Chapter 2: Don't Neglect the Culture Flashcards
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p22-23
Normative behaviors
The behaviors that society (and subsets of society) believe are correct, the behaviors that follow the rules. Normative behaviors in the fire department organization, or in a subculture of that organization sometimes deviate radically from society’s normative behaviors. Sometimes these behaviors are truly wrong and unjustifiable.
When firehouse behaviors deviate from normal society behavior, the chief – and other members of the organization – end up in the news or a courtroom defending their actions. Never forget that the rule of law and the normative behaviors of the taxpaying public trump firehouse behavior in rituals every time.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p23
To begin to understand what motivates and instigates the behaviors of firefighters you need to ask if the behavior of the firefighter is the result of …
The organizational culture or climate the firehouse environment past experiences upbringing genetics
The author believes that a firefighters behavior is certainly determined to some degree by the culture of the organization and by the firehouse environment, two things that can be regulated if committed.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p23
The behavior of ____ firefighters can positively or negatively influence a small group or company
One member
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p23
How do you develop an environment that supports fire company excellence?
You have to scrutinize the past behavior of individuals as you evaluate them for membership for your organization. This is why conducting thorough and complete background checks on each prospective new team member is so important. Past behaviors are often indications of future behaviors.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p24
What is often a common cause of firehouse drama?
Ineffective supervision, surrounded by either unmotivated or overly ambitious senior members.
The unmotivated don’t want to do anything, and the overly ambitious individuals with the wrong intentions (bullies) often set new members up for failure by establishing unrealistic expectations.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p24
What can the cause of dysfunctional firehouse behavior usually be tracked back to?
The cost for dysfunctional firehouse behaviors can usually be tracked back to bigger organizational issues. These issues are almost always a result of inadequate supervisor preparation and lack of clear expectations and accountability at each level of the organization.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p24
What are indicators that fired apartment morale is good or high?
- Minimal turnout times to calls
- Active, enthusiastic participation in daily activities and special projects
- Willingness to work overtime
- Shifting company cohesiveness
- Members who enjoy being at work
- Rumors kept to a minimum
- Firefighters putting in the extra effort to leave the station better than that found it
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p25
What are indicators that a fire department morale is bad
When morale is low is not uncommon to hear things like “morale is the lowest it’s ever been” or “I have never seen morale this low”
- disagreement with leadership
- lack of confidence in the equipment, or operational or leadership philosophy
- disagreements or arguments occur more than usual
- lack of participation or spiking sick time use
- when a degree of separation exists between the goals, objectives, and the values of the organization, and what is actually occurring in subcultures
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p25
Which is the easiest to fix morale, climate, or culture?
Morale
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p25
What is climate?
Climate is collective mood of the group. The climate of the fire department, battalion, or company is the attitude that is expressed when members interact with one another and the citizens and businesses they protect.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p25
The author feels that climate surveys are valuable, but the success of the survey is determined by what?
How is that accomplished?
The success of the climate surveys determined by the follow-up.
For a climate survey to achieve his intended purpose, the follow-up should include well thought out actions assigned to the appropriate level of the organization. It’s very important that she stays engaged during the follow-up phase
The worst thing that a chief could do is administer a climate survey, review it at a staff meeting, and tell leadership to fix it.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p26
The climate is synonymous with ____.
The climate is synonymous with the attitude of the group. You feel it when you walk into a firehouse. Keep in mind that it may vary from shift to shift, house to house, and company to company.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p26
Difference between morale and climate
Morale is felt by the individual, climate is felt by the company.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p26
If you need to discern whether the problem is with morale or climate, what two questions should you ask yourself?
- Have I been neglecting the culture?
- Have I made a decision or displayed an action that contradicts the core values of our organization?
If it doesn’t involve one of the above it’s likely a morale issue easily addressed with transparency, communication, and timely follow-up.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p26
How is morale addressed?
Transparency
Communication
Timely follow-up
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p26
What is the advantage of managing culture?
Once the chosen culture is in place and embraced by the members, a lot of behavior issues take care of themselves. Peer pressure in the firehouse can be an effective tool when aimed towards development and not destruction.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p26
Why doesn’t the military’s approach to breaking down the individual and then rebuilding them work for the fire service?
Because the fire service doesn’t have the resources necessary for building them back up.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p27
When fire departments neglect culture and have unclear leadership philosophy what do they rely on to control behaviors?
They rely slowly on directives to control the behaviors. The normative behaviors in the firehouse do one of two things.
(A) position each member and team for success and survival.
(B) allow them to drift towards failure
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p27
How much of on-duty behavior is influenced by the culture of the organization?
What makes up the remainder of the behavior?
75%
5% shift commanders influence
5% peer pressure
3% maturity of each member
12% company officers influence
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p27
Schein holds “if leaders don’t become conscious of the culture in which they are embedded, those cultures will manage them”. What he is suggesting is that as a fire officer you have two choices:
- You can embed yourself in a culture of choice, or
2. You can surrender to the culture that exists.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p28
Occupational macroculture
The artifacts shared among suburban fire department organizations are the most obvious sign of this macro culture influence, including paramilitary rank structures, titles, the insignia used today and denote rank.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p29
First whips
Senior firefighters are the company officers go to person in the house. Title refers back to horse drawn fire apparatus.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p29
If you think of the climate as the attitude of the organization, and morale as the mood, then culture is…
Culture is the collective personality of the organization. Every fire department has unique culture that develops over time and is a very powerful force that will directly influence the performance of small units or groups- fire companies.
Chapter 2: Don’t Neglect the Culture p29
What two elements reflect whether the organization is thriving or just surviving, and whether members are committed or just content?
Climate and culture reflect whether the organization is thriving or just surviving.
