By Chris Paskett
Shiftwork is often held as one of the great benefits of working the line, and there are parts of the schedule that are fantastic. Whatever the schedule variation on 24-hour or 48-hour shifts (Kelly Schedule, modified Kelly, California Swing Schedule, or another configuration including 12-hour shifts), firefighter shiftwork affords some lifestyle opportunities rarely obtainable through traditional 40-hour schedules.
However, shiftwork can present challenges for fire service organizations that have an administrative workforce on a different schedule than operations. One of the greatest challenges is achieving organizational alignment, as “alignment of priorities presumed to contribute to enhanced organizational performance, just as misalignment is expected to undermine performance” (Joshi et al., 2023). When the actions of fire and EMS crews, administrative and support staff, training, and senior leadership are centered on shared foundational goals, “strategic consensus is achieved (Robinson & Stern, 1998).”
Alignment barriers with shiftwork
Organizational alignment can be difficult to accomplish where differing work schedules create communication gaps. For example, vital organizational messages sometimes get lost in a full inbox. This can result in shift workers feeling uninformed about departmental initiatives and can breed frustration when initiatives stall for no apparent reason or when requested resources are not granted with little explanation. The 40-hour workforce can also be frustrated when communications asking for seemingly small tasks to be accomplished (such as responders obtaining appropriate billing information) may not be changing behavior in the field.
Another difficulty can be including shift work personnel in the committees, trainings and interagency meetings that routinely occur as part of normal business operations. When shift workers are on duty, they are often responding to calls, drilling or performing any number of other duties. Off-duty time equates to their “weekend,” and requiring them to attend additional meetings can intrude on work-life balance or incur costly overtime expenses. If not addressed, operational personnel can become siloed and isolated from administrative, logistical, training and budgetary support services, with each side focusing on their own space and not truly understanding what the other does. This can result in general inefficiencies, duplication of efforts, and can erode the sense that we are “all in this together.”
Bridging the gap
There are several actions we can take to support the organizational link between our 40-hour employees and shift workers.
Leadership communication
Effective leadership communication is an essential element of a high-functioning organization (Gilstrap et al., 2015). Benefits of effective leadership communication include team commitment, positive perception of leader performance, and increased personal accomplishment for employees (Devries et al, 2010; Xu & Farris, 2024). Leaders who communicate effectively through multiple mediums (face-to-face, phone, email, videoconference, text, etc.) can provide information to help bridge some of these gaps.
Our fire chief holds a weekly live update each Friday morning. This provides the department with up-to-the-minute information on budget issues and operational changes, as well as using this time to reinforce departmental direction. This platform has also been used to illustrate how different sections in the organization are doing their work through leadership storytelling (Denning, 2005; Forster et al, 1999). Highlighting how our teams are demonstrating organizational values every day can be a powerful way to bring the organization together, and this medium has been well received.
There are other ways to effectively carry a message that will help workgroups understand a shared vision and how everyone fits into it. This could include:
- Middle managers striving to communicate notes and take-home points from their meetings.
- Different sections of the organization creating and distributing newsletters to update the department on purchases, process changes, and initiatives that may affect them.
- Leadership defining nomenclature used in the 40-hour world that may not be familiar to operational crews can help them connect to the “big picture.” A brief explanation of what zero-based budgeting means or quickly defining corporate social responsibility (CSR) can give context and meaning to important initiatives the department is trying to achieve.
Facilitating experiences in the adjacent world
Exposing shift workers to 40-hour experiences can be tremendously beneficial, both to link operational crews to the entirety of the organization and to build successorship. Whether it be a one- or two-year assignment in administration or training, taking shift workers offline for a few months to execute a special project, or embedding them into committees chaired by 40-hour employees, this can be valuable exposure to help both groups understand one another.
Although I am currently functioning in an operational space, my 40-hour experience has included almost four years spread across training captain, chief of logistics and safety, COVID emergency operations center (EOC) liaison, and deputy chief. I learned how the department budgets and spends money, the flow and tempo of 40-hour administrative and support staff, how committees and workgroups connect to each other, and who does what inside and outside the department. I am better prepared to answer questions and help connect the dots for both workgroups, and ultimately, increase efficiency of operations and projects towards a unified goal.
Additionally, ride-alongs are a great way for 40-hour employees to see the operational side of the department. While it is easy to focus on the emergency call aspect of the ride-along, this is an excellent time for crews to show curiosity and ask questions about the job of the rider. What do they do? What do they like most about their job? How does their work intersect with the operations side? Who are the two new folks I saw in the field last week? These are opportunities to develop relationships, build bridges and truly understand each other better.
Final thoughts
Organizational alignment does not just happen in a vacuum. It is the product of intentional steps to bring people together, focusing on the shared mission and each person’s part in that mission. When we are able to appreciate how someone’s job intersects with our own in a personal way, it can motivate employees to support one another more fully. Helping employees bridge cultural and knowledge gaps created by their work schedules is a powerful way to move toward gaining this alignment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Paskett started his career in the fire service in 1998. He currently works as a battalion chief with Eugene Springfield (Oregon) Fire, and has served in training, as chief of logistics and safety, and as acting deputy chief of strategic services. Paskett holds a doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership, Learning and Innovation from Wilmington University; a master’s degree in Fire and Emergency Management from Oklahoma State University; and a bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion from the University of Utah.
REFERENCES
- Denning. (2005). “The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative” (Vol. 39). John Wiley & Sons.
- De Vries, R., Bakker-Pieper, A., & Oostenveld, W. (2010). Leadership = Communication? The Relations of Leaders’ Communication Styles with Leadership Styles, Knowledge Sharing and Leadership Outcomes. Journal of Business & Psychology, 25(3), 367–380.
- Forster, N., Cebis, M., Majteles, S., et al (1999). The role of story-telling in organizational leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 20(1), 11–17.
- Gilstrap, C., White, Z. M., & Spradlin, A. (2015). Authentic Leadership Communication. Journal of Nonprofit Education & Leadership, 5(2), 47–67.
- Joshi, M. P., Kathuria, R., & Porth, S. J. (2003). Alignment of strategic priorities and performance: an integration of operations and strategic management perspectives. Journal of Operations Management, 21(3), 353-369.
- Robinson, A., & Stern, S. (1998). “Corporate creativity: How innovations and improvement actually happen.” Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco, CA
- Xu, Y., & Farris, K. (2024). The influence of leadership styles and supervisor communication on employee burnout. Journal of General Management, 49(3), 169–179.