December 30, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 21 3 Techniques for Enabling Personal and Professional Growth Public Safety Insight: De-cluttering your life creates the space necessary for personal and professional growth. Personal and professional growth requires us to go outside our comfort zones. Yet many people can’t begin to test their boundaries because their lives are [Continue Reading…]

December 9, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 20 How to Re-set Unrealistic Expectations Public Safety Insight: You can set yourself and others up for success by re-setting your own and others’ unrealistic expectations. Recently I heard a long-time EMS professional say, "Times have changed. It used to be that people on scene watched us do our [Continue Reading…]

November 25, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 19 Thank You for Your Service Public Safety Insight: Thanksgiving is a good time to say "thank you" to all first responders and their families. "Thank you:" two small words that I know you don’t hear often enough. They seem terribly inadequate to convey the depth of our gratitude [Continue Reading…]

November 11, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 18 The Paradox of Compassion Public Safety Insight: You cannot be truly compassionate toward others unless you first are kind to yourself. Compassion has two components: a feeling of deep sympathy for others who have undergone misfortune, and a desire to alleviate their suffering. It is compassion that leads [Continue Reading…]

October 14, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 17 Let’s Stop Excusing Bad Behavior and Harmful Outcomes Public Safety Insight: “Politically correct” language is a toxin that results in dysfunctional behaviors and outcomes. It’s time to replace it with candid conversations. In today’s world, “politically correct” language has run amok, leaving dysfunction in its wake. Instead of [Continue Reading…]

September 16, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 16 Communicator: A Critical Role for Public Safety Leaders Public Safety Insight: Public safety in the U.S. has been degraded unnecessarily in part because too many leaders lack the level of communication proficiency needed to keep their communities safe, healthy, and economically viable. One of my workshops at FRI [Continue Reading…]

September 2, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 15 Ingredients for Success: Notes from the iWomen and FRI 2015 Conferences Public Safety Insight: Speakers at the iWomen and FRI 2015 conferences identified a myriad of noteworthy characteristics of successful leaders. Although the topics at the annual conferences of the International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency [Continue Reading…]

August 5, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 14 What Special Olympics Athletes Can Teach First Responders Public Safety Insight: The Special Olympics World Games that just ended in Los Angeles demonstrated the similarities between first responders and the athletes, and offered valuable life lessons. Held in the U.S. for the first time since 1999, the Summer [Continue Reading…]

July 15, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 13 Succession: No More Excuses Public Safety Insight: For over fifty years, fire and rescue professionals have bemoaned the lack of effective succession processes in their agencies. For the good of your community, it’s time to dump the excuses and start focusing on what you CAN do rather than [Continue Reading…]

June 24, 2015 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12 8 Steps to Preserving Institutional Knowledge Public Safety Insight: The loss of institutional knowledge can be a major threat to public safety. Leaders can mitigate this vulnerability by developing and implementing a process to capture and share that knowledge effectively.   The elements of a perfect storm that [Continue Reading…]