In many cases it seems frustrating to have to deal with organizational politics in Search and Rescue. After all, we are there to help and we are volunteering our valuable time to provide resources for whatever overseeing agency you “report” to. We are here to save lives right? Not bicker about the various aspects of day to day operations.
Well, as much as I hate to admit it, organizational politics are likely here to stay. In every organization I’ve been part of since my early teens as a Sea Explorer there have been politics. Sometimes it was someone working toward a leadership role and other times it was drama about who said what and how words and thoughts get turned around. Whatever the case, it can seem like one or a group are trying to sway the crowd to go along with their way of thinking. Often times, the reality is that perceptions get clouded because of personalities. Unfortunately, there are times when actions are because of personalities usually resulting in feeling getting hurt and a wedge gets pushed deeper causing a further separation of the unit.
I have learned that, like it or not, politics are part of any organization. However, I have a very low tolerance for politics while on a mission and zero tolerance when a life is on the line (especially mine). To avoid this I have found that finding a working relationship or agreeing to disagree seems to work. While I probably have a bigger ego than I’d like to think, trying to remove egos from a heated topic is often difficult, but ultimately effective. Realizing that politics exist is the first step, the next step is never losing focus of the mission of Search & Rescue, to help people.
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