In “The One Minute Manager,” author Ken Blanchard refers to the “Seagull Manager” as someone who gets alarmed and involved in something with very little knowledge of what transpired or is happening, provides negative interaction, then exits the situation, leaving others in the organization to clean up the mess.
The name comes from a situation many have likely encountered – a seagull encroaching on people who are trying to eat. The seagulls fly in, squawk a lot, flap their wings, dump all over the place, and then eventually fly off.
Do you have a seagull fire chief, chief officer or company officer in your fire department? Here are the warning signs that you may be dealing with one.
“Seagull officer” behaviors
First, a seagull manager swoops in whenever a problem crops up. They never take the time to fully learn the origin or details of the problem. They make quick assumptions based on little information. After all, they generally think they are smarter than most, and they are quick to provide directions and give orders to fix the problem without knowing all the facts. Even hearing a rumor that others are trying to solve a problem will prompt the seagull manager to seek out the discussion or meeting to give their scholarly advice or orders. Despite not having all the facts, the manager is simply not interested in working with the rest of the team to solve the issue. They want to swoop in to save the day all by themselves.
Seagull managers make a lot of noise – just like seagulls with their incessant squawking. The squawking brings them attention and lets everyone know they have the solution. They may raise their voice in meetings or even send an email to the entire department providing direction on the problem.
Here’s an example: The fire chief overhears the training chief talking to a deputy chief and some battalion chiefs about a glitch in the training schedule. The fire chief, instead of letting the team resolve and fix the glitch, gets out of his chair and proceeds to where the team is gathered discussing the issue. Instead of learning what all the issues are (he thinks he knows enough since he picked up bits and pieces of the conversation), the fire chief immediately begins to provide direction on how to fix it. The fire chief “dumping” ideas and directives in a one-way conversation leaves the other chiefs dumbfounded about what to do next. They now find themselves in a precarious situation, as it’s hard to tell the chief that his “squawking” is actually making the situation worse.
Seagull officers are sometimes seen as bullies who intimidate. They are no different than the bullies you encountered on the playground when you were younger except, I doubt they will trip you or take your lunch money. Their leadership style is toxic. The seagull officer can almost seem like the warden at a prison when they issue orders – as you must follow directions.
After the seagull officer is done, satisfied with what they have accomplished, they “fly out” as quickly as they arrived. They have accomplished their mission. They have brought attention to themselves, dumped on everyone while squawking at them. After they have flown off, the only thing left for others to do is clean up the mess. This might involve resetting the situation, undoing errors enacted by the chief, or figuring out how to proceed the “correct” way without angering the chief.
The right way to handle problems
Excellent fire chiefs, chief officers or company officers, when learning of a problem that is difficult to solve, lead the team with coaching, mentoring and raising issues for thought provocation and discussion. These outstanding leaders allow the team to find a solution, giving them ownership and buy-in to the solution. Along the way, these officers provide clear expectations, consistent communication to the team, and feedback on solutions.
Shield the team
Dealing with a seagull fire chief, chief officer or company officer is not easy. The best way to handle them is to stick to the details of the project, document interactions, and shelter the team as much as possible from the seagull in your department.
Editor’s note: Have you dealt with a “seagull officer” before? What was your best recourse? Share in the comments below.
