Adaptive Leadership Project

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Act Politically

The stakeholders in this issue are officers, first line supervisors, managers, and members of the CAB. My likely allies will be managers who are removed from patrol and may be more comfortable sitting down and discussing issues with the CAB. Other allies will be supportive elements of the CAB (e.g., faith-based leaders, who generally tend to support law enforcement). Members of the Management have formal authority and can develop policy and procedure to regulate the CAB process. Members of the CAB will have informal authority as a voice of the community. The opposition will most certainly be the rank-and-file who deal with members of the public daily and have developed a relationship of skepticism. The opposition will also include those members of the public who, through ignorance or media influence, have developed a view that law enforcement officers are overbearing and unwilling (or too lazy) to provide “service” to all members of society. I will work with rank-and-file to ensure they have a voice in the CAB. I will meet with them and take forward any issues they have. I will propose a position on the CAB be reserved for the union representative who can bring back any issues to the rank-and-file. I will work with members of the CAB who are in opposition by listening to their concerns and making concessions accordingly. I will protect the voices of dissent by ensuring they have opportunity to have their concerns heard. The express purpose of the CAB is to hear those voices, especially the ones in dissent.

Orchestrating Conflict

There is conflict inherently built in to the idea of the CAB. This conflict is a necessary step toward re-building trust with the public. There will be issues brought up during CAB meetings that will certainly cause conflict. This conflict needs to be put up on the table and talked about. This is an important part of the CAB function. Once the conflict is on the table, a careful orchestration must be done. However, there must be clear ground rules establish to maintain order. The members of the CAB who dissent with law enforcement altogether will likely be the most vocal. The tendency for law enforcement is to shut down the vocal ones or simply sit back and withdraw. The conflict will create a flight or fight response and it must be carefully controlled to have meaningful change. Unproductive behavior in this adaptive issue would be:

- Members of the public being unwilling to participate. It is imperative the CAB be represented by a wide cross-section of the community to be effective.

- Members of my Department being unwilling to participate or being “voluntold” that they are going to attend. It is as equally important the Department representative be a willing participant. Otherwise, it will be business as usual with no real change.

- Members of the public using the CAB to push forward their own agenda. It will be an important element of the CAB for all participants being focused on the same result of a unified vision.

- Non-productive fighting. While some conflict is healthy and brings about change, simply fighting is un-productive and creates an environment where each side is willing to win at any cost.

During the development of the CAB I intend on giving some of the work back as a means to develop their skills in outreach and to create buy-in. I will empower and encourage rank-and-file to reach out to members of the community they know on their beats to become members of the CAB. I feel by giving this work back it will promote ownership of the program.

Build an Adaptive Culture

I will explain to members of my Department the importance of knowing the concerns and issues the public have toward law enforcement. It will be an opportunity to learn the diversity of the community and the different needs each have. I will also explain to my Department the importance of hearing from them so we can better understand each other. I will meet with members of the community and explain the importance of educating them on the unique challenges officers face in dealing with the public. I will also explain the importance of law enforcement hearing from them so we can better understand each other. My hope is that understanding will lead to trust.

The elephant in the room for my adaptive issue is: they do not trust us and we do not trust them. During the CAB process this can potentially be mitigated by allowing all members to name an elephant without fear of reprisal. The CAB will have leadership on both sides of the table. Succession planning will be important for the vitality and future of the CAB. Each side will need to look within their respective sphere of influence and mentor a future leader within CAB.

To gauge the success of the CAB difficult questions will need to be asked. Are there still unfilled gaps in the needs of the community and the services provided by law enforcement? Are there issues rank-and-file are confronted with that are not being solved? Are there actions of our officers that still concern the public? What challenges are ahead of us? Ongoing discussions in these areas will pay dividends in the event there is a negative story about law enforcement.

SEEING YOURSELF IN THE SYSTEM

I have been a police officer for twenty years and I am fully aware of the influences my identities, loyalties, and triggers have on me regarding this adaptive issue. I am a product of the very training I identified earlier. In fact, I contributed to the mindset during my assignment as an instructor at the academy. I identify with the road patrol officer. I understand the dangers they face and the need to keep citizens at arm’s length.

Identities

When I am engaged in field supervision and dealing with a suspect I am doing all of the things we are supposed to do: control the hands, put them in a position of disadvantage, control the dialog, etc. When I am at a public service event (e.g., Honor Guard) I tend to let those I am with get away with putting their hands in their pockets and I am more open to them controlling the direction of the dialog. While I do not apologize for the actions in either situation, I often wonder if I can be more open during enforcement while maintaining my officer safety.

Loyalties

My loyalties dictate my actions and decisions. I am loyal to my Department and its mission of providing the highest level of safety, service, and security and our Professional Values of: Respect, Ethical Practices, and Equitable Treatment for all. I am also loyal to the rank-and-file