Complexity and how it
relates to the new paradigm
st
for 21 Century policing:
Seven meaningful skill sets to enhance
a Chief’s administrative assistant’s
repertoire.
John B. Edwards
“In reality, good assistants save their bosses.
They ensure that meetings begin on time with
prep material delivered in advance. They
optimize travel schedules and enable remote
decision making, keeping projects on track.
And they filter the distractions that can turn a
manager into a reactive type who spends all
day answering e-mail instead of a leader who
proactively sets the organization’s agenda.”
Duncan, Melba J. The case for the administrative assistant, Harvard
Business review May 2011
“Today the network of relationships linking the
human race to itself and to the rest of the
biosphere is so complex that all aspects affect
all others to an extraordinary degree. Someone
should be studying the whole system, however
crudely that has to be done, because no gluing
together of partial studies of a complex
nonlinear system can give a good idea of the
behavior of the whole. ”
---- Murray Gell-Mann
Hal Varian, Chief Economist Google
December 20th 2013
A billion hours ago, modern Homo
sapiens emerged.
A billion minutes ago, Christianity began.
A billion seconds ago, the IBM personal
computer was released.
A billion Google searches ago…
…was this morning.
21st Century technologies have
changed everything
Regarding how people receive and gather
information
Information is real time
Information is observable
Information is more assessable
Information is more manipulated and focused
Information is broad, diverse and voluminous
Tremendous noise, little signal
From “The Signal and the Noise”
by Nate Silver
“The world has come a long way since the days
of the printing press. Information is no longer a
scare commodity; we have more of it than we
know what to do with. But relatively little of it is
useful. We perceive it selectively, subjectively,
and without much self-regard for the distortions
that it causes. We think we want information
when we really want knowledge.
The signal is the truth…the noise is what
distracts us from the truth.”
Complexity Theory
Complexity is generally used to characterize
something with many parts where those parts
interact with each other in multiple
ways. (Wikipedia)
The dynamic behavior of systems whose parts
continually interact and reorganize themselves
into more adaptive patterns overtime
(Pascale, Millerman and Gioja 2000)
Is a systematic state on the cusp between
chaos and order, a condition where
uncertainty, variety, dependency, and
interconnectedness are high. (Falconer 2002)
21st Century Features of Complexity
Uncertainty/unknowns
Diversity/variety
Cultivation of conflict
Development of paradox
Sensitivity to small change
Continuous and ongoing feedback
Flexible (adapts quickly to change)
Operate at the edge of Chaos
“Setting one’s self on a predetermined course in
unknown waters is the perfect way to sail straight
into an ice berg.”- Henry Mintzberg
The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, just
as water molds itself to whatever vessel it is in.
– Chinese Proverb
“The ability to change (or be changed) to fit new
circumstances is a crucial skill for leaders”
- Caroline Donaldson
“Leaders must have the capacity to rapidly assess
the conditions and circumstances around them
and adapt to change on an ongoing basis”
-Shirley Engel Meier
Can our Personal beliefs effect our
competencies in adapting to new
environments or conditions
Change, whether good or bad is equally
resisted
Our feelings matter, especially if we don’t like
something
A transactional mindset, a perspective through
the lens of the past , versus seeing things by the
dynamics of the present…
If it go against our grain, tradition and our
beliefs it will be very difficult to accept
What our peers think about us matters
Why is it so important to nurture
competence and adaptability?
