Resisting change is part of human nature. Yet change has become the new “normal” in today’s world, including in the public sector, where change tends to occur at a glacial pace, if at all. These two facts illustrate why it’s critical for public safety leaders to help their employees and stakeholders embrace change, or at [Continue Reading…]
How to Ensure Your Strategy Can Be Implemented
May 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
In talking with executives in the fire and rescue service, I hear a recurring theme: they cannot seem to implement the strategies they so painstakingly have developed. They are not alone in their frustration: this issue is common to all industries, public and private sector alike. The fact is that writing a strategy is the [Continue Reading…]
Consolidation: Panacea or Pandora’s Box?
April 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There’s a lot of talk about “consolidation” going on in the public safety arena these days, as well as some action. For example, municipalities such as Naples, FL are beginning to combine adjacent fire districts; others such as Long Beach, CA are consolidating their police and fire dispatch centers; and still others, such as Sunnyvale, [Continue Reading…]
Public Safety: Top Priority or Collateral Damage?
November 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Note: This post originally appeared on my Optimize Business Results blog on August 31, 2011. During the first few years of the economic downturn, police and fire departments across the country often were protected to the extent possible from budget cuts, layoffs, and furloughs. After all, isn’t public safety a core function of local governments? [Continue Reading…]
Why Insisting that Employees “Do More with Less” is a Mistake, and How You Can Stop Making It
November 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Note: This post originally appeared on my Optimize Business Results blog on July 4, 2011. One of the biggest and most preventable mistakes I see employers making in response to layoffs, furloughs, and budget cuts is what I call the fallacy of “doing more with less.” The admonition to “do more with less” has become [Continue Reading…]
Budget Cuts: Why Fire Departments and Police Departments Need to Change the Question
November 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Note: This post originally appeared on my Optimize Business Results blog on May 29, 2011. As city, county, and state budgets are being discussed and finalized around the country, one thing is clear: those who allocate resources are asking the wrong questions. As a result, recipients of government services are being short-changed because resources are [Continue Reading…]
Reality Check: How to Stop Trying to Square a Circle
November 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Note: This post originally appeared on my Optimize Business Results blog on May 27, 2011. The world has changed in major ways in the last few years, with important implications for organizations. Despite the resulting upheaval in virtually all major areas of life and business, many people continue to cling to the notion that things [Continue Reading…]
