November-December 2009

	November-December 2009

Why You Should Stop Trying to Make Everyone Happy

By Chief Richard B. Gasaway, PhD

One of the most difficult things to do in any organization is to take over in a leadership role from someone who, for the most part, has done a good job. This situation can be the result from being appointed to the position after a retirement or resignation or, as is the case in many volunteer fire departments, after an election. Regardless of how it is you end up there, assuming a new leadership role can present some special challenges.

Oftentimes, there will be members who enthusiastically welcome the fresh new leadership. Likewise, there may be members who are skeptical of the new leader’s style, or worse, may be maintaining their loyalty or allegiance to the outgoing leader. When a new leader takes the reigns, it is very important to get off on the right foot.

When a leader holds an elected position, maintaining a balance between doing what is right and doing what is popular can be very difficult, especially if you aspire to eventually be re-elected. It’s the same premise that politicians use when making their decision in city councils and legislatures around the country: make decisions that satisfy the largest number of constituents so you get re-elected. And there’s nothing wrong with that. You can’t be an effective fire chief if you don’t get re-elected.

However, I would caution you against trying to make everyone happy. I can tell you from experience that it is impossible, and I recommend that you not try to do that. Here’s why. If someone comes to you with a complaint, you’re going to try to make them happy. In your effort to make them happy, you’re likely to make two other people unhappy with the decision you made. Then you’ll have to do something to make those two people happy. In your effort to make them happy, you’re likely to make four other people unhappy. And so it spirals on until you find yourself chasing your tail but never catching it (trying to make everyone happy but never achieving it).

So how can you ensure that you will be a successful chief and do the good job that you strive for? First off, I’d suggest not coming into the chief’s position like you know it all, because you don’t. I’ve been at this for more than two decades, and I am still learning. We all know how annoying it is to have a rookie firefighter complete his first fire class and all of a sudden he thinks he's the best firefighter on the department and wants to tell everyone else how to do things. That approach usually alienates him from the other firefighters and takes him a long time to recover, if he ever does.

The same thing can happen to a new chief. Just because you got elected to the position doesn’t mean you’re the best chief the department’s ever had. It doesn’t even mean you’re going to be good at it. It only means that more than 50 percent of those who showed up on the night the elections were held checked your name on the ballot. It’s entirely possible that some of the firefighters who voted don’t think you’re qualified to be the chief. They may have voted for you simply because they didn’t want the former chief to get re-elected, and you were the best alternative.

And because you were elected to a leadership role doesn’t mean that you are, somehow, instantly smarter than everyone else on the department. I have seen this phenomenon affect so many elected officials throughout my years. They run for office in the town, get elected to a council position, and all of a sudden they are smarter than the police chief about police matters, smarter than the fire chief about fire matters, and smarter than the public works director about how the roads should be cared for. I’ve often wondered how someone could become so smart overnight. It’s not that they did; it’s that they let their ego overpower them, and they believe they are smarter.

Don’t let that happen to you. Look at yourself as the Rookie Chief. While you may hold the most powerful position in the department, don’t let the power go to your head. Chances are that when you chose to run for the chief’s position, you campaigned on the need to make changes. Pace yourself. Even if your term in office is only one year, don’t try to accomplish everything in the first year.

With the help of the firefighters, make a list of the things that need to change. This will be especially helpful if you have some division amongst your firefighters. It might also be a good idea to make a list of the things you want to preserve. Then, with the help of your firefighters, prioritize the list. Set out to accomplish the top (most important) two or three things, but not much more in your first year. You don’t want to shock the organization by making too many changes too fast. They won’t be able to keep the pace, and you’ll find yourself frustrated and your organization in turmoil. When it comes to change, people adapt at different rates and most adapt slowly. Remember that providing good leadership is a marathon, not a sprint.

As much as you have good ideas, being in the lead position often means you have to give and take. There will be times when the best ideas come from firefighters. The chief must be willing to accept that and give credit where credit is due. I have seen too many examples of chiefs who take good ideas from subordinates and claim them to be their own, taking all the credit. It’s a form of plagiarism. The credit should always go to the creator.

Sometimes the ideas of others aren’t so good, or the idea might be good, but the timing isn’t right for the idea to be cultivated. A number of times throughout my career I have had ideas come my way that were brilliant, but for various reasons, it was not the right time to introduce or implement the change. Sometimes the reason is the organization is not ready for such a change. Sometimes there’s been enough change, and the organization is saturated (can’t take on any more at the moment). Sometimes there are budgetary constraints. Sometimes elected officials or politics are the obstacle.

Instead of simply stamping a “no” on the proposal and sending the rejection back to the originator, offer to meet and discuss the merits of the idea and offer an explanation as to why it cannot be implemented. Share what things need to happen before the proposal might be considered. This approach gives the firefighter hope instead of despair. It tells the firefighter that while the proposal won’t be implemented, the effort is appreciated.

While it is not in your job description to make everyone happy, it should be your goal to treat everyone with dignity and respect. There are even nice ways to say no that give hope.

Here’s wishing you much success.

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