Season 3 Episode 5: Building the Career You Want with guest Lily Uranga

What does it actually take to go from student to supervisor in the 9-1-1 industry? In this episode of the CommsCoach Podcast, host Lori Henricksen sits down with Lily Uranga, a fire communications supervisor whose career she has watched unfold since Lily was a student in the emergency telecommunications program at Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lily's path into dispatch was not a straight line. She spent time in the hospitality industry before returning to 9-1-1 nearly a decade ago, starting as a frontline communication specialist, advancing to shift supervisor, and now serving as a fire communications supervisor. Her story is a case study in what it looks like to prepare for opportunities before they open, rather than waiting for them to arrive.

In this conversation, Lily and Lori talk through:

• Why professional development has to start long before a promotion is available, including Lily's decision to finish her bachelor's degree even though it is not required for her current role
• How attending her first NENA Navigator conference in 2018 reshaped her understanding of how different 9-1-1 centers operate, and why "if you've seen one comm center, you've seen one comm center"
• What it meant to return to her old classroom as a volunteer instructor and mentor for the next generation of telecommunicators
• The difference between the skills that make someone a strong call taker and the skills that make someone a strong supervisor
• Why reputation and professionalism start on day one of a career, not the day an interview is scheduled
• Her honest answer to the question every aspiring supervisor asks: how do you know when you are ready?

This episode is for telecommunicators, CTOs, and supervisors who are thinking about what comes next in their own careers, and for center leadership looking for language to support the next generation of leaders coming up through the ranks.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the CommsCoach Podcast and share it with a colleague. To suggest a topic or be a guest on an upcoming episode, email Lori at lori@commscoach.com or lori@govworx.com.

Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/comms-coach-podcast/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

This is Comms Coach, a podcast that delves deep into the world of 911 emergency communications. Your host, Lori Hendrickson, served more than 20 years as a call taker, dispatcher, and trainer, and started one of the first 911 vocational training programs in Las Vegas. And now, your host of Comms Coach, Lori Hendrickson.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Welcome back to another episode of Comms Coach Podcast, where we have conversations designed to educate, inspire, and support professionals across the 911 industry. Today's guest is someone I've had the privilege of knowing for many years. I first met her when she was a student in the Emergency Telecommunications Program at Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy here in Las Vegas, Nevada. Even then, what stood out wasn't just her ability to learn, it was her work ethic, her professionalism, and genuine desire to keep growing. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to watch her continue to invest in herself, volunteer to teach alongside me, attend conferences, pursue professional development, and steadily advance through the ranks. Today she serves as a communication supervisor, helping lead a Premier Fire Communication Center. Her story isn't about overnight success, it's about intentionally building a career through preparation, determination, and saying yes to opportunities. So please help me welcome Lily Uranga to CommsCoach Podcast. So to begin, tell us a little bit about yourself, Lily. Like what inspired you to pursue emergency communications and what has your career journey looked like leading to your current role as a communications supervisor?

SPEAKER_02 1:57

Thank you for the wonderful intro, Lori. It makes me feel so great. So, as you said, my career started at high school at Veterans Tribute Career Technical Academy. I actually went there originally for the CSI program. And then I had this really great, inspirational and passionate dispatch teacher who made me consider the 911 dispatch program. So actually, after attending that program for three years, I was like, wow, this is a pretty cool profession, but it's not really for me. I don't really like talking on the phone. I'm super shy. Just seems like a lot. Um, so I actually went to the hospitality industry for about three, four years or so. And then this position opened up with the department I'm at now. And I had a couple of different people send it to me, and I was like, ah, we'll see what happens. I'll just apply. I'll see what happens. Um, about nine and a half years later, I am still there. Um, kind of did the whole journey, started as a frontline communication specialist, um, was in that role for about five years, um, promoted up to like a shift supervisor for two, and I've been in my current role as fire communication supervisor for about a year and a half now.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Okay. So what initially attracted you to dispatching? I know you had a wonderful teacher, but what what else kind of influenced you to start that program or that journey?

