They Told Us So

(Credit: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC)

Wildland firefighters are as familiar as anyone can be when it comes to fire. They aren't afraid to run towards the fire when others run away. They aren't afraid to get their hands (face, hair, etc.) dirty. We are going to dig into the dirty stuff in this blog. I am going to dig into the dirty side of organizational learning.

What is Organizational Learning

At its basic level, "Organizational learning is the process of creating, retaining, and transferring knowledge within an organization. An organization improves over time as it gains experience. From this experience, it is able to create knowledge." (Wikipedia)

Developing a Learning Organization in the Wildland Fire Service

In Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, we say the following about developing a learning organization:

Leaders evaluate performance at all levels to understand the causal factors of successes and failures. All those involved learn incrementally, applying today’s lessons to the next assignment. This focus on continuous improvement brings with it a responsibility to share lessons learned throughout the organization.

In a learning organization, leaders treat honest mistakes as opportunities to do better next time. Understanding that failure is a part of learning, they establish command climates in which young leaders are motivated by desire to succeed rather than fear of failure.
Fire leaders walk the talk of the learning organization by scheduling routine debriefings to evaluate performance and apply the lessons learned. AARs maximize learning from every operation, training event, or task; they represent a powerful tool for team and organizational learning.

AARs allow people to share honest opinions and learn from each other. Fire leaders make sure that debriefings focus on what instead of who; we use them to improve weaknesses and to sustain strengths.

My Questions for You

The point of the blog is not to go into organizational learning theory. There are plenty of people much smarter than me who have studied the concept and written books and books on it. I want to draw on my 35+ years in wildland fire, especially the last 20 with the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program. I contend that we learn individually and not so much corporately.

How many times in your life has someone told you not to do something (don't touch that, don't eat that, etc.) and yet you still do it. You touch the hot plate or stove; you get burned. You cut yourself on the mandolin (kitchen slicer) because you didn't use the safety device. You lift with your back instead of your legs. You drink to excess. You don't use your personal protective equipment. You fail to heed the lessons of those who came before you.

Those who lost their lives in the line of duty left lessons for us to learn. They would never want your families to go through what their families have. Some of them were avid students of fire and knew the stories of the past. Unfortunately, they perished much like those that went before them. Why do we continue to see the same story time and time again? Why can't we learn from others and not through personal experience?

Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge - Digging a Little Deeper

• Schedule time regularly to review accident reports (See the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center.). Review the findings and commit to learning the lesson without repeating it yourself.
• Read the "How Oh Shit Moments Can Make You a Better Firefighter" by Jody Jahn, PhD.

---

About the Author: Pam McDonald is a writer/editor for BLM Wildland Fire Training and Workforce Development and member of the NWCG Leadership Subcommittee. The expressions are those of the author.