Planning For Succession: Fire Chief Kelvin J. Cochran

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PLANNING FOR SUCCESSION

Presented by Fire Chief Kelvin J. Cochran

Planning Succession

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• Succession Planning • Professional Development • Mentoring

Planning Succession

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Succession Planning • The continual business of monitoring and developing internal talent to assure that employees have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to succeed in future leadership roles

Planning Succession

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Professional Development • Establishing core competencies for every rank, while systematically providing training and education internally and externally to meet those requirements

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SFD Strategic Planning March 16, 2007

Planning Succession

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Mentoring • The systematic approach to providing focused support and attention, both professional and personal guidance to subordinates, formally woven into the performance appraisal program of an organization

Planning Succession

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The Need for Planning Succession • Forecast Rapid Attrition • Forecast Rapid Growth • State of Organizational Stagnancy

Analyze Stagnancy Organizational Stagnancy Picture 11

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– A period where activities that were once exciting have become common and routine – Lack luster and enthusiasm – Unwilling to challenge dissenters – Financial incentives do not resolve dissatisfaction

Planning Succession Organizational Stagnancy

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– Tolerate things we used to detest – Relationships more important than mission – Average is disguised as excellent – Succumb to good, rather than aspire for great – Making excuses rather than make a change – Clinging to past traditions with reduced value

Enhance Morale

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• Many of our members are basing their job satisfaction and job motivation on the forecast of promotional and professional development opportunities, and the attractiveness of leadership portrayed by chief officers

Enhance Morale

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• No matter how much they admire, love and appreciate us, there comes a point in time where our subordinates, even those who respect us dearly, want us to GO!!! • Forecasting based on who’s signed up, who’s past retirement, who’s close to retiring and when they’re going to go or sign up….

Enhance Morale

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• Forecasting who’s next to move up in the leadership advancement pipeline has become extremely difficult; but extremely necessary for us to do as a department.

Planning Succession • Inability to forecast Picture 11

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– Members are staying longer before signing up – Members are choosing to stay past their retirement/DROP date – Members are leaving abruptly without much notice – Members returning to the field operations

Planning Succession

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• As the leader, and leaders of our fire department we have an obligation to step outside of our comfort zones to infuse hope and optimism into our members through planning for succession.

Planning Succession

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In organizations where succession planning really works, it is not a stand-alone activity. It is a core process of the business, woven into the very fabric of its culture.

Succession Planning & Professional Development

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• Sense of urgency for fire service leaders • Lack of professional development • Every “man” for himself • The “fair-haired boy”, “favorite son” • Narcissist mentality • Unaware of organizational vulnerability

Failure to Succession Plan

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• Steady attrition of talented members • Retain people with outdated skills • Create promotion apathy • Create a passive-aggressive culture

Wanted: Talented Leaders

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Disaster Management Budget challenges Implement progressive change Managing community conflicts Labor/management challenges In situations like these Fire Departments need to have the right people in the right places to succeed and thrive!

Failure to Succession Plan

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• Apt for wrong organizational decisions • Promote untested, unqualified officers • Recruit outside of the organization

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– Difficult to adjust – Unfamiliar with the culture

Common Attributes of SP

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Not stand alone ad hoc activities Embedded development activities Chief officers deeply involved Chief officers/company officers evaluated on their contributions to the organization-wide effort

Planning Succession

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By engaging officers and administrative chief officers in this way departments can align its professional development processes with its strategic priorities.

Succession Planning Advantages

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• Builds a clear and attractive identity • Enhances personnel perception of leadership development processes • Authenticates succession planning • Attracts future leaders early in career

Question??? Is the talent pipeline of the fire service producing enough quality leaders? Picture 11

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– Our department – Other fire departments – Emergency Management Organizations – Private Sector Organizations

Leadership Development Initiatives and Opportunities

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Fire Training Academy National Fire Academy Executive Development Institute Executive Fire Officer Program John F. Kennedy School of Government Chief Fire Officer Designation Certified Emergency Manager Designation IAFC Professional Development Handbook Higher Education

Blueprint for SP and PD

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• Versed in all aspects of organization • Accountability for chief fire officers • Unwavering commitment to the system • Share resources-the talent pool • Job rotation strategy • Provide opportunities and visibility

Integrated Approach

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• Succession planning drives professional development • Succession planning starts at the top • Train and develop potential successors • Each rank should be the training officer for the rank below

Challenges for the Chief Executive

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Planning your own exit Evokes fears and hidden emotions Deal with long held defense mechanisms Desire to avoid the issue The trend is to always look for the next mountain to climb, not to step down from the mountain and look for a replacement.

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“There is no success without a successor.”

