The other night, the local evening news included a report about a potentially controversial action taken by the city council. At the end of the story, the news anchor said, “So what do you think about this? E-mail or text us with your comments.” And then following the commercial break, a period of time was spent reviewing individual comments that had been sent in the previous few minutes.
The first time I saw this kind of news follow-up, my first reaction was, This is news? But then I realized that this is the world we live in. With rapid development of technology in phones, computers, GPS, and other devices, communication has long ceased to be a one-way street. The expectation of interactivity in nearly every aspect of life is particularly strong among younger people who grew up with advanced communication technology and social networking systems.
Mixed blessing
What effect does the expectation of interactivity have on the fire service, and especially the company officer? Of course there are tremendous opportunities from a technical standpoint to use new technologies toward the goal of improved public service and firefighter safety. But in other ways, the changes brought by new technologies might seem like a mixed blessing.
One effect of technology and social networking is that people have an increased expectation of giving and receiving feedback. Spend some time with Facebook or Twitter and you see the nearly insatiable desire for constant connection with and response from others. This need for interaction and feedback is carried into the workplace, and that’s when problems can result.
Those who are members of the oldest two generations at work — those directly influenced by World War II and their children, the Baby Boomers —are likely to have grown up with the attitude that no news is good news, and that feedback is a rare occurrence, usually associated with a negative event.
They see no need for giving constant updates on what is happening. Most importantly, they cannot imagine a world where those who are new on the job expect to have a voice in decision making, and assume their right to give feedback to nearly anyone.
Younger people, who grew up receiving and giving nearly constant feedback, may see things quite differently. It isn’t disrespectful to offer an opinion, it’s just normal. Everyone out in the world is asking for their input all the time — retailers, Web sites, governments, even the nightly news. Why should the fire station be any different?
Conflicting values and expectations often cause conflicts, and problems between different generations are nothing new. But there are also opportunities in difference, and the wise leader will find ways to capitalize on strengths while diminishing differences among groups.
Changes on all sides
When it comes to feedback, changes will have to occur on all sides. Older firefighters will have to accept that giving useful feedback is part of their job as officers and mentors. As few people are naturally good at giving feedback, it would be helpful for organizations to provide a little training and support on how to do it in a constructive way.
More senior department members will also have to get used to the fact that younger people are likely to give more feedback, too. This is not a bad thing — the more information you have, the more informed your decisions can be. But the culture of feedback must be managed. It is up to the company officer to set clear expectations about when feedback is appropriate and when it is not, and what forms feedback should take.
For example, more than one newer firefighter has gotten into trouble for posting work-related but less than professional material on the Internet. Organizations should be clear in setting guidelines in these areas.
As an individual company officer, feedback is one of the most important tools you have to develop a highly functioning, motivated crew as well as to improve your own performance. Studies show that employees who have access to frequent, focused, and constructive feedback tend to be more productive, more highly skilled, and more committed to the mission of their employer. Younger people in particular are much more likely to leave a job if they feel that feedback is absent or inadequate, or if they feel their voices are not heard.
Some firefighters and officers may resent the fact that they need to learn to give useful feedback as well as to listen more to their newer crew members. “When I came on the job, you just worked hard, did what you were told, and kept your mouth shut,” they say.
But that was then, and those days are over. The future of your organization lies in the young people who are being hired now. Interactivity and feedback are part of who they are. When managed well, this desire for connection and conversation is a valuable resource that will make your organization much stronger in the long run, and will help to make you the best officer you can be.