Complexity (when the number of interactions
between components increases drastically)
The density of interactions (where even small
numbers of elements cannot be predicted)
Promotes resilience (the capacity to absorb
disturbances or adverse conditions)
Promotes contextual understanding
Fuses awareness with expertise
Creates a culture of shared consciousness
Fosters integration
The 21st century is driven by culture
and data
How we think, evaluate and frame things
How we measures and analyze things
How we compare and contrast things
How we see, judge and argue things
How we provide context in things
Four most important assets:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Work ethic
Values
The ability to critically think
People Skills
Values, Ethics, Accountability,
and Transparency
Values are Super Important
For the Leader and Agency
 Shapes our angle of view (how we see
things)
 Creates proactive mindsets
 Develops the way we think about things
 Determines how we describe things
 Drives our behaviors and conduct
 Defines how we evaluate and judge
things
We must demonstrate the conviction
to follow our values and model our
values for others
Our work ethic
Public service mindset
The courage to standby our convictions
Take the “right” stand regardless of the
circumstances or consequences
Resist those things that do not fit into your
character
Work above the standards, never below
The ends never justifies the means
Our Angle of View (perspective)
It all starts with us, with how we see,
with how we decide, and with how
we act. To maintain a certain ongoing
self-discipline to accomplish this
process of objective assessment is an
absolute daily burden that we must
incessantly carry.
Emotions play a huge part
First come feelings…
Second, is thought.
We think what we feel.
Feelings are not grounded in facts.
Feelings take away our ability to
become rational
We must strive to achieve and sustain
objective reasoning over subjective feelings…
Our beliefs can
Promote Subjectivity
Cause Bias
Create Assumptions
Develop Mindsets
Filter, downplay or slant the information
Promote intolerance
Result in a closed minded state
21st Century Leadership Requires
“Proactive” Management In…
Self conduct and behavior
Maintain a state of awareness
A proactive mindset for objective evaluations,
assessments, and interpretations
The unique blend of purpose verses procedure
Personnel/staff
Operations and Administration
Performance/results
Change
Risk
Embrace, adapt, innovate and lead
We Must be Qualified and Able to
Competently Conduct a Critical
Analysis of…
Ourselves, our staff, our organization, our
operations, our performance, our mistakes, our
failures, our successes and our reputation…
 Events
 Incidents
 Actions
 Information
 Decisions
 Policy and Procedures
 Plans and Preparations
We have a perpetual responsibility to
the ACR Rule
Aware: (having knowledge or perception of a
situation or fact…concerned and wellinformed about a particular situation or
development)
Conscientious: (wishing to do what is right,
especially to do one's work or duty well and
thoroughly)
Responsive: (reacting quickly and positively…
answering)
Always be mindful of…
• The bell - any warning bells sounding
• The book - laws, regulations, policies, and
ethics
• The candle - transparency “exposure to the
light, public scrutiny”
Can you defend, will you feel good about, and
will you continue to feel justified?
Bad things happen in good agencies,
its how you manage it that counts…
Failures result from:
– Ignore the report of a problem.
– Disallow the appropriate agency command
staff input.
– Conduct perfunctory investigations.
– Fail to act or discipline when appropriate.
– Demonstrate a lack of transparency.
Agency Errors Will Occur!
We can never eliminate them
because we have humans working
for us. We can, however, avoid
becoming part of the problem in
how we handle errors.
Remember Murphy’s Law also
“always factors into the equation”
Agency Core Value
We will not lie, mislead
or cover up.
Span of Control
No
Control
Cannot
change what
has occurred
Control
How the agency
addresses the
error
No
Control
The final
outcome
General Stanley McChrystal from “Team of Teams,
new rules of engagement for a complex world” May
2015 (Two important Lessons)
“The first was that the constantly changing, entirely
unforgiving environment in which we all now
operate denies us the satisfaction of any permanent
fix…
The second was that the organization we crafted,
the processes we refined, and the relationships we
forged and nurtured are no more enduring than our
physical condition that kept our soldiers fit: an
organization must be constantly led or, if necessary
pushed uphill toward what it must be. Stop pushing
and it doesn’t continue, or even rest in place; it rolls
backward.”
Agencies, divisions and squads will
not run on autopilot
“If you handle today
correctly, tomorrow will
take care of itself.”
John Maxwell
Leading Up (loyalty and
dedication to the boss)
To create an optimum
environment in the
agency/organization that will
greatly aid your work unit, you
must learn to “lead up.”
Leading up provides resources and
opportunities.
It also enables you to help those under
your charge at critical times.
