SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR THE FIRE SERVICE Metropolitan Fire

SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR THE FIRE SERVICE Metropolitan Fire Chiefs’ Conference May 17, 2016 Harry Evans Senior Research Fellow University of Texas Assistant Fire Chief, Retired

ABOUT HARRY EVANS • Over 34 years of public service (military & fire service) • US Army Paratrooper • Served in all ranks in AFD • Assistant Chief/Chief of Staff • Senior Research Fellow University of Texas at Austin

WHAT ARE WE HERE TO TALK ABOUT? • Succession planning • Barriers to succession planning in fire service • Unknown unknowns • Vast literature, most does not apply • Successes and failures as fire service leader • Solutions & Best Practices • Control v. influence (Sherpa)

WHY IS SUCCESSION PLANNING IMPORTANT? WHY DO YOU CARE? • Young firefighters are the custodians of the industry • Constant change within the Fire Service • Quest for transparency, scrutiny & oversight • Higher expectations – Post Katrina effect

CHALLENGES TO SUCCESSION PLANNING LET’S TALK ABOUT IT • 1) • 2) • 3) • 4) • 5)…

CHALLENGES TO SUCCESSION PLANNING 1) Civil service; Testingbased promotions 2) Personal motivations / bias / shortcomings 3) Political pressure 4) Collective Bargaining

CHALLENGES TO SUCCESSION PLANNING 5) Budget – lack of positions or opportunity for your strong talent 6) EEOC, and other applicable state laws 7) Relic – the Texas “boot thing” 8) Start too late / Recognize talent early

CIVIL SERVICE • How do you test for leadership? • What is Civil Service? By definition it’s hiring and promotion based on merit – qualification measured by tests • Why do we have it? • Perceived fairness and meritocracy by using a test • Supposed to eliminate political influence such as spoils system, nepotism….

PERSONAL MOTIVATIONS • Do the potential leaders/candidates desire to work at a higher level? • Do they see their potential? • How do you manage those who believe they should be in charge but they don’t have the tools? • What about your bias as to who might be a good candidate? • Diamond in the rough • You can lead a horse to water… • Not everybody wants to be

POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS • Fire Service is funded by taxes, by nature this exposes the department to political influence • What’s the average tenure of a fire chief? • Know the political landscape – internal department politics, labor unions, local & regional • Political v Meritorious appointments

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING • Negotiation process between union and management, typically it is interest-based bargaining • Interest-based bargaining • Wages • Hours of work • Training • Health & Safety • Overtime • Hiring & Promotion

BUDGET • Opportunities – How do you pay for it? • You have a superstar, what do you do? • Working on programs/projects outside of normal assignment US&R, IMT, Wildfire team • Internships • Schools – Naval Postgraduate, NFA Executive Fire Officer • Job Shadowing – NWCG • Conventions – FRI, FDIC

‘RELICS’ • What’s a relic? • Opportunity Lost • Relics can dampen motivation for others and block slots for superstars • Changing face of the Fire Service – We must continue to embrace change and demand excellence, because the expectations are steadily climbing • Can no longer “hide, ” “carry, ” “look the other way, ” “tolerate” • Respect and dignity are key – but expectations must be clear and resolve must be solid

EEOC & RELEVANT LAWS U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. Most employers with at least 15 employees are covered by EEOC laws (20 employees in age discrimination cases). Most labor unions and employment agencies are also covered. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.

EEOC & RELEVANT LAWS • The law works both ways – • It can protect you in your actions • A complaint can be filed on you if someone believes you’re not following the law • Know what the law is, understand the law, follow the law (apply it correctly)

RECOGNIZE TALENT EARLY • Good thing about the fire service, we have very structured, methodical promotion processes • Defined time in grade before being eligible for the next rank • Bad thing about the fire service, we have a very structured, methodical promotion process

RECOGNIZE TALENT EARLY • Where do you start, with whom, what qualities are you looking for…? • Can you see talent in a young firefighter? • Imagine the firefighter rank as the farm team in baseball – not everyone makes it to the show but over time, talent rises

