Ethical Dimensions of Fire Service Instruction

ISFSI 2011: Professional Development

and Credentialing for Tomorrow’s

Leaders

ELA’s “Guidelines for Grownups”

• Confidentiality Expectations

• Engagement

• Respectful Candor

• Thoughtful Expediency

• Comfort and Fun

Agenda

• Why Ethics isn’t Boring

• Ethical Challenges

• Values for Adult Educators

• Ethical Decision-Making

• Virtues of Ethical Leadership

“Professional ethics is so…negative.”

Empower others to improve the world

Ethical Leaders in ActionLeadership Development Model

Leading

Self

Leading

Others

Leading

in Context

ELA’s Fire Service Paradox 1

Where can we protect more lives and property?

ELA’s Fire Service Paradox #2

Volunteer Public Employee

Night Gig Self-Identity

Team Member Individual

Peer Subordinate

Seeks Direction Seeks Autonomy

Seeks

Flexibility

Work is

Mission-Critical

ELA’s Foundational Valuesfor Public Safety Agencies

• Excellent Public Service

• Sound Stewardship of Resources

• Fairness to Employees

Traditional view:

Workplace problems arise due to…

Concept, thanks to Matt Bostrom, Ramsey County (Minnesota) Sheriff

• Money

• Power

• Sex

WITHDRAWAL

AVOIDANCE

ATTACK

OTHERS

ATTACK

SELF

Donald Nathanson 1992, 1994

A Broader View:

Nathanson’s Compass

• Respect

• Justice

• Client Service

Adult EducationInstructional Values

Ralph Brockett, 1990

• Beneficence

• Caring

• Self-Awareness

How do these fit the fire service?

Deep Teaching: Walking the Walk

• Sound Decision-Making

• Honorable Conduct

• Fair Processes

• Effective Communication

• Deep Sense of Vision and Purpose

Talking about Ethics

• Authority or Traditions.

• Conscience or gut feel.

• Name-calling

OR

• Ethical frameworks

• Analytical thinking

• Constructive discussion

Prevailing Ethical Theories

• Virtue Ethics

• Rights-Based Theories

• Kantianism

• Utilitarianism

Ethical Discussion Framework

• Articulate position (or competing positions).

• Define disagreements or points of contention.

• Clarify terms and concepts

• Seek and clarify situation facts and objective data

• Analyze positions

Outcomes

Motives

Agent

Rights

Among my teachers…

We are most likely to trust and

co-operate with individuals and

systems - whether we win or

lose - when we experience fair

process.

“Process”

includes

anything

from

giving

feedback to

a single FF

to setting

departmental

strategy

Kim & Mauborgne, Harvard Business Review, July – August 1997

Why think about “Fair Process?”

• Engagement– Stakeholders invited to participate

– Participants have an opportunity to be heard

• Explanation– Process and rationale are clearly explained, along with

decisions and outcomes.

– Explanation is respectful – it is also often educational.

• Expectation Clarity– When decisions are made, implications for all

stakeholders are clearly articulated.

– Everyone knows what to expect, and what is expected

of them.

Fair

Process is

working

WITH

others

The Three Elements of Fair Process

Fair Process does not mean:

• Democracy

• Consensus

• Happiness or Contentment

• Accommodation of individual wishes

or whims

• Command relinquishing legitimate

decision authority or accountability

A good indication of a fair process is when people who do not

“get their way” understand why and how a decision was made,

and acknowledge that the process was fair.

• Title borrowed from Robert Sutton, The No

Asshole Rule.

• Skills are easy to discuss, harder to

implement.

• Communications problems are notoriously

sneaky – we cannot observe ourselves as

others see us!

Listen like you are wrong; Speak like you are right.

• Perceive – with whole being

– Most people blunt their own perceptions.

– Cops sharpen perceptions to survive and succeed

• Suspend analysis and action

– Cops learn to draw conclusions and to act swiftly

– Act, but deliberately.

• Ask, ask, ask ask

– Action bias leads to “internal storytelling.”

– Inform your narrative with input from others.

Leaders Listen!

We need to learn how to deliver

pressure and support to each person

• Past: What happened

– Observable events and facts

– First person and objective

• Present: Why it matters

– Consequences of actions.

– Implications

• Future: Required Changes, Directions

– Changes in actions or behaviors

– Reinforcement to repeat positive actions

Fair

Process is

working

WITH

others

Giving Feedback

What does “Relational Leadership” teach us

about giving feedback?

• I am sorry

– I understand your concerns and my mistake(s)

– I sincerely regret both my actions and their impact

• It won’t happen again

– I commit to change

– I am accountable for that commitment

• Thank you for bringing this to me

– I appreciate the trust you demonstrated

– I appreciate the opportunity to apologize and change

The Critical Art of Apology

A mistake – or crisis - becomes an opportunity

to strengthen a relationship

Vision and Goals

• Who will I become?

• Whom will is serve?

• How will I observe

progress?

• Who’s on my team?

• Scope

• Reach

• Impact

• Clarity

Elements of Vision

The oldest leadership seminar

• Safety and comfort

• Tactical information

• Problem-solving

• Strategic decisions

• Who are we???

If we

aren’t

telling

stories,

others

surely

are!

Thank you for your attention!

Chad Weinstein

Ethical Leaders in Action, LLC

cweinstein@ethinact.com

651-646-1512

“We enable ethical leaders to achieve

extraordinary results”