SPEAKER_02 3:19

I think it's just seeing a new way to be able to help people. Um, because I'm not big on the actually like touching things. I don't do well around like blood or fires or like really um like confrontational type of person. So being like on scene of an incident was never something that was really um something I was interested in doing. However, being able to kind of see this other side of it on 911 and really the impact that telecommunicators are able to have on people is just so it's so profound. And being able to really impact people in the most positive way when they're really having their worst type of day is something that's it's super cool.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

That's true. And I remember meeting you when you were one of my students, and even then you had this drive to learn and improve. Like you weren't somebody who simply wanted to finish the class. You genuinely wanted to understand the profession and every single thing about it. So looking back now, do you think that mindset helped shape the career that you've built?

SPEAKER_02 4:20

I definitely think so. Um, because you see so many people, and there's nothing wrong with this path at all, who just kind of come in, line level, take calls, dispatch, and then go home. And it's totally a valid career path of like not everyone's meant to be a leader, and that's perfectly okay. Um, but I think I've always just kind of been interested in how I can make the most difference for the most amount of people. How can I not only help the people on the phone, but how can I help the people around me, like in the workplace? How can I make this a better workplace, make things more positive and have the kind of change that people remember? So that's kind of what I was drawn to like next becoming a supervisor and then being like, oh, okay, well, I'm happy here. Um, that's why I became a trainer, like a CTO on the floor of how can I help the next incoming group? And just kind of that drive of like not always kind of wondering what's next, not necessarily in a manner of I'm unhappy where I'm at, but just what's the next step? What after this, let me get good in this thing I'm doing right now, but like after that, what's next? And kind of always looking towards what the next opportunity would be.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

True. And the thing is some people wait for opportunities, others prepare for them, and you've always seem to be preparing. So what made you decide? And you've kind of answered this already, but what made you decide to intentionally invest in yourself professionally?

SPEAKER_02 5:45

I think because I've seen in even before entering the 911 industry, if you wait to do something until the positions open, you might not have what you need to be able to do it because not every position is just years. So, like currently, I'm just about to finish up my bachelor's degree. And while I don't need it in my current position per se, it's not a position requirement. I know if I ever want to move somewhere else or move up, it is a requirement for a lot of agencies. And if I wait till the position's open, you can't earn your bachelor's degree overnight. So doing that kind of that forethought to be able to be like, hey, I know I'm gonna need this one day. Why not put in the effort now? It's never, I'm never gonna have more time. It's never gonna become easier to be able to earn this later.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

No, and we've always talked about always improving yourself every single day, making yourself be one step better than you were the day before. So, were there specific moments where you realized that your own growth was your responsibility?

SPEAKER_02 6:43

I think kind of from the beginning in entering this industry, there's you learned so much in training, but it's really just the foundational skills to be able to perform the basic job duties, right? How to answer a call, process it, enter it, you know, unit safety, how to dispatch the calls, how to talk on the radios. But that knowledge is great for a line level, but it's it's never really going to take you to that next step. So I knew if I wanted to become a trainer, if I wanted to become a supervisor, I had to invest the time on my own. I had to go to conferences, listen to podcasts, um, read articles, have really great mentors around me and just kind of talk to those around me about how do I best position myself to find the resources, find the people, and kind of gain that knowledge to be able to be ready when the next opportunity opens.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Absolutely. And you forgot speaking at conferences too. Yes. Every time I wanted to put it, I'm like, Lily, you're putting in, doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

And like I said, having great mentors who push you out of your comfort zone, Lori.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

True. And I mean, it's not and there's other mentors that have assisted you, but it's really nice though when you have some people in the industry that that do push you and and that you can have guide you and and assist you in getting to that next level or finding more ways to grow or finding more things to do to improve yourself. Oh, definitely. So one thing I've always admired about you is that you never stop learning. So, like you were just talking about, you're getting ready to be successful in earning your bachelor's degree. Um, you know, you continue to seek out opportunities for learning. You've attended conferences, looked for educational opportunities, and continually challenged yourself. So again, I know we just kind of mentioned this, but why has continuing education always been important to you?

