We were heading for a night on the town and I was talking with a friend who has worked in a couple different agencies but is retired from the State Police. He was sharing some stories about his career and one of the most important lessons he learned from one of his inspirational leaders. One of his early supervisors told him that the most important part of his job as a State Police officer is to be an ambassador for the organization. Not writing tickets; being an ambassador.
Across my career, I have tried to be an ambassador for not just for my organization, but for the fire service as well. Through my expectations, I have asked all the people that I have worked to also be ambassadors for the service as well. Let’s explore what it means to be an ambassador for your organization and field by looking at Webster’s definition.
Ambassador:
-noun
- a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative (ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary).
- a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.
- a diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country's mission to the United Nations or some other international organization.
- an authorized messenger or representative.
As you read those definitions, you might think this is all government, associated with rank, political, official business type of work. But pay attention to the last definition; “An authorized messenger or representative.” If that isn’t you, please stop reading. When you are doing your business, interacting with others through your work, you are representing your organization. Notice I didn’t say employer, but organization, because the same is true when you volunteer in different capacities.
Let me state here that being an ambassador for your organization/industry is not always simply acquiescing or agreeing with those you are serving!!! It is more like just not being an ass! Learn to disagree/direct/counsel with respect.
As a member of the fire service, I had an obligation to provide service to our community members. They called and we went. We couldn’t opt out depending on the type of incident we faced or the person that called. And a lot of the calls were not what I might have defined as an “emergency.” However, it was an emergency to them.
We didn’t compete against anyone for providing the service. We pretty much were sole source for emergency service. They depended on us to answer and solve their problem. That could have made me (fire department) feel arrogant or entitled. However, a couple things played into the relationship between public service agency and community member. Think of it as symbiotic. They needed us but we needed them.
While the community relied upon us to respond in the time of disaster (few and far between for most people), we needed the community support to maintain our operation. The community pays for, through taxes or levies, our buildings, our wages, our equipment, our utilities...everything. It would be pretty hard to go to the community and ask for a tax increase if the we had demonstrated a lack of “giveashiteddness” by not taking care of the equipment they bought for us or by not demonstrating respect for those we serve.
Sometimes it’s hard to be an ambassador for your organization. For me, I would be called back to see the same person over and over and over again (E.V.-see the story in the afterthoughts if you are interested). Sometimes it was people at the jail-again, another story. Maybe you are tired because you didn’t sleep the night before. Or maybe you are having relationship issues, your car broke down, rent is due. Maybe your boss is an ass or you didn’t get the raise you wanted. All the above.....?? Not a single one of those issues is because of the person standing in front of you. If you are in a position of service (which is 95% of people) you have an obligation to put those outside stressors to the side and 1) provide service to the customer you serve and, 2) do so as an ambassador for your organization. If you can’t do that 95% of the time, you are in the wrong organization/business.
Perhaps you are a 95-percenter and today is a bad day and you can’t be the ambassador for your organization. Then step aside, tap your partner on the shoulder and say “you take this one, I can’t.” That is a way better option than making a black mark on your reputation or that of the organization.
I have seen a good number of people that are not good ambassadors for their organization or industry. Sometimes it has been through the eyes of the customer as I relied on someone for service. A LOT of times it has been as the organizational representative sent to apologize for someone else’s behavior. I have tips that can help you with the apology, but I can’t do anything for you as the customer.
Try to be the ambassador for your organization. Make others see your industry as “a bunch of really nice people.” The relationship you can develop and the equity from doing so will pay you back a thousand times over.
Afterthoughts:
E.V. So, J.E.D. (Amazing individual and one of the best officers I have ever met!!) and I respond to see E.V. (229th and 30th) again for like the 700th time for a problem I can’t recall. You see, sometimes she would call if she heard the engine driving through her apartment complex or if she saw us on inspections. All I recall is that she can’t reach her medications or has “pain” or something. I am talking with the patient and feel myself getting short with her so I step aside to go count pills. I ask J.E.D. To step in to the patient interaction. I listen as J.E.D. and E.V. visit about her current issue and I hear her say “That other guy is an asshole.” I smile, although only on the inside. J.E.D. says, with a smile, “No, he’s actually not, he’s just having an off day.”
As a side note to that day. While I was fed up with E.V. and her repeated multiple calls, through counting pills that day, we discovered that her nephew was stealing her narcotic medication. I made about 700 ( or was it 7,000) phone calls and got her the help she needed. Shortly thereafter she moved into an assisted living facility where she could get the help/support that she needed for her advanced age and condition.
After-afterthought.....or side side note.....After all the E.V. drama was done and we hadn’t seen her in several weeks due to the new living arrangements, we are walking though an assisted living facility that we went to a couple times a day and I am looking at the room numbers and names. And right there in 226 is.....E.V.!!!! 😳
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