Fire Assessment Center 360 (eBook)

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Overcoming Obstacles and Excuses

Are you ready?

Since 1999, I have had the privilege of helping thousands of candidates successfully overcome challenges and achieve their career development goals. One of the most significant obstacles I have seen is self-doubt. Countless students have come to me expressing that this may not be the right time to take the promotional exam.

I recently engaged with a young fire officer from an agency in North Carolina. We had previously worked and trained successfully for the rank of captain a few years before this chat, so she was no stranger to what is necessary to compete for a promotion. During our discussion, she asked many typical questions about the process, such as when she should start, whether there was enough time for this, and if I was available to collaborate with her. Nothing was out of the ordinary until she said, “I don’t know if I am ready for this position.”

This was when self-doubt began to creep in, and now, I heard all the buts:

• But I have a great crew
• But I do not have enough experience
• But I enjoy what I do now
• But I do not know if this is the right time
• But there are so many other candidates with more experience than me
• But I don’t know if I am ready
• But, but, but

In any conversation, listening is the most crucial component of effective communication. I listened attentively, took notes, and let her finish the list of “buts.” Without judgment, at this point, I had to play the role of an amateur psychologist. The conversation shifted to asking open-ended questions such as those listed below:

• You certainly have a great crew. Imagine how many more crews you can positively affect as a battalion chief.
• Have you met the qualifications requirements adopted by your agency, HR, and civil service?
• You exceed the tenure needed for the position, don’t you?
• You have been assigned to busy companies and have responded to hundreds of incidents, haven’t you?
• As a chief officer, you will enjoy impacting even more subordinates and members of the agency. Wouldn’t you like to expand your reach?
• There will never be a perfect time. It may never arrive if we wait for the “right” time. When do you think will be an ideal time?
• Experience is not the only factor that makes a good battalion chief, and there is only one way to gain experience: to be in the seat. What better way than getting promoted and taking ownership of the position and its duties?

By asking open-ended questions on the topics listed, I shifted the conversation from “I am not ready” to “Yes, I am ready.” I am happy to report that she scored #2 on the assessment center and was promoted to battalion chief. Coincidentally, I was able to train the candidate who scored #1 on this same process. Ask yourself these questions if facing self-doubt about your promotional strategy.

Photo of Battalion Chief Dena Ali, Raleigh Fire Dept Courtesy of Mike Legeros Photography

Moving higher in the organization will not make you a leader but will place you in a position to lead others. We must step out of our comfort zone to grow. John Maxwell discusses this in The Fifteen Invaluable Laws of Growth, specifically the law of the rubber band. In this law, Maxwell states that “growth stops when you lose the tension between where you are and where you could be.” Rubber bands only function when they are stretched. We must be willing to get out of our comfort zone in order to grow.

Fear of public speaking!

This is a common challenge I hear prospective candidates often proclaim. This is a valid concern, also known as Glossophobia. Seventy-four percent of people suffer from speech anxiety. The good news is that this fear can be overcome with proper practice. We can become better speakers by digging a little deeper into the fear. Don’t allow this worry to disrupt your confidence.

The critical first step is to realize that firefighters and fire officers give speeches daily. While speaking to external stakeholders, showing the rookie how to check out the rig, or giving a station tour, you are engaged in public speaking. Start small by speaking with family and friends. Focus on progress, not perfection.

Brian Tracy, a world-renowned leader, and business coach has terrific suggestions to overcome the fear of public speaking. Among his recommendations are the following:

• Get organized: A significant cause of the fear of public speaking is unpreparedness. In the fire service, we use the term freelancing. This is the scourge of the fire service. Having a structure is crucial to calming your fear. Do not freelance.
• Practice, practice, practice: While this may seem obvious, it is not so simple. I recommend the six Ps: proper perfect preparation prevents poor performance. This requires intentionality and accountability. One of the most famous questions of all time is, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The response is practice, practice, practice.
• Record yourself and learn: Many assessment centers are performed in front of video cameras without live assessors. Recording yourself to notice verbal and non-verbal characteristics that can affect your outcomes is paramount. Trust me; you don’t look or sound like you think. Watch these recordings from the perspective of the raters.
• Always look to improve: When reviewing your recordings, take note of all the things you did well and look to repeat them. Each repetition is a chance to get better. Pinpoint areas for improvement. Then identify specific and measurable goals to improve upon your weaknesses.

Oral communication is a massive component of the assessment center process, and those with a natural gift of gab start at an advantage. The good news is that you can overcome your fear of speaking by looking for everyday opportunities to talk in front of others. Volunteer for station tours, careers days, or other public education events. Look for other speaking opportunities off duty, such as coaching a team or speaking at a neighborhood meeting. Various organizations provide training in public speaking, such as Toastmaster.org and Landmarkworldwide.com.

In the Daily Stoic, by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman, there is a reading titled, “You Can Do It.” The authors claim there are two kinds of people in the world. The first looks at others who have accomplished things and thinks, why not me? The other looks at those same people and thinks, if they can do it, why can’t I? One is zero-sum jealousy (if you win, I lose). The other is non-zero-sum jealousy (there’s plenty to go around) and sees the success of others as an inspiration. Which attitude will propel you onward and upward? Who will you be?

I don’t know how to perform
during the assessment center; let’s talk

Early in my career, I heard about a young lieutenant who had incredible leadership abilities, excellent hands-on skills, and was physically fit. I did not know firsthand of Danilo Giovani (not his real name but a tremendous inside story). I sought more information about Danilo and asked many inquisitive questions about what made him so accomplished.

As our career paths crossed, we eventually were assigned as captains at the same firehouse on different shifts. This firehouse was staffed by fifteen personnel and performed advanced SCUBA rescue for the department. I saw his skills and commitment firsthand during the five years we ran our respective platoons. No one would leave his station except through promotion or retirement. He led by example and was always willing to go to bat for his subordinates. Any discussion on the best leaders in the agency included his name. I observed and marveled at his accomplishment and humility. Over our five years leading our respective shifts, we did not have a single disagreement.

Many in the agency, including myself, were sure he would make a fantastic battalion chief. Although many reasons kept him from going forward, the assessment center process was primary. Danilo was reserved and did not seek attention or public speaking opportunities. The assessment center process may have kept him from moving further in the organization. It does not have to be that way. Anyone can overcome these challenges.

One of the greatest misconceptions is that we perform one way for the assessment and another in the real world. This is a fallacy. We should never do something in the assessment center we would not do in the field. Following policy and procedures, having knowledge of the rules and regulations, and managing emergency incidents are part of our daily shifts as well as part of the assessment. I recommend that all my students enter the preparation phase to become better leaders, managers, administrators, or tacticians and then focus on scoring high on the exam. Our preparation from this perspective yields short-term and long-term success long after we complete the promotional process.

I do not have time!

Time is our most valuable commodity. There are twenty-four...