SPEAKER_02 8:45

I think it's because the industry also changes so much. Because if you just take what I learned nine years ago, uh technology has advanced. You have um so many more new programs and different types with next gen 911 coming around and different AI programs and just so many different things and just improvements in the industry and changes in best practices. What was best practice 20 years ago that is is not what it is now. Um times change, culture changes, processes, technology changes. So I think if you really rely on like, ah, this is how we've always done it, and you never and you just kind of rest on that of your knowledge and abilities there, you're never gonna progress and be able to move with your department as they move towards the future.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

Absolutely. And sometimes I know when I first started, you know, I was this this young girl in dispatch again, many, many years ago, and sometimes the older people were like not used to change, or obviously didn't like change, but but you have that uh persona about you, or you understand that things do change and and they change for the better. There's so many things that are current today that give us so much more time to do things, like things that used to be that used to take a long time or used to be harder. Now we have these tools that can assist and assist us in that so that we can do better things for our units and better things for our community a lot more efficiently. Um, but again, it's just taking that time and the opportunities to learn about those things and implement them. So, speaking of that, and we were talking about conferences a few minutes ago. How have conferences and networking influenced your career?

SPEAKER_02 10:36

I think going to conferences has been one of the best opportunities I've had in my career. Um, I remember distinctly when we spoke at our first conference, it was Navigator in 2018 in Washington, DC. I had never, I was, I was very new in the industry, um, probably just just over a year on with my department. And I'd only ever known departments that I work for, right? So, or departments in our area. So I just kind of you get this knowledge of like, oh, this is how everyone does it, right? Like everyone has 12 to 15 people on duty at one time, up to like 50 people on. That's just what you do. Um, you know, everyone takes thousands of calls a day. And then you start talking to these other agencies, and they're like, no, we have one or two people on at a time. You know, how many calls they take in a year is how many we take in a month, and just kind of realizing the scalability in that the opportunity that we have here is not necessarily the opportunity that every agency has or the technology or the resources, and just really kind of understanding how expansive the industry is and how different, like if you've been to one comm center, you've been to one comm center. Like there is no if you've been one, you've been to them all. Every single agency functions so differently, and just it's it's really great to hear and talk to so many different people about how they do it. And it really opens your eyes to there's so many different ways to implement the same thing. We're all taking 911 calls, we're all saving lives. But how I do it versus how someone else does it and how the third agency does it, fourth agency, just on and on, everyone does things so differently, even with when you have a structured protocol, like how it's implemented and the responses are so different.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Well, and the thing that I first noticed too when I started going to conferences was like, wow, there's a world outside of my agency. Like, you know, when you when you're at an agency and you know you're doing these things, you don't realize the big world yet small world that's out there, and everyone has these same problems. Or maybe there's another agency out there that's similar that you can talk to and you can help solve a problem, or you know, they have recommendations for you. So it's really nice that there's other people that are out there doing the same thing that you are, you know, each and every day, and there's resources available. So besides that very first conference, was there ever one that you attended or specific class that like completely changed your perspective?

SPEAKER_02 12:59

I don't think one like specifically, I think it's just uh it's just kind of attending up in general, right? Of because you're not you're always gonna get so many different sessions to bring back. And even if let's say the whole hour-long session isn't full of an hour's worth of like life-changing information, there's like a couple things here or there that I'm like, wow, that's that's such an easy implement, right? It's so easy to bring back to our agency and be like, hey, have we thought about this? Or have, you know, why did no one think of this yet? And just those little things of having those discussions with people and sitting in those sessions of just like really easy, small implementations that can make things better for so many people.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Absolutely. And I would say the same thing. It's hard to really say, oh, this certain class changed my life, but there's little snippets of each and every opportunity that have made a difference as a whole. So the thing is, is professional development isn't always about preparing for promotion, uh, like we've discussed. Sometimes it's just really about becoming a better professional. So I also remember how you volunteered to help teach the students uh and come in and assist me a lot. And you certainly didn't have to do that. But what made you want to give back through teaching?

