Re: 911:: Re: new dispatcher

[Guest guest]

Debbi,

From many years of observation, the best dispatchers are prima donna control

freaks. This makes them very good at what they do and very bad as trainers

(and sometimes, co-workers), i.e. " no one can do it as well as I can and

they never will " .

Let the flames begin!

Randy Mace

[Guest guest]

Randy, no flames here. As much as I hate to think of it....I really have to

agree because I know that in a lot of ways, that describes me. Now, I know

myself well enough to actually exercise a bit of " control " over those

tendencies, but..... yep, I am a control freak and I do want things done " my "

way more often than not. I know that there are other ways, just as good, and I

actually encourage the people I train to find what works for them, but I have

actually had to sit on my hands when training someone just to allow them to

fumble through something I could easily have done before they hit the first key!

I am not really a prima donna...but, I have to conciously work at exercising

patience with other people when it comes to things that I KNOW I know better

(read, that I know " my " way better than they know " my " way). I actually love to

train...but am much better in a class situation than in a one on one

environment. Again, this is all a part of the process of knowing oneself and

learning to make the necessary adaptations to exist with others in a somewhat

compatible world.

Freida

> > From many years of observation, the best dispatchers are prima donna

> control freaks. This makes them very good at what they do and very bad as

trainers

> > (and sometimes, co-workers), i.e. " no one can do it as well as I can and

> > they never will " .

[Guest guest]

> Debbi,

>

> From many years of observation, the best dispatchers are prima donna control

> freaks. This makes them very good at what they do and very bad as trainers

(and

> sometimes, co-workers), i.e. " no one can do it as well as I can and they never

> will " .

>

> Let the flames begin!

I have no doubt that the above encompasses one possible reason why good

dispatchers are less than perfect trainers, but I also see two other possible

reasons:

1. Dispatchers care about getting a good job done (both for the units and for

the public). Trainees make mistakes (ones that experienced dispatchers no

longer do) and the trainer wants the job done " right. " Because virtually no

call can be considered totally " routine " and unimportant, the trainer would

like every call handled perfectly, even during training (at least when real

life is involved). This gives them less patience.

2. Dispatchers deal with less than perfect folks all of the time (callers who

give less than correct information - either intentionally or through ignorance,

rookie and/or clueless field officers, etc) which can build frustrations.

Dispatchers (being low on the food-chain) rarely are called on to provide

constructive feedback during their regular job, so when they are in a position

of authority (i.e. trainer), they lack the experience in gracefully dealing

with the frustrations caused by a less than perfect subordinate.

There is, of course, yet another explanation:

Some of us naturally resemble the south end of a northbound horse.

Which may be kind of what Randy was alluding to. <grin>

Roy Mumaw

CAPD Arroyo Grande

[Guest guest]

Not certain what started this discussion (overtime duty but the best

dispatchers are not control freaks. The " best " come from experience, common

sense,

and formal training. Knowing what our limitations are and striving to improve

our selves each day because everyone is capable of making mistakes can make

us better dispatchers. It comes from recognizing that if no one is hurt because

of what was done, we have learned and that learning can come from someone

just out of dispatch academies. It does not make us " oldies " poor trainers

either. If we act like the " prima donnas " than we are probably in the wrong

profession. Not everyone is capable of this profession either because of

personality

or any other reason. It does not make that person a failure.