*From John Maxwell’s 360 degree
leader
Leading up: is about loyalty, dedication,
and work ethic; putting the organization
ahead of yourself.
Sucking up: is about doing what you can,
when you can to put yourself ahead of
everything; and to create an opportunity to
“short cut” or obtain your ambitious goals
“free.”
Leading up greatly assists you
in leading your subordinates.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Your reputation in the agency
Your credibility with the bosses
Your strength in issues
Your ability to help them
Your ability to obtain resources
Ability to make change
They inherit your influence and power.
Principle #1
Lead yourself exceptionally well.
• Manage your emotions
• Manage your time
• Manage your priorities
• Manage your energy
• Manage your thinking
• Manage your words
• Manage your personal life
Principle #2
Lighten Your Leader’s Load
• Do your own job well first
• When you find a problem, provide a solution
• Tell leaders what they “need” to hear, not
what they “want” to hear
• Go the second mile
• Stand up for your leader whenever you can
• Stand in for your leader whenever you can
• Ask your leader how you can lift the load
Principle #3
Be willing to do what others
won’t
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Take on the tough jobs
Pay your dues
Work in obscurity
Succeed with difficult people
Put yourself on the line (if you take risk, not
others)
Admit fault and never make excuses
Always do more than expected
Be the first to step up to help
Do the task yourself when necessary
Take responsibility for yourself and those under
your command
Principle #4
Do more than manage –
LEAD!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leaders think long term
Leaders see within the larger context
Leaders push boundaries
Leaders put emphasis on the intangibles
Leaders rely on intuition
Leaders invest power in others
Leaders see themselves as agents of
change
Principle #5
Invest in Relational Chemistry
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Listen to your leader’s heartbeat
Know your leader’s priorities
Catch your leader’s enthusiasm
Support your leader’s vision
Connect with your leader’s interest
Understand your leader’s personality
Earn your leader’s trust
Learn to work with your leader’s weakness
Respect your leader’s family
Principle #6
Be prepared every time you take
your leader’s time.
• Invest 10x the time you spend with your
leader on a subject in preparation in that
subject.
• Don’t make your boss think for you.
• Bring something to the table.
• When asked to speak, don’t wing it.
• Learn to speak your boss’ language.
• Get to the bottom line.
• Give a return on your leader’s investment.
Principle #7
Know when to push and when to
back off.
When to push
– Do you know something your boss doesn’t, but needs
to?
– Is time running out?
– Are your responsibilities at risk?
– Can you help your boss win?
When to back off
–
–
–
–
–
–
Are you promoting your own personal agenda?
Have you already made your point?
Must everyone but you take the risk?
Does the atmosphere say “no?”
Is the timing right only for you?
Does your request exceed your relationship?
Principle #8
Become a go-to player
• Go-to players produce when there’s pressure
• Go-to players produce when the resources
are few
• Go-to players produce when the momentum
is low
• Go-to players produce when the load is heavy
• Go-to players produce when the leader is
absent.
Principle #9
Be better tomorrow than you are
today.
• Today
– Learn your craft today
– Talk your craft today
– Practice your craft today
Finalize projects you are responsible for
managing. (The boss should never have
concerns about a projects status or
completion) and provide regular updates
Provide executive summaries.
Define issues and outline problems
Provide viable options and realistic solutions
Concentrate your efforts in areas you can
influence
Do not waste time or foster discourse in
matters that you have no control
Do not argue after the final decision is made,
understand the importance of being
committed to the execution and
implementation of the decision
Understand the final decision may not be final
(unanticipated influences, the discovery of
new information may come into play)
Understand “most” every boss has a
boss
When asked provide truthful input
Never compromise your personal
integrity
Reputation and respect from
your boss provides you with
additional resources to help
your subordinates and enables
you to lead better.
Loyalty is our willingness to sacrifice
our own interest for the benefit of
our organization and people know it
when they see it… Loyalty is both a
virtue and an asset in todays world.