SPEAKER_02 14:15

I think it's just the impact that my teachers had on me and like realizing that it's so such a formative time in high school of really deciding, like, oh, you are 16, 17, 18 years old. Now decide what you're gonna do for the rest of your life. And it's incredibly intimidating and overwhelming. And you're also just trying to pass your classes to make it to graduation, and then you're like, oh, let me learn this 911 thing and then go take my AP history exam. And it's just there's so many things to kind of just show that passion and bring that passion and be like, this is a really cool career, um, especially from being as experienced as you are, a little closer in age to them to be like, hey, I I was in your literal seats in this exact same classroom seven, eight years ago. And this this is what I did. I didn't go right into 911. I didn't think I wanted to do this, and that's perfectly okay. But take these skills you're learning and apply them wherever you go, and hey, who knows? You might end up back there. Just never know.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Well, I was gonna say another reason that you wanted to give back through teaching is because I pretty much told you you had to. So when I would call you and say, hey, I need you to come in Thursday.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

And just bringing that other perspective from like another agency, um, because you have so much experience that is so helpful to learn from, but bringing another um type of experience in the fire medical realm a little bit different to give that kind of experience as well.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Absolutely. And that's the thing is most of my career was spent being a police call taker and dispatcher. I mean, yes, I had had law enforcement fire, well, excuse me, I had had um fire experience way back in the day for the federal government, but it was different. So you coming in with the that knowledge and expertise um just enhanced the program. But like you said, also you had been in their seats, you weren't that much older than them. So I could even say the same thing, but if you came in and said it, you're the rock star. And they would listen and really like that because again, it was coming from somebody different than their teacher who had current experience and that they could look up to, and you became a mentor to the students. With that being said, though, how did teaching others help you grow?

SPEAKER_02 16:34

I think it just also made me appreciate the career a lot of seeing other people so excited about it, thinking it's the coolest thing ever. And then kind of starting with that is what kind of got me more comfortable to be like, you know what? I think I can be a CTO. I'm able to kind of I have knowledge to share and I have oh I've learned how to share it in a way that can be heard and different ways to share that. Um, because I think a lot of people have had trainers who are like, this is how I teach, so this is how you're going to learn. So being able to adapt that to, hey, how do you learn? And I'll figure out how to teach you that way, to be able to adapt it and kind of I kind of take a lot from everyone I've worked with, um, not even just in the 911 industry, but just in general, of you can learn so much from people of what to do and how to do it. But there's also going to be a couple people you learn from and you're like, I don't want to do things that way. I don't want to be that. Um, and kind of being able to form your own style of teaching and training and supervising and leading in kind of taking everything. And I think that's where kind of to get back to your question of uh teaching the classroom helps so much, is it helped me become a better trainer, which after becoming a trainer helped me become a better supervisor and just kind of really started the foundation to kind of where I am now.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Well, it does. And when you teach, no matter what it is, whether you teach or coach a certain topic, it's gonna strengthen your knowledge, skills, and abilities in that area because you're getting more repetition, more practice, and learning new things. Um, because not only did you come in and teach um curriculum, worked alongside, evaluated students, but you even assisted in oral boards. So just serving as a writer on oral boards, um, I'm sure you learned, you know, different things from being a raider, not only listening to the students and assisting them, but then working alongside other raiders from other agencies that were there with you too.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

I think there was definitely one of the oral boards that I sat in on as an evaluator for the school. And I had an interview for a position, I think like two or three weeks later. So it definitely was the, oh yes, yes, yes, I'll do this. It'd be like in my head, be like, oh, great job doing this, or I'll see something and be like, oh, don't do that one during my right. So it's it was every single aspect of it was so helpful. And just learning patience of high schools are a little crazy sometimes and they ask some crazy questions and just being kind of thrown off and getting used to like having to just answer questions on the fly that might maybe not always relevant, but teach you patience.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Exactly, lots of patience. So, with that being said, would you encourage others to volunteer or share their knowledge?

