South

Most all of us are involved with some political process or another.  And, invariably, when everything seems to be making sense, a special interest comes along to ruin our day.  In its purest form, though, bringing interests to the table to find solutions is not only a good thing, it’s the best thing.

There is something about Retired Fire Chief, State Fire Marshal and Cal Fire Director Ruben Grijalva that many people may not know.  He started out in law enforcement, during which time he was a hostage negotiator and union negotiator.  It was then that he learned the importance of bringing interests to the negotiation table instead of positions.  Positions are effectually pre-made decisions that we bring to a discussion or negotiation.  Interests, on the other hand, are essentially values that we want to implement through our decisions.  You may find yourself reflecting on your last formal or informal negotiation with the city manager, the union, your spouse or your children.  Did you approach the issue with positions or interests?  Maybe the question should be what our interest is in the matter, what the interests are of other stakeholders in the issue, and what the best solution is that meets the interests of all involved.  Expressing an interest represents an invitation to collaborate on a solution.  It opens the door to discussion, not debate.

Read more: The Special Interest of the Fire Service