| Kevin Willett |
Training The New Supervisor
| Training Tactics is a guest column about public safety dispatch training issues. |
| Kevin Willett has been a 9-1-1 Dispatcher in California for over 12 years. He assisted in writing the curriculum for California's 120 hour basic dispatch academy and is an Instructional Coordinator with Public Safety Training Consultants. |
This article can be found on
page 70 of the May/June 1998
issue of 9-1-1 Magazine.
How do you successfully transition from the dispatch console to Management? Training and Communication. Add to that equal portions of ethics, integrity and honesty. I'll focus here on Training and Communication. If you don't have the other three, stop reading here and have a long look at what you're doing in this profession.
Training for Civilian Supervisors is generally lacking in our profession. We know how to do all the dispatch functions but do we know budgeting, risk management, hostile work environment law, scheduling, fair labor standards act, Americans with disabilities act, managing personalities, conquering negative attitudes, how to facilitate a meeting and time management? If you actually did attend a class, was there a practical exam involved that verified your proficiency?
Look for a Mentor. Someone that you look up to in the business. This may be a Comm Manager at a neighboring agency or a sworn member of your own agency. What center in your region has the best "word on the street?" Go chat with that Manager now and squeeze all of the "lessons learned" that they can recall. When people call me, I refer them to a Manager in my region. She has the respect of her Agency and her troops. She can do the job at the console and in front of the Council. That's magic in my book and a goal you may set for yourself. I've pointed quite a few people in Sheryl's direction and she's never said no to helping a fellow professional.
Look to your professional organizations. Both APCO and NENA have classes that will benefit you. Though they are short classes, they will bring you valuable networking and immediate information. Look to any provider and see what they have to offer. Hosting classes in your region brings the information to you and shows your agency and staff that you are pro-training. Start grooming your dispatchers now for future lead positions.
Go to a trade convention. I remember an APCO western regional conference about a year ago that I attended. I decided to sit with some folks I hardly knew. By the end of lunch, I had more information on sick leave policies than I had ever experienced. I also had 9 business cards in hand that I could refer to anytime. By the way, don't just collect business cards, write a short note to yourself on the back of ones you collect. You can do the same with cards you pass out. A little note like "send me your schedule" will remind a fellow manager why they have your card at the end of a long convention.
Read! I come from a family of educators. "Reading is fundamental." I should have a parking space dedicated to me at Barnes and Noble. Of course, there is the One Minute Manager that will give you a quick view of Management in our soundbyte world. But I like cruising the business section. What's Big Business doing that we could or should be doing? Two recent favorites are In Pursuit of Wow by Tom Peters and NUTS by Herb Kelleher, the CEO of Southwest Airlines. Start a journal of ideas for the future.
Communication: As a new Supervisor, communication is vital. I was talking to a friend recently as he transitioned to a new shift of patrol officers. In his first team meeting, he laid out his expectations of the patrol team. He then opened the floor to a forum of what they expected of him! After a bit of hesitance, they told him. If he meets those expectations, will his "Supervisory stock" go up? I think so.
Know how to conduct a meeting. Granted I'm a type A personality (rare in this profession, I know) and I'm summarily upset at losing sleep or time while attending meetings. Give me a reason to be there. Help solve my problems, make a decision, or tell me when one will be made. Allow me understand your side when appropriate. Give me constructive positive or negative feedback and do it quickly. Again, all you have to do is have an agenda and follow it. Give the troops time on the soapbox by having them submit agenda items or via a roundtable. If you have time for a few tape critiques, all the better. Share positive letters, commendations and personal experiences too. Look at recent citizen and agency comments and train to resolve them. By allowing pervasive negative problems to persist, who is at fault?
I'm sorry I can't address more in this valuable training space. Let's share ideas, lessons learned and successes. We'll follow-up this column on Supervisory and management training in a future issue. In the interim, don't forget to learn, communicate and be innovative. Your agency, your dispatchers and your communities depend and rely on you.