SPEAKER_02 19:18

Oh, absolutely. I think everyone in every level can benefit from it. Like I said, it just it makes you really love your program again, right? So, especially people who might be kind of teetering between, you know, engaged and disengaged due to burnout or just longevity, it can really help you just really, really love it again because you're talking to people who are so interested and genuinely just excited about it. And that kind of excitement rubs off on you, and you just see how the the the how cool our program really is. Because you're like, oh yeah, I did this, I did this, I did CPR, you know, delivered a baby, did this, did that. And it's like the coolest thing ever to someone, what becomes like your everyday normal. Because like what we do is it's very not normal to hear day in and day out. Right. But after five, ten, fifteen years, it's just oh it's just Tuesday.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

So getting that excitement's it's it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

It is. And I know, like you just said, when when you're in a dispatch center and it's like it's every single day is so negative, so negative, and people get burned out to be able to get out of your center, whether it's paid to do this or even on your own time. I've seen people come into the program and just get so energized because you learn that you really are a rock star, that this is really a cool career. You don't realize it when you're sitting there taking those calls. But then when you go into a classroom or another setting where you're sharing your knowledge and there's people that are in awe of what you do, it's kind of a cool thing and it does re-energize you and make you appreciate the career that you've chosen.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

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SPEAKER_01 22:04

So another kind of aspect to that is why is it important that experienced professionals help develop the next generation?

SPEAKER_02 22:13

I think it's so important because whether it is in five years, 15 years, my contract is 33 years, someone's going to come after you. There's going to be another generation of call takers, of dispatchers, of law enforcement, of firefighters, of every single profession. There is another generation coming in after you. So what better way to set up the future of the center and the future of your community than to really invest that time in the next generation? Because at some point we all will retire. So why not make sure that the next generation is ready and excited and uh really understands how important this career is?

SPEAKER_01 22:55

Absolutely. And like you said, you can teach them the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be successful and needed to be able to make this a long career. There's a lot of things that technology does great, but there's a lot of tech things that technology has kind of hurt the new generation when we talk about map skills and typing skills and all of these things. When you can come in and work with the students or or um assist with their development, you can assist in in building these skills that they're not quite learning anymore, and that we need to have in the dispatch centers. So one thing I think people misunderstand is promotions. So people often ask, how do I get promoted? But I think the better question is how do I become ready when the opportunity comes? So how did you prepare before each up promotional opportunity?

SPEAKER_02 23:52

I think it's having an idea of what your career path, what you want it to look like. Um, so I never until I started really focusing on it, it's it's kind of like a blind, just kind of like, oh, I should do something. But if you kind of have like a vague idea of like, oh, I know I want to become a trainer, I know I want to become a supervisor, I know I want to do QA or whatever your future career path looks for you. Look at those job descriptions and be like, what qualities are they looking for? So you can see, oh, do I need a certain certification? Do I need a degree? Do I need how many years on? So you can kind of use that time because the time's gonna pass regardless, whether you're in the position or not. But at some point, the position may open during your career, it may not, depending how the organization is structured, how long you have left. Um, but if the to be ready when that opens, of like, hey, I know to get to this position, I need my bachelor's degree and I need five years uh on the job. The five years is gonna pass whether you're getting your bachelor's or not. But you can invest the time during that time to be like, hey, I takes me four years, maybe, maybe longer. It's hard to do full-time school and full-time work. Um, let me start working on it now. Take one or two classes here or there per semester just to kind of start working on it. Because whether you have it or not, it's still a requirement for that position. So if you want it, then putting in that effort before it's even open to be able to kind of prepare yourself for that.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

So, did you ever take on responsibilities before they were part of your job?

