We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
– Albert Einstein
In a demand-driven world, the “fire-fighter” is the pinnacle of virtue. What is a fire fighter? This person, or group in your organization, is who is turned to when things go drastically wrong. Essentially they are called upon to rescue the organization from itself. They are asked to address critical issues through the extraordinary application of their efforts. They are highly visible and highly prized. Often they are also highlight rewarded for their efforts with compensation, advancement and promotion. The only problem with this mind set is that the “tyranny of the urgent” will continue to outweigh the benefits of applying resources to longer term issues of building strategic capability and capacity. The fire-fighter, does not help an organization grow – they really only help an organization overcome the problems that the organization has not properly addressed previously (by removing the root cause of the issue) or perhaps even recovering the organization for the poor decisions it has inadequately implemented.
In our recent research, in the Consumer Products industry space, we found this the “fire fighter” is a common organizational archetype and that it is actually one they want to avoid. These clients found that the primary driver for this kind of behavior was that there was a demand that “hot” issues be visibly and promptly addressed. The biggest challenges, strangely enough, occurred when lower managers had trouble getting buy-in from senior managers to address more strategic issues. Those senior managers often saw only those issues that were most dramatically visible (regardless of their true priority) and sometimes lost sight of the strategic issues that needed to be addressed as a result. Action was prized over sustained focus. The constant demand to accomplish more with less created an ever-present sense of urgency. The time to think strategically was pushed to evenings, weekends or some hoped for time in the future. Not a good place to be.
Breaking this pattern requires that organizations build a focus on executing their corporate strategy, and resolving the issues that arise during that effort, with a single-minded focus on brilliance. It requires focused, systematic, consistent critical thinking. It demands that effort not be wasted. The elimination of waste in these organizations was seen as an effort that reached beyond the waste associated with production – unnecessary downtime, materiel wastes, energy wastes, procedural wastes – it was also, and perhaps most importantly, focused on the elimination of the wasted thinking effort that produces little value across the operation.
July 21, 2008 at 5:13 am |
Yes! FF’ ing as we call it can take up a great deal of time and attention. The thing that I’ve found is that it is highly addictive, as it can give the FF’er a heightened sense of usefulness. It is only by helping the individual understand the nature of this addiction that any improvement can be made. And, of course, if your perceived value in an organization is to put out fires, and there don’t seem to be any around at the moment – well, it might just be necessary to start one yourself!
Hence the need for individual development in managers, not just a pure focus on process and skills development
August 6, 2008 at 12:27 pm |
Firefighting becomes almost a comfort zone for organizations as “normal” operations. A major difficulty that I have encountered in establishing solid processes to eliminate the need for fire fighting is the ease with which organizations slip back into this mode.
In the critical initial implementation phase of any business process, it is very tempting to experience some discomfort or difficulty using a new process. This is when many people slip back into thier old methodologies, including the “fire fighting” approach to issue resolution. Keep in mind that getting people away from fighting fires and embracing repeatable processes for addressing issues requires increassed monitoring and support from an organization.