Public Safety Insights Newsletter: May 28, 2014

Results: A Critical Success Factor for Leaders
Public Safety Insight:	Achieving results by turning plans into meaningful actions is a critical success factor for leaders.

What is your track record for implementing your agency’s administrative policies, procedures, programs, and initiatives? If you wrote down a list right now of all the plans developed on your watch, what percent of them could you honestly say have been transformed into actions that resulted in sustainable, meaningful results? For example, is your strategic plan driving your organization toward its goals, or is it gathering dust on a shelf? How about your succession plan? Do you have a pool of qualified candidates ready to step into key positions when vacancies arise, or do you detail the nearest warm body and hope for the best?

A critical success factor for leaders is the management of plan implementation – i.e., turning words into actions to achieve desired outcomes. Consider the Incident Command System (ICS). It works well not because the Incident Commander (IC) personally executes the plan, but because it frees him/her up to focus on the big picture by providing a logical process by which the necessary tasks are delegated to others.

An ICS-like approach to leadership can be equally effective when applied in non-emergency situations. Why? Primarily because it requires the fire chief or police chief (the IC) to delegate tasks that are not directly related to the organizational big picture. By methodically releasing tasks that are non-strategic in nature, leaders discover they really DO have the time to engage in those tasks that only they can perform. Initiatives such as developing and implementing organizational strategies and succession processes no longer are pushed to the back burner. The agency works more efficiently and effectively, and experiences greater success because efforts are aligned with outcomes.

For those who need help identifying which tasks you should be handling and which you should delegate, here’s an effective tool that can help. Ask yourself, “Am I the only person in the world who can do [X]?” If the truthful answer is “Yes,” then do it. More often than not, however, the answer is “No.” In that case, delegate the task. Everyone will be better off: you spend time addressing the things only you can do, and others handle what they do best. Morale is enhanced, productivity increases, and the agency maximizes its performance.

Applying a concept you already know (ICS) in a different context can make a significant difference in your agency’s success. Why not give it a try?

---

To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.PublicSafetyInsights.net.

---

Public Safety Insights is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help first responders maximize their performance. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.

©2014 Pat Lynch | Public Safety Insights