BY JOHN KING
Excellence, like tradition, is the result of time-honored practices that officers reinforce daily in providing a good example through their leadership and by firefighters who demonstrate their pride in their organization by their commitment. Aristotle once said, “We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.”
On December 27, 2008, a 39-year-old minor league hockey player named Don Parsons took to the ice for the Bloomington Prairie Thunder. Twenty seconds into the second period, Parsons, camped at the near side of the goal, took a pass from teammate Marty Standish and one-timed it in, setting the all-time professional minor league career goal record with 678 goals.
For many, 17 seasons in the minor league would amount to failure. At age 39, the hopes of playing in the National Hockey League had long since passed. In a 17-season minor league career, Parsons amassed 682 goals, 626 assists, and 1,308 points in 987 games. Was it a failed career? Six 50-plus-goal seasons, eight all-star game appearances, and three most valuable player awards make that unlikely—it was a career of excellence.
“I wouldn’t change a thing. If you told me we could go back and you could put me in the National Hockey League but the rest of my future had to change, I don’t think I would do it. Because of what I have done, I have my wife and my kids. The life lessons I have learned, I wouldn’t want to have to give back,” Don Parsons said in November 2008.1
Excellence is a funny thing. The fire service, like many organizations, ardently seeks it as if it were a tangible and material thing. We leaders want to build a system based on a tradition of excellence. Foolishly, we often fall short because excellence, much like tradition, cannot be mandated through written guidelines or clever mission statements. We must understand that it cannot be created through committee or purchased like a new fire apparatus.
WHAT IS EXCELLENCE?
I am confident that most chief officers, company officers, and firefighters believe they understand the concept of excellence and its importance to their organization. I am equally confident that there exists a vast difference of opinion on how it should be defined.
Excellence can be defined many ways: the state of possessing good qualities in an eminent degree; exalted merit; superiority in virtue; class; distinction; goodness; greatness; virtue; or worth. Call it what you want, but understand this: No matter how you package it, what you call it, or how you intend to achieve it,
What? We cannot mandate our firefighters and officers to commit to excellence? I know—fire administrators all over the nation are in total disbelief right now. How could we possibly do anything in this business without a dozen committees, six volumes of operating guidelines, and the 12-page thesis called “Our Mission Statement”? Well, fortunately for trees everywhere, it can be done.
First and foremost, we must keep our idea of excellence very basic. Notice I said idea and not definition. Don’t define excellence; let excellence define who we are. Our idea of excellence should be such that our personnel can understand it and know that, regardless of their place in the organization, they can achieve it. Excellence is doing our best even when “good” would have accomplished the task. Basic, easy to understand, and to the point.
PERFECTION VS. EXCELLENCE
Almost as important as understanding what excellence means, we must understand the difference between perfection and excellence. Being perfect is the quality or state of being without flaw so that everything essential is up to standard. Since people are imperfect beings by nature, we can never believe that our abilities need no improvement. Perfection is the highest attainable state of excellence; we must be careful not to confuse it with excellence itself.
Each of us has a distinct skill set—tasks in which we surpass expectations and tasks in which we struggle just to maintain our level of competency. We must understand that we cannot be the best in everything we do and, more importantly, recognize the same is true of our co-workers.
Our failure to recognize the differing levels of competency creates a demoralizing atmosphere. In turn, this atmosphere creates division among the rank and file. Division leads to disrespect for the organization and, unfortunately, your mission. Once there is disrespect, your “excellence” becomes a nightmarish period in the history of your organization.
COMPETENCE VS. EXCELLENCE
Achieving competence in one’s roles and responsibilities is simply career development. When striving for excellence, we expect our firefighters to be capable of performing their duties; however, competency is not excellence. Competencies are firm and measureable criteria regarding job knowledge, attendance, appearance (uniforms/grooming), productivity, physical fitness, and attitude. Thus, they have levels or degrees of proficiency. A firefighter may master all the competencies for his position but do only the minimum necessary to meet those criteria.
Conversely, a firefighter may struggle to obtain his driver/operator qualifications, taking two years instead of one. Although other firefighters may have achieved this in one year does not necessarily mean their commitment is any less commendable. Do not mistake competency for excellence.