CONTROL V. INFLUENCE • The race goes not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but time and chance happens to all • Fire Service is filled with control nuts, we bring order to chaos…. We LIKE controlling things • Set your expectations on how you influence those around you versus control

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING? • Leadership responsibility • Leaders create leaders • Leadership team holds each other accountable (they all have to be pulling the plow) • Leaders identify talent • When you let go, you let grow

WHAT IS TALENT? • Talent is what you’re looking for… What are YOU looking for? • 1) • 2) • 3) • 4) • 5)…

HOW DO WE GROW THAT TALENT GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS WE HAVE IDENTIFIED? • Mentoring/shadowing • Experience building • Legal changes / edicts • Testing/rendering • Appointments • Assessment centers • Schooling incentives • Peer accountability and peer challenging • Opportunities – higher classification / working up • Pre-determined qualifications

MENTORING • Formal relationship & program with mechanisms for accountability • Sometimes informal • Deliberate / Purposeful • Creates motivation • Hand off of wisdom • Creates efficiencies

LEGAL AVENUES • Greater flexibility, e. g. , ‘Pick of Three’ or Discretionary Appointments • Live by the sword, die by the sword • No rules creates wide and varied expectations and you could have a wild west on your hands

APPOINTMENTS • Subjectivity allows for greater flexibility • Not everyone achieves organizational maturity at the same pace • Pick specific talent for specific purposes • Can be associated with favoritism • Can be misinterpreted by the organization • Can detract motivation (counterincentive)

EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVES AND/OR REQUIREMENTS • Experience holds a dear school but only a fool will learn in no other (Lee) • Education doesn’t make a person smart, but a smart person can use education • Skills and tools in critical thinking and administration • It can limit your pool of candidates • Takes a lot of time and money to accomplish

NFA NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODEL

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES • Delegate duties commensurate with ability • Can be observed while performing • Generally not expensive • Grows the candidate beyond his/her current assignment • Expands the candidate’s horizons and network • Set up for failure; put them in too deep • Not focused on core responsibility • Can be perceived as favoritism

EXPERIENCE-BUILDING • 1000 different fires or 1000 times at the same fire • Forced transfers with promotions • Develops depth and scope in type(s) of experience • Gives multiple perspectives (budgetary, operational, administrative, etc. ) • If you don’t do it, your talent’s expertise could be “siloed” in specific field • Can create late bloomers to the overall talent pool

TEST/RENDER THEM • Challenges build excellence & character (adversity reveals character) • Allowed to fail in a controlled situation (sometimes) • Failure is not necessarily a bad thing • Too much pressure too early • Could reduces motivation • Can exhaust them if done too often

ASSESSMENT CENTERS • Widely used instrument • Accepted as a valid tool • More relevant than relying on a single written exam • Reveals candidate behavior under pressure • Expensive • Time consuming • Measure the wrong attributes • May not be trusted by the workforce

PEER NETWORKING • Power in numbers • Wider more global perspective • Access to many different ideas and business practices • Grows list of potential mentors and professional contacts; can grow together • “We’re not in Kansas…” (you pick the city) • What works there may not work here • Could create unrealistic expectations

PRE-DETERMINED AND ARTICULATED QUALIFICATIONS • Sets the expectations with the workforce • Levels the playing field for the entire workforce • Reduces ambiguity • Be careful what you ask for – you might get it • Locks you in to a set of criteria, limiting your flexibility

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW! • 1) Define “talent”. Know what qualities you’re looking for… • 2) Identify the exposure to succession planning – brain drain, diversity, gaps in skill, and so on…. • 3) Identify who the future leaders might be • 4) Formalize your succession plan

TAKE AWAY’S • Succession planning is the sum of education, experiences, past performance and exhibited potential – a process that you can influence • Succession planning should be a written, formal component of your broader Leadership Doctrine™ • Make your thinking visible • Your Leadership Doctrine™ and formal Succession Plan must account for the climate and culture of the department, and MUST be collaboratively determined

HRE LEADERSHIP DOCTRINE™ • Leadership forged through the crucible of intense scrutiny and critique • Constant refinement