It’s important that you not undermine
your superiors. In any organization,
your people need to know that you
support your chain of command. If
they see you freelancing, they will feel
free not to support you when they
disagree with your policies.
- Captain Michael Abrashoff
What about a Toxic Boss
Dr. Annie McKee
Do not take it personal, don’t let them change
your values or impact your self-esteem
Set up boundaries to protect yourself from the
toxic emotions. Structure the least amount of
time of exposure
Don’t let the toxic emotions become
contagious… let it stop with you. Do not
impact your people
The Toxic Boss
With a Toxic Boss you must
become the Island of faith,
optimism and organization in a
sea of dysfunction for those under
your charge to depend upon…
Perspective, Objectivity,
and Angle of View
We have a natural tendency to:
• See ourselves as “better than others”
• Believe we “know more than others”
• Fall victim to the depth of our beliefs versus
the nature and strength of the facts that are
contrary
• Want to blame others
• Look for excuses
• Be loyal to our assumptions and mindsets and
resistant to changing our mind
• Knee jerk reaction without the knowledge of
all the facts and circumstances
Our tendencies continued
• Take credit and be in the spotlight
• Hold grudges and want “Get Back”
“The weak can never forgive, forgiveness is a
attribute of the strong”
--- Gandhi
A Definition of Emotional Intelligence
“Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity
for recognizing our own feelings and those of
others, for motivating ourselves, and for
managing emotions well in ourselves and our
relationships.”
---- Dr. Daniel Goleman, 1998
Four Domains of Emotional
Intelligence
Self-awareness
Self-management
Social awareness
Social management
Self-awareness
 Your Emotions
 Self-Assessments
 Self-Confidence
Self-management
 Emotional Self Control
 Transparency
 Adaptability
 Achievement Oriented
 Initiative
 Optimism/moods
Social-awareness
 Empathy, understanding what motivates other
people, even those from different backgrounds
and being sensitive to others needs.
 Attunement, listening attentively and thinking
about what others feel, attuned to others moods.
 Organizational awareness, appreciation of your
group or teams organization values and culture,
understanding the social networks and
knowledge of the unspoken norms.
Social-awareness
 Influence, Persuasion of others by engaging
them in discussions, appealing to their
interest, and obtaining the support of key
individuals.
 Developing others, coaching and mentoring
others with care and compassion, personally
investing time and energy in mentoring and
providing feedback that people find
meaningful toward the development and
growth.
Social-awareness
 Inspiration, articulating a compelling and
purposeful vision, building team or group
pride, fostering positive emotional tone and
bring out the best in the individual.
 Teamwork, encouraging the participation of
everyone on your team, support all members
and foster cooperation
Social-management







Communicate clearly and convincingly
Solicit and listen to feedback
Resolve conflicts
Foster resonance
Spread enthusiasm
Use kindness, embrace humor
Build positive relationships
Thought and Beliefs
Wise tales and conventional wisdom are
sometimes just subjective notions that sounds
good for like minds…
There are “objective” notions based upon the
features or characteristics and there are
“subjective” notions based upon what we feel.
Thought and beliefs
One of the most difficult things for us to say is…
“I don’t know”
There are different levels or categories of
knowledge. Known facts are things that can be
scientifically verified.
Beliefs are things we hold to be true but may
not be easily verified…
Some Guidance from Authors
Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Conventional wisdom is often wrong, consider
the vast issues between anecdotal and
empirical information
Correlation does not equal causation
Be disciplined about how we weigh new
information
Be able to change your mind when the facts
do
Nate Silver,
“The Signal and the Noise”
 Forecasts and predictions will always be
tainted by our subjective point of view.
 We must think differently about our ideas
and how to test them.
 We must become more comfortable with
probability and uncertainty.
 We must think more carefully about the
assumptions and beliefs we bring to a
problem.
“Foxes and Hedgehogs”
Dr. Philip Tetlock University Penn.