SPEAKER_02 25:27

Um, within reason. I mean, we have a really, really strong structure of like just staying within kind of the scope that you're within. But so within reason of if there was an opportunity to volunteer for a committee or a work group or anything like that, I'd be like, oh, let me volunteer for this. Cause like the skills I learn on like a technology committee can help me in the future of like, hey, I did this and I was able to learn all these different skills that now pertain to this position. Or I volunteer to sign up to take the CTO classes so that I'm able to do that. So if a training position, like to be the department trainer, opens up, I have this credential already and I have this experience training. So I'm gonna go, oh, cool, I'm gonna apply for training now because I have that experience rather than someone coming in who's never trained before.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Right, true. So kind of moving into this to and talking about building confidence. So confidence is something that we hear a lot about, but I don't know that confidence simply just appears. I think it's built. So, how has training contributed to your confidence?

SPEAKER_02 26:37

I think because it really starts to build the skills that you already have a little bit more, like we said. Like you're gonna get asked questions that have never come up, and you have to be able to kind of reason through it. Even if you've never had this exact situation, take being able to like take the different things you've learned from your career from other trainees you've had, or any other type of training opportunities you have to be like, hey, this isn't exactly it, but you know, I was training someone else and this situation came up and this is how we got through it. Um, and it kind of opens up the door to having so many more interactions, especially when you're looking at entering like a leadership role. Training is like that junior leadership, right? So you have someone that you're you know you're leading into the career. And a lot of times your CTO kind of becomes that mentor for you even once you're out of training. That when you have these random questions, it's someone you feel comfortable going to, asking for their advice, whether it be work-related, personal-related, whatever it might be, you kind of build that relationship with whoever's training you. And it kind of gives you that first stepping stone to kind of be like, wow, like I really I do know what I'm doing and I have this wisdom to share. And you kind of become that like informal leader that people talk about sometimes of like, you don't need a title to lead, but you can be a trainer, you can be CTO, um, or you can just be someone on the floor being like, hey, I'll give you tips as we go to kind of become that informal leader within the room.

SPEAKER_01 28:01

So have there been times when you accepted an opportunity before you felt completely ready? And how did preparation help you overcome those doubts?

SPEAKER_02 28:10

I think any promotion I've accepted, I didn't actually feel ready for. You know, how to do these things. And I think in a lot of industries, not just 911, but a lot of industries, you hear like, oh, you are really good at doing the job, so you'll make a good supervisor. Which the skills don't exactly translate. The supervisory skills are so different from actually doing the job. Like we have people to do the job. Now we need someone to lead them and coach them and support them and kind of correct behavior if needed. But I think it's really hard to feel ready for a position like that until you've done it. And then you're in there and you're like, oh man, all right, well, here I am. Um yeah, I was really lucky along my kind of path to have like a leadership within our division that is so supportive, though, right? So they put in so much effort of from day one to be like, hey, so now we're here. Congratulations. Um, and then kind of supporting along that journey to be like, hey, you know, this is we're gonna phase it, we're gonna do more training on this. Like, we don't, you know, you're a great call taker, wonderful, but like let's make you a great supervisor now. And kind of having that support um and kind of like that faith from our leadership team has been so helpful too.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

So, what advice would you give someone who's afraid that they're not ready yet?

