is one thing you should start and end the meeting with?
Positives or positive notes
The goal of a fact-finding (informal) interview is: (2)
- To determine what the problem is
- Attempt to develop a solution
What is one of the differences between unable and unwilling?
- Unable, you will have to make your superiors aware of the situation
- Unwilling, must be immediately bumped up the chain of command
After determining the 3 U’s, progressive discipline is next. If, in fact, the issue at hand requires more than “a talk” with the individual in question, the appropriate SOLUTION should be: (p. 108)
Determined by the head of your organization, and only after proper counsel
1) Begin on a positive note
2) Criticize the ACT, not the person
3) Clearly explain what you want and expect
4) Develop a solution together, and agree on it
5) End on a positive note
Format for critiquing others, a.k.a. sandwich technique
This is one of the most dangerous, destructive and counter-productive acts an individual - or group of individuals - can do in the fireground
Occurs when a person works outside of an established action plan
Freelancing
This is a key ingredient, and sometimes the only ingredient, in a recipe for disaster
Freelancing
This term is the worst possible adjective in the world of firefighting, used to describe an individual who consistently neglects their duties, tend to not be where they are supposed to be and is a negative by-product of freelancing
Coward
If freelancing occurs on a regular basis, it is likely the ____fault, as it theirs from day one to establish the correct expectations
The organizations
Although there are different theories as to who should shoulder the blame when freelancing occurs, many times when freelancing occurs, it is the result of ____.
Poor communication
This is arguably the best way to train new officers and/or compensate for the inevitable loss of experience, skill and knowledge that occurs when senior members retire and probationary firefighters take their places
Mentorship
If your organization doesn’t have a formal mentorship program, the first step is this
Identify the challenges your department, as a whole, is facing
A critical step in developing a mentorship program is to what?
First admit that you alone do not determine your department’s or company’s success
As a leader, you may choose to personally mentor a specific individual but that isn’t always the case the best option. The author believes the best method is to:
Match experienced firefighters with new recruits
Many experts in the fire service and corporate America believe this is the maximum number of individuals a good mentor can handle before being spread too thin
- 5
(Ideal 1-5 individuals)
This is the least important of the eight things when selecting a mentee
Confident
This is the best way to measure the progress of a mentor’s work and is a modern-day form of a progress report.
Accountability
With respect to mentoring, this first rule cannot be overlooked. In other words, you must have a clear picture of what you want your protégés to become.
Begin with the end in mind
When beginning the process and reaching out to the mentee, making sure everyone is on the same page, or _____, is the key
Clarity
In regards to mentoring, this is often the best way to equip someone with the desire to improve
Leading by example
Counseling, although similar to mentoring, is different in important ways. In the fire service, counseling is offered when PERSONAL issues affect an individuals work performance. Recognizing when counseling is needed and proactively addressing the issue without ______ requires greater knowledge and skill than an average team leader possesses
Being intrusive
When morale is low, you’ll see signs such as: (4)
Ask SIRI why morale is low
- Sabotage
- Increased absenteeism
- Reduced work ethic
- Increased violence
It’s been said that the Number One cause of low morale in the workplace is what?
When people have to “drag around” dead weight, otherwise known as lazy coworkers no one will discipline
Other than financial security, one of the biggest reasons an individual takes on a job is for what?
Recognition
The majority of morale-killing problems we have in the fire service revolve around these two things
- Gossip
- Rumors