BY ALAN BRUNACINI
We have been discussing in recent columns a four-category approach to evaluating how prepared we are to deliver service. Using the framework of biologic, cognitive, emotional, and social capability creates a more balanced look at all the ways that we relate to effectively managing and positively resolving an incident. This balance includes a combination of the very critical biologic (physical) and the cognitive (smart) capabilities required to convert out-of-control conditions to under-control conditions. This part of our job is very basic, traditional, and timeless. Being able to physically perform and to mentally react in an effective way allows us to manipulate our training, tools, systems, and “muscle” to save animate people and inanimate objects.
Speaking of the tools of our trade, I recently returned from FDIC 2013, where I observed an entire zip code (sports stadium and convention center) full of equipment, protective gear, hardware, electronics, and technology that absolutely boggles the mind of an old guy who as a young firefighter was fascinated by the advanced 1960s technology of a hose clamp and a Detroit Door Opener. As I wandered around the display floor, I reflected that the cognitive level of our current firefighters matched the level of sophistication and complexity of the physical resources we are now using to do our jobs.
As I was on my tour of the modern firefighting wonderland, I observed young firefighters who were as comfortable at evaluating and understanding the state of the technology as I was, in some cases bewildered by how advanced it was. As I was trying to figure out some of the whiz bang stuff, the “kids” were kind enough to patiently explain to me how the new object operates. Thank heaven for the young folks. When you (a technology refugee) visit a strange land, it is wise to take a translator native like the young firefighters to explain modern conditions (and modern objects) to you.
It seems that the current state of development in the tools we use requires an even closer and more complementary connection between biceps and brains. As I got to hang out with the young firefighters during the conference, I was (as usual) impressed with both their smarts and their physical condition and capability. While they are (thankfully) very savvy of current technology, they also look physically like a group of good-natured hockey players. I am always happy about the future of our service whenever I am around the youth of our service.
As I was wandering around the FDIC display floor, I reflected that all the really advanced equipment and systems on display were in some way connected to a set of service delivery operations that are pretty basic and straightforward-particularly from the standpoint of the person who receives our service. When Mrs. Smith calls us for help, she is generally having a fire or medical problem that is not complicated (to us), and although we use a lot of the show floor products, they are pretty invisible to her. When she recalls her experience with us, she very seldom mentions any part of our response that is technical.
In our previous column, we discussed the emotional part of being fit for duty. We effectively connect to the customers in a highly interpersonal way that is based on our ability to evaluate and then fit into their emotional state-we used the term “emotionally literate” to describe this capability. The beginning of our contact and connection to Mrs. Smith is based on her relating to us on an emotional level. This feeling is the result of her living in the community we protect, where throughout her life she has seen us, talked to us, read about us, and has either actually received service from us or knows someone who did. Our permanent, life-long connection with her creates an emotional dynamic that on the most fundamental level is based on how she trusts us; she is confident that when she calls us, we will quickly respond, we will solve her problem, and we will be nice to her.
This month we will discuss how critical it is for us to make and maintain a relationship with the customer based mostly on the social skills of the responders who were involved. Most of the human-centered process is based on the social connection among the people involved. As a boss, I was happily involved in mostly very positive situations where the humans effectively related to each other (they were nice to each other). I also was involved in resolving a few other messy, confusing situations where I had to act like a boss (yuk) simply because our troops were not nice. Sometimes the players in our internal/external game created unnecessary roughness and simply required a referee.
Many of these negative situations (both at the fire station and at Mrs. Smith’s house) generally involved one person’s saying an unkind word, rolling his eyes, or using a disrespectful tone. Although these social mess-ups appeared at first not to be big deals, that antisocial behavior took an inordinate amount of boss time to fix because of the feelings of the person on the receiving end of the negative treatment-simply, what happened was a big deal to the “injured party,” and I quickly learned that if it was a big deal to Mrs. Smith, it had better be a big deal to me.
Our social fitness is absolutely critical because a major service delivery capability is our presence. We are the agency that actually shows up when the customer calls us. When we arrive, we directly engage the customer many times on the most intimately personal level possible. Although the customers called us to use our technical/tactical capability to solve their problem, they mostly responded to how we treated and related to them socially. Our bedside manner (literally) and “fireside” manner create the impression/memory that is the most critical thing we leave behind.
