Emergency Management in the 90's

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE 90's

By: Clark Staten, EMT-P, I/C
Past Chairman, National Society of EMS Administrators
Asst. Dpty. Chief Paramedic (Ret)
Bureau of EMS
Chicago Fire Department

Executive Director
Emergency Response & Research Institute

Management needs to continue to change as economical and social factors dictate. In the emergency services, as well as elsewhere, these changes require that we re-evaluate the practice and reality of our management and leadership styles. In order to do so, however, it becomes necessary to gain a basic understanding of the dynamics of our culture in the coming decade. The 90's must become the age of productivity. Not just lip-service to the concept, but actual practice of the principles of doing more with less must occur.

There are very real reasons for this statement. They involve the current burden on the average taxpayer and the past practices of many government agencies. Many governmental units have allowed bureaucracy and waste to "bloat" payrolls with workers that accomplish little except the filling of time and space. All too frequently, in our striving for even larger sections, bureaus, divisions, and departments, we have created jobs that perform little meaningful function. The concept that "bigger is better" has prevailed throughout many governments. For with size, comes power....or so it has been believed. After all, any manager that doesn't attempt to increase his/her budget every year, isn't much of a manager....are they??

In all too many cities, counties, and states, positions have been created that do not assist in any way to accomplish the overall goal of the organization. These positions may contribute to the internal or political fortunes of the manager or elected official that got them the job, but contribute little to the performance of the organizational mission. With these mindless, make-work jobs, go even more mindless and futile salaries that are coming out of the pockets of the taxpayer.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who has the job, today's governmental managers have often been required to "work-around", "hide", or "take care of" any number of "do-nothing" employees that are under his/her charge. This author has come to the conclusion that a reasonable and prudent manager must resist whatever political or internal pressures may be brought to bear, while in the pursuit of employee excellence and productivity. To do otherwise, has been shown to contribute to the eventual overall decline of both the manager and the organization. Sometimes, being a responsible and truly effective manager has placed the practitioner at professional risk. It has been shown, however, to be ultimately the most acceptable alternative.

The economic circumstances of the 90's are sure to cause are examination of the productivity of EVERY employee. Competent fiscal managers and efficiency experts have come to government, and with them, new awareness and expectations on the part of chief executives and the public. It would appear that the public sector of employment has to learn the lessons of failure that have plagued both the private and public sector in the past.

Corporate America recognized the need for down-sizing and productivity in the 1970's and 80's. A major change in the infrastructure of industry occurred. The traditional dirty, low-tech, manpower intensive, industries were suffering from their non-productive approach to producing steel, building cars, and other heavy labor jobs. The Japanese, Germans, Koreans, Chinese, and others began to dominate the conventional heavy industries with modern management methods and computerization. Due to its inability to become productive, America's heavy industrial base has practically suffered a slow and painful death.

The resurgence of industry in America has been fueled by a new and imaginative approach to leadership and management. It has been rooted in producing the greatest good with the fewest resources. Productivity has been studied and those functions that can be computerized or eliminated by more efficient means are quickly being reorganized. Many organizations have found themselves forcing layoffs or early retirements in order to make room for the worker that is technically motivated and prepared to function in the future's more automated environment.

Tomorrow's workplace will undoubtedly require a more productive employee. The manager of that employee had better be prepared to organize and plan that productivity. He/shemust derive a long and short range set of measurable goals and objectives that can be instituted into employee training and motivational programs. The days of governmental "ghost-payrollers" appear to be long gone. Government accountability is occurring, either voluntarily, or at the behest of regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Attorney's public corruption task force.

CONCLUSION

The choice is up to you.... As an emergency manager, you can voluntarily and vigorously move into the 90's with a renewed commitment to quality and productivity; or, you can continue with outmoded, bureaucratic, and patronizing approaches to management, of the past. The success or failure of your career undoubtedly depends on the choice that you make. It's time to reexamine your own commitment to excellence and an increase in productivity in your organization.

What have you done recently to better motivate your employees ? What have you done to analyze a problem area of your operational area and change it for the better? What kind of systems do you have in place to monitor the effectiveness of your employees? Do they all have measurable goals and objectives to accomplish? How many "hidden skills" of your employees have you discovered within the past year? What new training programs have you put into place, to adequately prepare your employees for the future of your organization? At the risk of using a clich‚; you are either part of the solution or part of problem.

Tomorrow's managers must PLAN productivity and effective resource utilization... TODAY! To do otherwise, will undoubtedly have a negative effect on both their career and personal development. We must learn what we can from the private sector and use that knowledge to manage our resources in the most effective manner possible. In this way, we accomplish the greatest good for the largest number of people. Everyone will benefit from planned productivity in emergency service management.

Start TODAY!