Benefits of Integration

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• Alerts rising stars to opportunities • Ability to assess your “bench strength” • Sense of future incumbent leadership • Minimal business disruption • Increase stakeholder confidence • Reduce cost of external recruitment

Desired Culture

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• Talent alignment and optimization striking the balance between the supply of talent (rising stars) and the demand for talent (critical positions) • Annual review of talent pool-group setting • Evaluation of current roles • Preparation for future roles • Develop paths with multiple career possibilities

Fire Chief Responsibilities

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• Recognize developmental needs • Help cultivate new skills • Provide opportunities for professional development • Nudge into new functional areas • Mentor emerging leaders • Pass on important knowledge • Provide helpful evaluations and feedback

Succession Planning Essentials

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• Aligned • Attractive • Authentic

Aligned Leadership Development

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• Enables the organization to meet its mission objectives more effectively • Enables the organization to produce better innovations more quickly • Rewards individuals who produce innovative results

Misalignment

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• Occurs when: – Rolling out initiatives without proper planning and time horizons – Professional development, succession planning not linked with mentoring – Miss-matched protégé-mentor (disfunctional development) – Performance management measures and rewards inconsistent with organizational values and culture

Attractiveness

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Personnel are attracted to promotions-advancement in part due to the talent identity (image) of executive leadership in fire departments and in fire service organizations.

Attractive Leadership Development

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Does the leadership development system reinforce the image you want people to have of our organization? • Relationship between leadership development and candidates attracted • External stakeholders perception of organizational leadership culture • Personnel’s perception and understanding of the organizational values and strategic direction

Attractive Leadership Development

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• Reinforces a positive leadership image • Emphasizes functional capabilities • Reinforces proper fit of organizational values and belief system

Authentic Leadership Development

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• Authentic - Customized, legitimate system developed internally by stakeholders • Talent development effects business decisions • Not a perception of favoritism • Not padding and developing resumes • Persons recruited, selected and promoted are truly qualified, capable, competent

Professional Development Outcomes

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Actively improve employee skills Increase commitment to work Accelerates information sharing Better trained personnel Increase willingness to accept additional responsibility

Executive Coaching

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The Mentor And The Protégé

Mentoring

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• Essential to leadership development • Many mentors will enter and exit your life • Mentors can make the difference between: – Satisfaction and contentment – Stagnation and growth – Loss and gain – Pain and fulfillment – Deterioration and restoration

10 Facts You Should Know About An Uncommon Mentor

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1. An Uncommon Mentor is the Master Key to the Success of a Protégé 2. An Uncommon Mentor Transfers Wisdom Through Relationship 3. An Uncommon Mentor Guarantees Your Promotion 4. An Uncommon Mentor Can Determine Your Income

10 Facts You Should Know About and Uncommon Mentor • Picture 11

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An Uncommon Mentor Can Cause Influential People to Listen to You An Uncommon Mentor Will Require Your Pursuit An Uncommon Mentor is More Interested in Your Success Than Your Affection

10 Facts You Should Know About and Uncommon Mentor 8.

An Uncommon Mentor is Not Necessarily Your Best Friend –

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Your best friend is comfortable with your past; your mentor is comfortable with your future Your best friend loves you the way you are; your mentor loves you too much to leave you the way you are Your best friend ignores your weakness; your mentor removes your weakness Your best friend is your cheerleader; your mentor is your coach

10 Facts You Should Know About and Uncommon Mentor 9. An Uncommon Mentor Sees Things You Cannot See – Picture 11

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Sees weaknesses before you experience the pain of them Experienced the pain of a problem you are about to create

10 Facts You Should Know About an Uncommon Mentor 10. An Uncommon Mentor Can Create an Uncommon Protégé – Picture 11

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Everything you know will come through mentorship (directly or indirectly)

The Protégé

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• A protégé is an enthusiastic learner • The wisdom of the mentor is perpetuated through the protégé • It is vital to recognize and honor those connected to you for the multiplying and perpetuation of your success and life.

Passive Protégés

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• Reach when it is convenient or when their personal efforts do not produce their desired result. • They subconsciously expect their mentor to produce success for them.

Parasite Protégés

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• Pursue for credibility, not correction. • They will use the name and influence of a mentor to manipulate others into a relationship • They want what the mentor has earned, not what he has learned • They want reputation without preparation

Prodigal Protégés

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• Enter and exist the relationship freely • When serious correction occurs they move toward another mentor who has not yet discovered their flaws • They distance themselves when their mentor encounters personal difficulties, loss of credibility, false accusation or persecution

Productive Protégés

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• Have a servants heart • Never make major decisions without counsel and feedback of the mentor • They honor and respect their mentor both professionally and personally

6 Facts About The Uncommon Protégé 1. 2. Picture 11

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The uncommon protégé invests time spent with the uncommon mentor The uncommon protégé follows the counsel of the uncommon mentor The uncommon protégé reveals the secrets and dreams of his heart with the mentor The uncommon protégé freely discusses his mistakes with the mentor

6 Facts About the Uncommon Protégé

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1. The uncommon protégé defines clearly his expectations to the mentor 2. The uncommon protégé ultimately reaches or exceeds the mentor he serves

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Questions???