SPEAKER_02 29:36

I don't think you'll ever be ready. It's like what people joke about with like having kids of like you're never ready to have a kid, you just kind of end up with one. Um that sounds really bad. Um but um I think it's just finding the time and knowing your confidence of like you were selected for a reason. You know, you went through the testing and the interview process and like they chose you for a reason. There's likely multiple candidates, and there's something in your knowledge, skills, abilities, um, your experience, your interviews that really stuck out to be like we can make this a really great person for this position. So I don't think I think part of it's you know, you have to have some confidence in like, okay, cool, let's get going. But even if you're not ready, like still just jump right in. You were selected for a reason.

SPEAKER_01 30:24

Just go for it. I always say everything happens for a reason. So, you know, it's it's gonna happen and you're gonna be there and you're gonna learn.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

And you're gonna make mistakes and then you're gonna give yourself grace and you're gonna learn from the mistakes, and you'll show up the next day and be better.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

Exactly. So moving forward, one thing that often opens doors is your reputation. So long before somebody becomes a supervisor, people know who they are, especially if it's that same agency. So, how important has professionalism been throughout your career?

SPEAKER_02 30:57

I think it is so important for everyone to remember. When I was in supervisor school, our kind of trainer for this talked about your interview for a position doesn't start when you walk in the room, it starts when you apply on your first day of your career. Um, because even though, yes, you are in an interview that day, uh you you start preparing for it day one. Um, so even if there's people in there who know you or don't know you, whatever it might be, you have to talk about your experiences and what you've done and kind of the reputation you built for yourself. So being able to articulate, like, hey, these are the things I've done. This is what I've done to prepare, this is all the things I've done to be able to prepare for this position. It starts day one. It doesn't start the day you submitted your application.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Absolutely. And are there any specific habits that helped you establish your reputation?

SPEAKER_02 31:57

I think it just goes into the kind of what we talked about about volunteering for any type of opportunity I can, like anything that opens up, like, yes, I want to take that training, yes, I want to be on this committee, I want to go to this conference, um, I want to do this special assignment or this special event opportunity that there's availability for, just kind of always volunteering for those and building connections there. Cause then that builds being able to talk to more people and then just learn more about the industry as a whole, even outside of just communications, just all the different divisions that people work with in the different organizations, and just kind of being able to um build that up.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

Well, and I will just say just knowing you two, some specific habits that I know that you have is and you started them at the school, is knowing to wear your uniform and to look sharp and to present yourself well, and to know that people are always listening to you and they remember those things. And they remember, like you said, walking in on day one. So even though maybe you weren't even with an agency yet, or maybe you're not in this position yet, people are always watching and looking. And no matter where I've seen you, whether it's been coming in to volunteer in the classroom, um, presenting with me at one of these conferences, you always look sharp, dress sharp, act professional, and that matters. People are watching, and that that really matters. So um I think that's a good thing that that you've shown others, and you've been a good example to the students um who many of them are now working dispatchers, firefighters, police officers now, um, just learning that example of being professional and and making a statement and showing others that that you're proud, you're proud to be dispatch and you're you're gonna show it and you wear yourself well. Okay, thank you. You're very welcome. Um, so now that you've moved into a leadership role, I'm curious how your perspective has changed. So, what leadership lessons have surprised you the most?

SPEAKER_02 34:01

That man, being a leader is so hard some days. Um, being a supervisor, like a floor supervisor, being like a more administrative supervisor. Um you have to make the hard decisions sometimes. Like I, of course, want to be able to support the team. And if they like me, that's wonderful. But at the end of the day, whether you like me or not, I have to make this decision and make sure that things run safely and efficiently, and that we're doing the best for all of the people in the center, outside the center, the community, the units, and not everyone's going to always agree with that decision. Um, and having to make some really hard to like have hard conversations at times. And it's leadership is hard. Leadership is it's tough.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Oh, yeah. So, with that being said, what do you wish somebody would have taught you earlier?

