In the photo above, firefighters are walking through smoke. The smoke is acrid, it stings the eyes and makes them water. Prolonged exposure may produce a headache from the carbon monoxide contained in the smoke. Visibility becomes difficult and more so when the smoke becomes thicker.
There are times when career development may feel like you are walking through a smoky wildfire. In the fire service, organizations often provide a checklist or matrix of certifications the firefighter must follow to progress in their career. This may include a task book as part of career development. In this process, the firefighter must complete each task in the book while under observation by someone of a higher rank or qualification.
Get out of the smoke.
Just as it is not healthy breathing the smoke of a fire, it is not healthy trying to navigate the smoke of career development without assistance. You must step out of the smoke and gain clarity and control of your career.
This means that even if your organization is not providing those training opportunities or it is a one-time only offer, your career continues regardless of the training that you are missing.
How do you gain control of your career development and not leave it to the mercy of your organization? By identifying areas such as self-awareness, understanding human behavior, and how to communicate better. This also requires an understanding that personal development is an ongoing process and does not occur overnight1.
Reading books, articles, and blogs, and listening to podcasts like Firehouse Talks with Jersey Rick: Igniting Leadership Excellence, is good practice, but you must move beyond those single person activities as they only take you so far and at a slower pace of development. Attending seminars, workshops, and webinars is also beneficial, but what happens afterwards? All too often the information gleaned from those activities is lost to time.
Coaching and mentoring
However, engaging in the services of an experienced coach and mentor allows you to climb to higher levels and increases your impact on the lives of others. Your participation in bi-weekly or monthly small group meetings expands your horizons even further.
This is a service I provide through my online Leadership Accelerator. This is an opportunity to come together with like-minded firefighters and fire officers in a safe environment. An environment where you can voice frustrations and ask questions without fear that you are going to be ambushed in an annual evaluation by your supervisor.
To learn more visit my website at https://www.fireofficerleadershipacademy.com/tailboard-talks/ or send an email to [email protected].
2025 is less than a month away. Get out of the smoke of professional development and propel your career to new levels.
1John C. Maxwell, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, (New York: Center Street, 2012), 10
