Innovation - A Matter of Necessity

(Credit: Geralt/Pixabay)

(This is the first of a four-part series.)

My husband's favorite aircraft is the SR-71, Blackbird. We've gone to many an air and space museum to check out this iconic figure. I never caught "Blackbird Fever" until I watched the documentary "Blackbird - Legacy of Innovation." The second part of the documentary caught this leadership geek's attention and admiration. The connections to current wildland fire concerns (recruitment, retention, loss of life, global warming, etc.) caused me to pause.

American Public Television has the rights to this video until 2021, so I will try to highlight topics that relate to the wildland fire service. I challenge students of leadership to watch your public television station schedules for future broadcasts in your area.

In this blog series, I will touch upon the same topics of innovation the video showcased: necessity, leadership, disruption and risk.

NECESSITY

"Necessity is the mother of invention." - English-language proverb

We find ourselves at an interesting point in history. The industrial era has been replaced (or supplemented) by the digital era where individuals and manufacturing companies battle for the latest and greatest gadgets and processes where we constantly test personal and corporate value systems.

The National Fire Plan of the 2000s brought large budgets. With bigger budgets came more equipment and more people. Things were good. Fastforward 20 years and fire managers are faced with sustaining these organizations with flat or declining budgets. (Chime in Chicken Little screaming "The sky is falling!")

Is the sky really falling? If you understand leadership and innovation cycles, the answer is a resounding "NO!" In fact, now is the oportune time to face our problems head on and make the impossible possible and bring the future into the present.

One area of concern within the wildland fire service is recruitment and retention. This shouldn't be a shock to many? When we moved to a digital era, the type of individuals needed to support the jobs available changed. Advancements in technology has made the need for humans less in some areas and more in others. Small family farms (where we hired many of our firefighters) were replaced by large corporate organizations that use specialized equipment operated by skilled technicians—the very same individuals we hire. The farm kid we used to hire lacks the same skills s/he one did.

Additionally, the economics of low job numbers means businesses must pay more for talent. The wildland fire service has had the same low pay structure for ages. We will still attract the individual wanting to make a difference, loves the outdoors, and seeks adventure, but those individuals are fewer than they once were. We have reached a point of diminishing return. Necessity demands that we change our model.

Next week, we'll talk LEADERSHIP. Until then I leave you with Schoolhouse Rock's "Mother Necessity."


Mother Necessity

(If the video doesn't load, click here or search YouTube :)

Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge - Digging a Little Deeper

• What innovative ideas do you have for recruitment and retention?
• If your opinion, what necessitates change within your organzation—locally and beyond?
• How does the curiosity of science influence innovation?

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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.

Source: Blackbird: Legacy of Innovation - Trailer from Fuel Creative, inc. on Vimeo.