Posts Tagged ‘fireofficerdevelopment’
Are You Chained Down?
Not too long ago I saw a comment on LinkedIn that said, “The worst thing a person can do is leave their career development to the mercy of the employer. I have seen it.” This made me think of the many ways an individual’s career development may be hindered by an organization, whether intentional or…
Read MoreIs Your Personal Development Diluted?
The titles of my last two blogs were, Are You Goal Oriented or Growth Oriented. You may have a plan for development, but is it diluted and weak? The fuel spill Throughout my career as a firefighter, I responded to a wide variety of incidents, including fuel spills ranging from small puddles to gasoline flowing…
Read MoreAre You Reaping the Harvest?
Tomorrow is October 1st and the start of the final quarter of 2024. Are you reaping the harvest? I’m not referring to a harvest of pumpkins, corn, apples, or other fruits and vegetables. I am writing about the personal harvest. What have you done to personally grow and develop yourself over the last nine months?…
Read MoreAre You Goal Oriented or Growth Oriented, Part 2
Last week in Part I, we looked at the question, is there a difference between being goal oriented and growth oriented? In that blog post I described two types of people: the Certificate Collector and the Balanced Firefighter. Part I also described the bricks and the mortar. The bricks are certifications, but what is the…
Read MoreAre You Goal Oriented or Growth Oriented, Part 1
Is there a difference between being goal oriented and growth oriented? I believe there is and I believe there is an answer to this question without throwing out one or the other. The goal-oriented person All of us need to have goals in life: personal and professional. However, there are people who are so goal…
Read MorePersonal Growth = Water In, Water Out
The photo shows a fire department ladder truck at the scene of a small fire. Notice the size of the two hoses. The larger yellow hose is 5” diameter and supplies the pump with water from the fire hydrant. The small green attack hose is 1¾” diameter and the water flowing through this hose extinguishes…
Read MoreFire Officers: Are You Competent with Your Job Skills?
Today is Labor Day and this is a fitting question: as a fire officer are you competent with your job skills? Unfortunately, many are not, including those in both the paid and volunteer fire service. On the paid side of the house are those individuals (including officers) who proclaim the mantra of payday and four…
Read MoreUp in Flames!
I read an online article from Fast Company, Inc. titled Why no one on your team wants to be a manager anymore – and how to change that1. The article cites a survey from CareerBuilder “of over 3,600 workers” claiming that “most people don’t want to be managers.” I agree with the author’s assessment that…
Read MoreWeak or Strong, It’s Your Choice
Two cups of coffee. The one on the left is light colored, watered down, and weak. The one on the right is darker colored, robust, and full flavored. The cup on the left is disgusting, you spit it out, and say “No more!” The cup on the right has a pleasant aroma, tastes good, and…
Read MoreAvoiding a Career Tsunami
On Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, there was an assassination attempt on the life of President Donald Trump. Fortunately, the assassin failed, Trump lived, and the assassin was neutralized. Almost immediately, the head of the U.S. Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle came under criticism and scrutiny for not providing an adequate level of protection…
Read More