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The Sticky Truth About Crew Cohesion
e. L. Pelletier – February 1, 2021
“Yup, I’m Sure of It. I Hate Him!”
~ Doc Holiday, Tombstone (1993)
Only 7% of a message is received through verbal communication, according to a study in the 1950s by Albert Mehrabian. His research also showed that 55% of the communication was in nonverbal body language, often being facial expressions. The 38% remaining was communicated in tone and inflection for those keeping score at home. Let’s tie that into today’s current dilemma; we wear a mask covering 50% of our face. On top of that, the masks often muffle and distort sound, essentially reducing the ability to communicate effectively. As a leader in your organization, you cannot hide behind the challenges and say, “we’ll see what happens.” You need to prepare for the situation and take the necessary steps to mitigate it.
- Explain the policy on masks and COVID-19 mitigation protocols.
- Ask if anyone has ever played the telephone game? Play the telephone game (modified for social distancing).
- Have a laugh.
- Ask permission from the group to allow for misunderstandings from time to time but reinforce that you all will get through it as a crew. Now is an excellent time to take out the IRPG and see who the bookworm(s) are in the group and ask which of the 10 Standard Fire Orders the telephone exercise demonstrated.
Besides being a good ice
breaker, it also is a team activity that usually ends with a positive response.
Some agencies overhead at the regional, district, or local level pick the new hires; you may not have much of a say in the crew you get. Not having a role in determining the team may be a good thing. When I was the chair of an organization's professional development committee, the president called me and advised me that because it’s my first year as chair, she would select the committee. My gut reaction was that she micromanaged me because she didn’t trust me. Respectfully, I asked her why she felt the need to choose the committee, and she explained that many new chairs often select people that are similar to themselves and end up with seven to nine clones of the chair. She is very wise; often, that is what happens with new leaders. I asked her if I could present her with the list of people I wanted to invite to the committee, and she could have final approval; she agreed. The result was five of the seven people on the committee were on my list, and the committee accomplished great things for the organization that year. Don’t be offended if you don’t have a say in selecting your crew but don’t be afraid to ask to have input.
Often people come into leadership roles and think it’s their opportunity to implement all their ideas. While innovation may play a role, it is not the primary purpose of a leader. The crew is a part of a larger organization than just itself, the leader, be it Crew Boss, Engine Boss, or Squad Boss, Senior Firefighter, is to facilitate the crew. They have someone you have to answer to, someone that gives them tasks to accomplish. To efficiently achieve and provide an excellent report to your supervisor, the crew will need an engaged and invested unit. Allowing the team members to make contributribution builds morale, keeps dialog open, and fosters innovation.
A goldfish is said to have nine seconds' attention span; humans' attention span is eight. If that isn’t frightening enough for leaders who want to keep order, the average time to form a first opinion of someone is 1/10th of a second, according to recent research by psychologists Janie Willis and Alexander Todorov at Princeton. Hopefully, this didn’t trigger too much anxiety but instead stirred thoughts in your head of making a good impression as you meet the crew. Here is one tip I learned the hard way, check your fly! I once stood before 12 firefighters, facilitating RT-130 Refresher with my fly down. The regional Fire Management Officer (FMO) had sent two people. I got a phone call about my professionalism and was told that I should know how to dress by thirty-two years old.
Before moving on from first impressions, I want to point out something else that may have been overlooked above. Leaders must make an excellent first impression on their crew. The days of “I’m the boss, so you have to respect me” are long gone. Leadership is all about garnering the respect of people. Also, as a leader, DO NOT be too quick to judge. You have to be aware of yourself and fight the natural urge to form an opinion of someone at first glance.
It may be difficult to completely know each crew member before they arrive, but having an idea of who they are will give you a head start on the grief and growth process. Whether it’s three people or eighteen people who make up the crew, there will be a period of growth, and with that will come grief for the leadership. Some people have been in wildland fire for decades and will feel they have to prove something. Others that have a handful of years of service may think they should be the engine, squad, or crew boss. Then, of course, are the rookies who have always wanted to be a firefighter because it looks so exciting and cool (if they only knew that the thirty-second clips on the news or the action in the movies were preceded by hundred hours and miles of backbreaking work). As a leader, you have to help each person integrate into the team and develop their own skill sets and mindfulness.
Sometimes there may be an alpha dog (or two or three) in the bunch. If you maintain a span of control, you can more easily pull the crew member to the side and point out that while they have a leadership ability, it needs to be appropriately demonstrated. You remind them of the span of control and encourage them to be a part of the solution.
Leadership in the crew dynamic is not easy. Crew cohesion can feel like a million-piece jigsaw puzzle cover to the box missing. Successful leaders will take it piece by piece, though, and put it together. They will continually work on their interpersonal skills, keeping their egos in check, and building and fostering tomorrow's leaders.
e. L. Pelletier held a career seasonal position with FWS and BIA. He left the wildland fire service to pursue other avenues and is passionate about leadership and self-development. We appreciate Eric's willingness to share his thoughts with our audience. The thoughts are those of the author.
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