Have you ever been labeled as "too into the job" or struggled to bring a new concept back to your organization? Have you struggled to lead up or down the chain of command and are at a loss on where to start to get some buy-in and traction? Is the balance of being good at your job and good at home taking its toll?

This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast features Preston Lyons from the Relentless Rejects Podcast and he brings a realistic and simple approach that is not only based in effective strategy but also is a breath of fresh air for us in emergency services.

In this episode we cover:

• Preston's journey and mindset shift and why he ultimately decided not to leave the fire service
• Things we can do as leaders within our organizations to effect positive change that matters
• How to build personal resilience and accountability both at work and at home

Other resources we speak about in this episode:

Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast Episodes:

#15 Get Tougher & Reintegrate With Some Simple Tools With Emily Hightower of SHIFT-Part 1

#19 Build Your Tribe

#04 Athletic Identity, What is it and How Do we Build a Healthy One?

Check out the great work Preston is doing over at the Relentless Rejects Podcast!

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to dive into how to use your breath to help you calm down, have a clear mind, and even help you fall asleep or fall back asleep!

In this episode we cover:

• What does CO2 have to do with respiration and why does it matter?
• 3 simple to use breath practices to help you refocus and mitigate stress
• How a box breath works and we practice this protocol

References:

Yoga For First Responders Podcast featuring Kevin Housley

The Vital Connection. Sleep, Performance, and Recovery for Emergency Responders

Komori, T. (2018). The relaxation effect of prolonged expiratory breathing. Mental Illness, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/mi.2018.7669

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to dive into the Group Effect and how Behavioral Matching can hinder or elevate you as an instructor and/or leader in emergency services. This is an integral component as you try to maintain and build cultures you want to be a part of.

In this episode we cover:

• What is the Group Effect and why is this foundational for positive change?
• What are the Factors of Behavioral Matching
• How we can improve our teams, relationships and organizations by capitalizing on the group effect and behavioral matching using simple steps towards success.

References:

Blocker, H., & McIntosh, D. (2017). Not All Outgroups Are Equal: Group Type May Influence Group Effect on Matching Behavior. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 41(4), 395–413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-017-0258-z

https://seths.blog/2013/07/people-like-us-do-stuff-like-this/

https://seths.blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2017-people-like-us.pdf

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to continue the discussion about communication and how to build better teams and feel more connected. "Feeling Heard" is a concept all of us have experienced both in a positive sense and a negative one.

In this episode we cover:

• What are the 5 components of feeling heard?
• How do the 5 components interact with the 3 entities (Me, You, We)?
• How we can improve our teams, relationships and organizations as a result of simply "feeling heard"

Again, We hear you!

References in this episode:

Roos, C. A., Postmes, T., & Koudenburg, N. (2023). Feeling heard: Operationalizing a key concept for social relations. PloS One, 18(11), e0292865–e0292865. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292865

Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast Episode 23: What is the Research Around This Integral Concept?

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to talk about communication and how to build better teams and feel more connected. "Feeling Heard" is a concept all of us have experienced both in a positive sense and a negative one.

In this episode we cover:

• What are the entities involved in feeling heard?
• Why is feeling heard such a big deal and how does it tie into employee retention?
• The research that supports it and how it impacts overall success and increases organizational culture

We hear you!

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to talk about efficiency and how to get more done using a simple concept called the Pomodoro Technique.

In this episode we cover:

• What the heck is the Pomodoro Techniqe
• Why it works and how it increases engagement, accomplishment and motivation
• The research that supports it and how it increases overall awareness

Put this technique in play today to be a more effective emergency responder!

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to talk about Leadership. More specifically, we're starting a deep dive into the best selling book "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. An absolute must read!

In this episode we cover:

• What the 5 Levels of Leadership identified in Good to Great are & how you can use them
• The 5 levels of leadership in conjunction with self-awareness to change your effectiveness
• Why the Window and Mirror Analysis is so important for leadership
• How to use the Window and Mirror concept to lead yourself and your team

Why don’t we every so often take an appraisal ourselves?

Do you ever really stop and think about why you do what you do or if your current situation is still meeting your intended goals and objectives?

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to talk about Reappraisal (aka Reframing) and how you can use it to increase your performance and mindset

In this episode we cover:

• What is reappraisal and reframing?
• How you can use reappraisal in conjunction with awareness to change your response to stress
• Why this applies to you as a first responder and how you can use it off the job

Have you noticed your career in emergency services has changed you?

That your relationships both at work and off the job have diminished?

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to talk about Building Your Tribe and why it's so important to focus on relationships to be happy, healthy and strong!

In this episode we cover:

• Why can building culture be so difficult?
• How staffing models can impact how we are built as humans
• The ways you can control the controllables and grow thriving relationships at work and at home

Are you looking for a creative way to get more out of your training?

Where the option is free, easily accessible and will increase performance?

On this week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we’re going to talk about a heavily studied sports psychology principle that you definitely already use in your daily life. It’s called Imagery Training and it can absolutely level up your game and basic skill set!

In this episode we cover:

• What is Imagery and Why Can It Help Me Level Up?
• What are the parts and pieces of Imagery Training & how you can implement it effectively
• What are the benefits of Imagery Training & can it actually help you in basic skills, leadership and life?