Teamwork
Do You Have a Good Anchor or a Bad One?
The photo shows one of the anchors for the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina (BB-55) now on display in Wilmington, North Carolina. The length of the ship is 728’, she has a 103’3” beam, and a draft of 35’. Standard displacement for the vessel is 36,000 tons and 44,800 tons fully loaded.1 That is a tremendous…
Read MoreAre You a Clear Communicator?
The afternoon of February 1, 2017, was sunny and pleasant, but by sundown the temperature began dropping, a light rain fell, and then quickly turned to snow. The wet road surfaces formed a sheet of black ice and there were multiple motor vehicle accidents over the next few hours, including the one in the photo…
Read MoreImpacting Others Through Teaching & Leading
The title of this blog is my life purpose, relating to Luke 12:48, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Much is Given These words involve my purpose in life and what God has given…
Read MoreThere’s a Headless Horseman in the Department!
Do you have a Headless Horseman of the Sleepy Hollow Fire Department in your organization? The organizational monster Although Halloween has passed for 2023, there are many Headless Horsemen (and women) roaming through the fire departments of the world. We can also include other organizations such as business, non-profits, and various government entities (elected, appointed,…
Read MoreKnowing Your Team Builds Esprit de Corps
Esprit de Corps is a French term meaning “spirit of the body”1 or also spirit of the corps. Esprit de Corps is a good measure of unit or organizational morale, camaraderie, teamwork, and cohesiveness. World War II Battle of Midway In 1942, Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance assumed command of Task Force 16 prior to…
Read MoreThree Reasons Why Managing People is Bad for Morale
October 23, 2023 Although the words leadership and management are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two, and understanding that difference has an impact on organizational morale. Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune, the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps said, “Leadership is the sum of those qualities of intellect, human understanding, and…
Read MoreDo You Make Sound & Timely Decisions?
September 25, 2023 Nasty Chemicals In February of this year, a Norfolk Southern train transporting hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, creating a large haz mat event. Responding to and mitigating an incident like this requires constant decision making. Imagine you are responding to a train derailment involving two nasty chemicals: sulfur dioxide (toxic/corrosive…
Read MoreFire Department Officers – Team Building is Not a Mystery
September 18, 2023 Is there a mystery to team building? No. Team building is no more mysterious than a construction project. However, all too often if there is a mystery, it lies in the fact that there is no plan for building the team or if one exists, the plan is not effective. The building…
Read MoreRemember 9/11
September 11, 2023 Patriot Day As I write this blog, I am wearing a t-shirt from the Los Angeles County Fire Museum. On the back side of the shirt at the top are the words “Patriot Day.” In the center is an image of Squad 51 from the NBC television show Emergency! Below the image…
Read MoreDid You Know That Weasels Can Climb Ladders?
September 5, 2023 Did You Know That Weasels Can Climb Ladders? My blog post for August 23rd was titled, Know Your Team & Look Out for Them1 and my blog for August 30th was titled, Are You Reinforcing Bad Behavior and Poor Performance?2 Both articles are related to taking care of the people who work…
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