We cannot mandate it; it isn’t tangible; and putting measurable parameters around excellence would limit its potential. We understand that excellence should be about people, not policy, and that people aren’t perfect. Also, we understand that excellence can be described in a multitude of ways and that, if we are not careful, our desire to instill excellence could be disastrous. Why would an organization undertake such a capricious endeavor? As I told you, excellence is a funny thing, but it is important, and, fortunately, we can achieve it.
ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
We can do a number of things as an organization to achieve excellence and to promote its importance throughout the ranks. The concepts are not new to leadership, but it never hurts to revisit them periodically.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge and experience are valuable assets. Someone showed you the ropes; share your experiences and knowledge. Teach your firefighters to do the same always!
Morale and discipline. We all need to know the rules and follow them. Poor morale is often the result of a lack of discipline.
Be accountable. Accept your failures, and don’t blame others. Help one another out, and don’t use blame to make yourself look better. If you make a mistake, own it and fix it. If you cause a problem by your actions, then step up and take action to correct it. If you can’t, then at least be big enough to ask for help.
Respect the job. The fire service isn’t ours. The fire stations and our equipment aren’t ours. They belong to those we serve, and we need to respect that. The proud history of the fire service belongs to everyone. Don’t take anything away from it; we only have the honor of belonging to this profession.
Respect your peers. This is a passionate profession, and with fire stations full of driven, hard-charging firefighters, we sometimes find ourselves at odds. Sometimes in the heat of a fire or rescue, we step on people’s feet. Say you’re sorry, and move on.
It’s about your people. We ask a lot of firefighters. Our crews often deal with death, trauma, and very sick people. They run all night, and sometimes they don’t eat all day. Take the time to reward them for all they do, especially when they least expect it.
We are family. We put a lot of ourselves into the fire service. We will put aside personal plans to help one another because it is family. We can do it because our family at home understands the firehouse family. Don’t take either for granted.
Be open to change. Procedures become obsolete, technology changes, improved operations replace the organization’s “old ways,” and sometimes the way we learned how to do things isn’t the best way anymore.
Enjoy being an officer. Get dirty—pull ceilings, work the burn pile, or just go out to the apparatus bay and roll hose. Never forget why you love the job.
Enjoy being a firefighter. It is the greatest job in the world. Take time to enjoy those things that makes this job great. Treat citizens as you would expect your family to be treated, wave at kids, and don’t sweat the small stuff.
Doing the right thing starts with leadership. Excellence is a reflection of leadership. As officers, are we promoting knowledge, respect, discipline, family, pride, change, and the love of the job? Lead by example.
When leadership sets the foundations of excellence, our firefighters can take pride in the organization. Pride brings respect for the job; with this comes a commitment to duty at the highest levels.
Don Parsons didn’t dwell on not being a player in the National Hockey League. When asked about what he thought of his career, he responded with his usual appreciation of the career he enjoyed: “He was happy playing for the Prairie Thunder. He was happy that his kids can barge into the dressing room after a Saturday night home game and smother him with hugs. He welcomed the fitful nights of sleep in the dressing room lounge after returning from road games, a concession he made because of the two-hour commute home. He was happy he can help his teammates—some 20 years his junior—learn the hockey and life lessons that have made him the man he is today. He was happy he still could glide down the ice, flick his wrists, and watch the red light behind a goalie come to life as he scored yet another goal.”1
Whether we are discussing great individuals or great organizations, all successes begin like any other. There was a dream to be better than just average. They committed themselves to doing their best, even when they did not have to. They sought out their place in history, and their history was built on excellence.
What do you want history to say about you? What legacy do you want to leave those who follow?
Endnote
1. Roarke, Shawn P. “Parsons thankful for his long minor league career.” NHL.com. December 11, 2008, http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=397248.
JOHN KING is a battalion chief and commander of B-Shift with the South Metro Fire District in Raymore, Missouri, where he has served 14 years. He has almost 20 years of experience in civilian and military fire, rescue, and EMS.
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