SPEAKER_02 34:56

I think that just to ask questions, even if because you might not always get the answer you want. But if something you're just really mad about something, you're like, ah, I don't like, you know, this decision and why are we doing this? A lot of times if you ask, the person will tell you why. It doesn't mean they'll like the decision, but if you have context as to why we're making these decisions and why we're moving in this direction or anything like that, like a lot of times they'll tell you, be like, hey, that we're doing this because of X, Y, or Z. We're doing this because of this safety thing or this like legislative change that now we have to do this thing. Um a lot of times it's not just like, oh, you know what? I feel like implementing this thing that's gonna disrupt the process that you're used to, your normal call taking process or how you do things. Like a lot of times it's not malicious and it's not just because, like, there's almost always some sort of business purpose behind it. And you just have to ask a lot of times, just what are we doing? And then they'll tell you.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Exactly. Well, and that's it, just conversation and communication goes a long way. And a lot of people forget about that in our job when that's the name of our job is an emergency telecommunicator, right? But yes. So the thing is, is I've had the privilege of watching your journey from classroom to where you are today. If someone had told a student sitting in my classroom all those many years ago that one day you'd become a dispatch supervisor, what do you think you would have said?

SPEAKER_02 36:27

I would have been like, that's crazy, that's a lot of responsibility. But then after that, I would have been like, it's going to be the most fulfilling thing you've ever done. There's gonna be some really hard days um along the way, and there's gonna be some really great days along the way. And just to kind of keep with it and to just keep doing what you know is right and the way that you want to present yourself, and just keep with it and you'll get there.

SPEAKER_01 36:57

Exactly. So, what would you tell somebody who's waiting until they feel ready before applying for promotion or taking on something new?

SPEAKER_02 37:06

You will never feel ready, just jump in, do it. You can prepare day in and day out as much as you can. But when the day actually comes, just jump in. Just know you're ready, be confident in your skills and your abilities and everything you've done to prepare. And know that if they weren't confident in you, they wouldn't have selected you for this opportunity. And ask questions, rely on your mentors, rely on your leadership, and they'll get you there.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

Good advice. So, last thing before we wrap up, is there anything that we haven't talked about today that you'd like to leave our listeners with?

SPEAKER_02 37:46

Not that I can think of specifically, just you know, take the chances and go for the opportunities. Sometimes it's only going to open up once in your career, and if you miss the opportunity, you might miss it forever. So just take the chances, go for the opportunities. And even if they say no, it's it's not a personal thing. There's been plenty of times where I've tried to go for something and I didn't meet the qualification, or I didn't meet one thing or another, and it was never a personal thing. It was just like, hey, like you don't, you're you're not the best candidate for that, and that's okay. Because I know like once I did get to the positions I was, it was because I was the best candidate for it, and I had confidence going into the position knowing that.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

Mm-hmm. And like we said, everything happens for a reason, and and that moment will come. And I remember some of the things that you would put in for it, and you'd say, Oh man. And I said, You know what? It's gonna come, it's coming, gonna come, and you're in the spot now that you need to be at. So all of those things and all of those experiences led you to where you are today, and you're very successful. So props, things happen for a reason. What a great conversation! So, one of the things that I hope everyone takes away from today's episode is that successful careers don't happen by accident, they're built one decision at a time, one class, one conference, one challenge, one opportunity, and one act of professionalism after another. I've been fortunate enough to watch Lily grow from an eager student into an exceptional communications professional and leader. Her journey is proof that when you invest in yourself, stay curious, work hard, and continue learning, incredible opportunities follow. So thank you so much, Lily, for joining me today and for sharing your experiences and advice with all of us.

SPEAKER_02 39:39

Yeah, thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 39:42

And to thank you, everyone, for listening to Comms Coach Podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, share it with a colleague, and continue investing in yourself and those around you. If you would like to suggest a certain topic or would like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Comscoach Podcast, email me at Laurie at comms-coach.com. That's l-o-ri at c o m s dash coach.com, or at laurie at gov works w or x dot com. Until next time, stay safe, keep learning, and keep coaching.