Incident Management Systems: Leadership and Management

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Introduction

The proper utilization of the principles of incident management in agencies is pivotal if these are to function effectively. Therefore, understanding these principles is paramount, as well as the roles of particular members of these organizations in various situations. This report describes the principles of management, leadership, and command in such organizations discusses the roles of junior managers and commanders, and provides an overview of emergency management principles and systems. Finally, recommendations are provided to address problems in the given organization where a new manager has been appointed and staff experiences significant problems.

The Principles of Management, Leadership, and Command

Management refers to the process of organizing people or activities and is oriented around tasks and results, focusing on policy implementation, decision-making, defining procedures, and maintaining the infrastructure of an organization (Alison & Crego 2008, 55). Therefore, management is based on the principles of clarity and effectiveness of processes and tasks and provides administration and control to reach short-term goals.

In contrast, leadership denotes the process aimed at supporting people and providing moral and emotional support; it is oriented around processes and people and concentrates on creativity, innovation, supplying inspiration and rewards, and team-building (Alison & Crego 2008, 55). Thus, leadership is based on principles that include not only innovation and inspiration but also moral and emotional support, creation of proper relationships among people, and supplying the staff with direction. A leader, on the whole, fills a supportive role (Alison & Crego 2008, 81–82).

In the same vein, commanders possess a status that is granted by rank, experience, and authority; they are concerned with setting a direction for the team or organization. Therefore, the command is based on the principles of authority and hierarchy and is aimed at the creation of direction (Khan 2014, para. 14). Generally, a commander acts in a directive role (Alison & Crego 2008, 81–82).

The Role of Junior Managers/Commanders

Junior commanders direct the actions of others to design and facilitate the execution of actions required to reach the needed goals. They may assign positions and responsibilities to other individuals who are involved in a response to the situation in question (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola 2017, 240). Junior commanders play a key role in developing responses to small-scale situations or to elements of a large situation that are to be addressed by small teams of people (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola 2017, 240) and are responsible for the consequences of these responses (Dunnaback, 2014, 1413).

Simultaneously, junior managers play the role of controlling the execution of actions and procedures required to reach the short-term goals of a team or group of individuals (Alison & Crego 2008, 55–56). Thus, on the whole, junior managers provide micro-administration of actions of others, permitting them to work together more effectually. It also should be pointed out that the roles of junior commanders and junior managers may intersect in some cases.

Emergency Management Principles and the Processes of Managing Emergencies with the Use of Incident Management Systems

Emergency/incident management systems supply a framework that allows for the quick, flexible organizational format needed in creating a response to an incident; they include shared terminology, a modular organization, consolidated plans for action, integrated communication systems, a manageable span of control, understandable resource management and predesignated incident faculties (Molino 2006, 32, 35). Such principles as adaptability to any emergency, applicability, and adjustability to any user organization, the possibility of being implemented in a manner that minimally disrupts the ongoing processes, the adaptability of the system over time and more are pivotal if an incident management operation is to be successful (Molino 2006, 35).

The process of using incident management systems to manage an emergency should be executed in a manner that corresponds to the general framework provided above. The roles of the staff of an organization are to be compliant with the general structure of incident management agencies; for instance, the top of the incident command team is to include individuals or divisions responsible for operations, planning and intelligence, finance and administration and logistics (Molino 2006, 38). Subordinate individuals are to be responsible for particular elements or processes needed to properly address the situation in question.

Addressing the Issues in the Organisation in Question

To deal with the problems in the given organization, the new manager needs to help the employees understand general emergency management principles. To address this problem, it is possible to organize training sessions for the staff with both theoretical and practical materials; after learning the principles, the staff should practice their use in modeled situations. Next, to help the members of the staff understand their roles within the organization, the manager should define the duties and responsibilities for each position that exists in the agency. This should be done by the general goal of the organization and with the general emergency management principles (Molino 2006, 35).

At the same time, to lift the morale of the staff, engaging in active leadership practices is necessary. As has been noted above, these are distinct from management (Alison & Crego 2008, 55); however, the two roles can sometimes be combined. It might be recommended that the leader should help the employees find the direction in which they should move, engage them in the process of forming teams, and support them in their particular actions and activities.

Conclusion

On the whole, it must be stressed that incident management principles should be complied with if emergency organizations are to do their tasks properly. Therefore, these principles, as well as the roles of particular individuals within an agency, should be appropriately defined and understood. To address the problems of the given organization, it is necessary to carry out a set of actions aimed at defining the roles of particular members of the personnel, addressing the gaps in their understanding of the basic principles, and boosting their morale.

Reference List

Alison, L & Crego, J 2008, Policing critical incidents: leadership and critical incident management, Willan Publishing, Cullompton, UK.

Dunnaback, J 2014, ‘Command responsibility: a small-unit leader’s perspective’, Northwestern University Law Review, vol. 108, no. 4, pp. 1385-1422.

Haddow, G, Bullock, J & Coppola, DP 2017, Introduction to emergency management, 6th edn, Elsevier, Cambridge, MA.

Khan, IA 2014, Command, leadership or management? An enigmatic triad. Web.

Molino, LN 2006, Emergency incident management systems: fundamentals and applications, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

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