We must understand how profound the process of presence is and how it connects to the stature of our service. Even though we are basically an action-oriented service that directly engages physical conditions, we must always be aware that those situations include the humans connected to that physical problem. It was a big day at school in my remedial reality class when they taught me that buildings don’t vote! I experienced a blinding flash that day that our greatest strength is that a citizen of our community is having a problem and calls us, and we show up and most of the time “touch” that person directly or indirectly. The basic message in our response is that the body politic (city, district, county, etc. = government) maintains a level of safety and security for the humans in the community and supports the resources that form our service. That support is reflected in our capability to actually show with our physical presence that the community cares about that person. Based on sending this message, what we do is as much of a social function as a tactical operation. I received a lot more response from Mrs. Smith about a simple, sincere hug than I did about a stunning hoselay or a breathtaking ladder raise (both functions = absolutely critical).
If we send a group of muscle-bound hydraulic vandals, we will never finish trying to resolve the hurt feelings they leave behind. Our social level of fitness for duty is basically a set of interrelated behavioral things we do to effectively connect to the customer on a very human level. We can outline those things in a very doable, functional way. The following is a description of some of the fit-for-duty behaviors that effectively integrate into the social needs of delivering service. As we examine these behaviors, we will see that they closely resemble what our Mom taught us before she dropped us off on our first day at school.
The basic foundation of how we should behave is built on the definition of the word “nice”: respect + kindness + consideration + patience = nice. We should always treat the people around us in a way that reflects those four words. Nice is how we should act (simply stated). In previous columns, we devoted an entire installment to each of the four words/behaviors. When we deliver nice service to Mrs. Smith, we get back a very positive note of appreciation. When our actions are not nice, we have a lot of paperwork to do and meetings to attend. We must always remember that nice on the inside of the organization leads to nice on the outside (and, sadly, the opposite is also true).
Be careful of what you say and how you say it. Everything that comes out of your mouth instantly goes into the customer service record. You have a lot of power over the people you serve, so everything you say is critical to them. What you say can either greatly assist them or can hurt their feelings. Be careful of your word choices, the tone of your voice, and the physical signals you send. Always filter what you say through the brain before it gets to the mouth, and carefully consider how it will sound/feel to the receiver.
In addition to the positive result of being nice, our behavior should be regulated by the conventional standard of good manners. Civil behavior is not rocket science-good manners are based on Emily Post etiquette and what your Mom taught you: Hold the door; say “sir” and “ma’am”; clean up your own mess; and if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all (please read two times). Be careful of too much college and not enough kindergarten.
Our social support behavior standard gets acted out many times under the most difficult conditions anyone could imagine. Anyone can act okay when everything is peachy. There is no more critical test of how we connect to the customer and the situation as when the whole world is on fire and we never raise our voice. We make effective difficult decisions, listen critically, issue orders that are customized and considerate of Firefighter Smith and Mrs. Smith, and provide support for those who are in tough spots. It doesn’t take long to identify a cool-headed pro from some “bullony” boy who talks a good game and then runs down the street with his hair on fire as soon the incident punches him in the nose. I am certain that you by now have thought that I have slipped off the edge-suggesting that our civility can be somehow evaluated with our back to burning property. During my career, I got to work for/with both ends of the charm school scale: We would march off the end of the burning earth for the smart-polite boss; he used his brain. We consistently muttered, “Put it out before he gets here!” about the dumb, rude boss; he used the top of his voice to say out-of-control gibberish.
A very inexpensive and consistently effective gesture of courtesy is to smile. It sends a signal that creates a positive beginning that connects two people interpersonally. The instinctive human reaction to someone who is looking right at you and smiling is to smile back. The two smiles generally evolve into a positive initial and ongoing interaction. If you are happy, tell your face. A smile passes it on, and you’ll get it back.
We send a considerate and respectful message to a person we are interacting with when our focus and attention are directed to just that person. Focus and attention = eye contact/body language/critical listening/engaged facial expression. In recent times, we have developed a major distraction with cell phones. Many people use their cell phones in an almost unconscious way, and this habit can create a level of interpersonal rudeness that almost instantly devalues the other person attempting to converse with that talking, screen-reading, texting phone operator. When conducting face-to-face communications with another person, put your phone away. How you pay attention sends a huge (+/-) message about your manners.
A critical period occurs in the very beginning of making contact with a customer. Your opening statement to the other person many times sets the stage for the remainder of the time you spend with that person. This is very simple. What you say first is a reflection of your basic manners and consideration. Most of the time, a simple salutation becomes a positive launching pad for a positive and happy conversation.
I think our service delivery manner list will remind the reader that how nice we behave socially sends a huge message to the customer. If you ever wonder how to treat the customer you are serving, just think back to how you felt in that same situation when you were the customer on the receiving end. Mrs. Smith is now on that receiving end and feels exactly the same as you did.
● Retired Chief ALAN BRUNACINI is a fire service author and speaker. He and his sons own the fire service Web site bshifter.com.
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