"We've Been Here Before..."

(Image by kalhh from Pixabay)

Stay in a job long enough and you will see change. You may even see things come full circle and say, "We've been here before." Change will happen and not everyone will be happy with the results. Let's take the current workforce transformation effort within the wildland fire service; "we've been here before"....and before that.

IGNITE: Memorial Day 2022

 

On this Memorial Day 2022, we honor all those lost in service to our country, wherever they served.

[Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC]

Opportunities for Inquiry and Dialogue - AAR Tips

• Hold an AAR with the involved personnel as immediately after an event as possible.
• Leaders ensure that there is skilled facilitation of the AAR.
• Make sure everyone participates.
• Pay attention to time. Set a start and ending time.
• Establish clear ground rules. Encourage candor and openness and ensure that all participants have equal ownership. Focus on improving performance. Keep all discussions confidential.
• End on a positive note.

[Click here to download Learning in the Wildland Fire Service.]

Opportunities for Inquiry and Dialogue - AAR Facilitation

 

Facilitating an AAR requires patience. Initially, it is necessary for the leader to set the tempo. The leader must be a part of the AAR and will have to occasionally accept criticism.

The critical step is to tap into your crewmembers’ emotions. Finding out what they did is not nearly as important as why they did it. Good active listening skills are essential. Do not immediately solve or correct the issue, but let it play out. Try to get to the root of the problem. Encourage everyone to speak their mind.

In order to maximize the AAR, the conversation must have a certain level of candor and allow individual emotions to surface. Remember, this is not the time to reprimand, nor is it the time for personal disputes to dominate. Only issues that are related to the team’s performance should be addressed.

Facilitating an AAR requires patience. Initially, it is necessary for the leader to set the tempo. The leader must be a part of the AAR and will have to occasionally accept criticism. This is important because the team will be looking for affirmation of the AAR process.

[Click here to download Learning in the Wildland Fire Service.]

Challenge #21 - 2022 WFLDP Campaign

Challenge #21: Effective leaders debrief the day’s events with their teams.

• Review “After Action Reviews” in Learning in the Wildland Fire Service, pp. 28-30.
• Visit the AAR tool on the WFLDP website.

IGNITE: Motivation and Discipline

Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. - John Maxwell 

[Photo: Zalek Linker/FWS, Planet Fire]

Leadership Self-Study Available on the Portal

 

We have big news for students of fire!

Leadership self-study opportunities for each of the five leadership levels are now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal under Great Basin Training Center course listings.

If you don't have a profile on the Portal, create one. Search for "Leadership Self-Study" and self-enroll in the leadership level fit for you. Feel free to start at the beginning and work your way through as well.

• Leadership Self-Study - Level 1
• Leadership Self-Study - Level 2
• Leadership Self-Study - Level 3
• Leadership Self-Study - Level 4
• Leadership Self-Study - Level 5

Grassroots Wildland Firefighters Earn 2021 LBE for Motivation and Vision

 

(L to R: Lucas Mayfield, VP; Kelly Martin, President; Maeve Juarez, Montecito FD/NWCG Leadership Committee and award presenter)

Grassroots Wildland Firefighters
Category: Mentoring and Teamwork

Congratulations to Grassroots Wildland Firefighters (GWF) for being selected as one of the recipients for the 2021 Paul Gleason Lead by Example award. Three individuals and one group from across the wildland fire service have been chosen to receive this national award.

IGNITE: Accomplish Extraordinary Things

 

People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things. - Sir Edmund Hillary


[Photo: Kyle MIller/Wyoming IHC]

Opportunities for Inquiry and Dialogue - After Action Reviews (AARs)

 An After Action Review (AAR) is a professional discussion of an event—focused on performance standards—that enables firefighters to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. It is a tool leaders and units can use to get the maximum benefit from every incident or project.