IARPA Project
 looks at experts cognitive styles-how they think
about the world (Thought process)
 classified experts along a spectrum between
hedgehogs and foxes (from Isaiah Berlin essay on Leo
Tolstoy) “The fox knows many little things, but the
hedgehog knows one big thing.”
 Writers and thinkers can be divided into two broad
categories
How Foxes Think
How Hedgehogs Think
Multidisciplinary Incorporates ideas from
different disciplines and
regardless of their origin on
the political spectrum.
Specialized Often have spent the bulk of their
careers on one or two great
problems. May view opinions of
“outsiders” skeptically.
Adaptable –
Find a new approach or pursue
multiple approaches at the
same time if they aren’t sure
the original one is working.
Stalwart –
Stick to the same “all-in” approach,
new data is used to refine the
original model.
How Foxes Think
How Hedgehogs Think
Self-critical –
Sometimes willing (if rarely
happy) to acknowledge
mistakes in their predictions
and accept blame for them.
Stubborn –
Mistakes are blamed on bad luck
or on idiosyncratic circumstances.
(“A good model had a bad day.”)
Tolerant of complexity –
See the universe as
complicated, perhaps to the
point of many fundamental
problems being irresolvable or
inherently unpredictable.
Order-seeking –
Expect that the world will be
found to abide by relatively simple
governing relationships once the
signal is identified through the
noise.
How Foxes Think
How Hedgehogs Think
Cautious –
Confident –
Express their predictions in
Rarely hedge their predictions and
probabilistic terms and qualify are reluctant to change them.
their opinions.
Empirical –
Ideological –
Rely more on observation than Expect that solutions to many daytheory.
to-day problems are
manifestations of some grander
theory or struggle.
How Foxes Think
How Hedgehogs Think
FOXES ARE BETTER
FORECASTERS.
HEDGEHOGS ARE
WEAKER FORECASTERS.
“The Fox knows
many little things, but the Hedgehog knows
one big thing.”
- Archilochus
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge translates to competency
through the prism of:
Perspectives
Specificity
Objectivity
Establishment of basis of knowledge
Proper content within the context
Proper evaluation and analysis
Timing
Fact based conclusions…that evolve with
additional facts
Skills are being able to do it…
“Such demonstrates wisdom”
“Education and intelligence
tell us that a tomato is a fruit…
…Wisdom is knowing
not to use it in a fruit salad.”
What do we know and how good a job
do we do selling it ?
“We measure what is reasonable on
the part of the Police by looking at
what they know.”
---- Paula K. Smith, Georgia v. Randolph
547 US 2006
Occam's Razor
“When you have two competing
theories that make exactly the
same predictions, the simpler
one is the better."
Senge, 1990: 3; Davie and Nutley,
2000
In learning organizations, “people
continually expand their capacity to create
the results they truly desire, where new
and expansive patterns of thinking are
nurtured, collective aspiration is set free,
and people are continually learning how to
learn together”
Keys to Critical Thinking
 Proper fact-finding/information gathering
 Objective mindset
 Recognize assumptions
 Evaluate arguments from all sides
 Base conclusions on facts
Critical Thinking Process
1) Knowledge (Define Who, What, Why, Where,
how while being thorough, comprehensive
and complete)
2) Comprehension (Organize your thoughts,
select the facts, choose the ideas. Be able to
interpret information objectively and
accurately understand the facts)
3) Application (Be able to use facts, rules, and
apply principles and standards)
4) Analysis (Separate the whole issue into
components and examine and evaluate each
set of facts or circumstances)
Questions for Information and data
collection for critical thinking evaluations
Questions of Clarification
Questions that Probe Assumptions
Questions that Probe Reasons and
Evidence
Questions About Viewpoints or
Perspectives
Questions that Probe Implications and
Consequences
“There are known knowns…These
are things we know that we know.
There are known unknowns…That
is to say, there are things that we
know we don't know. But there
are also unknown unknowns.
There are things we don't know
we don't know.”
Donald Rumsfeld
FIVE STEPS TOWARD CRITICAL
THINKING
1. A constantly objective and open mind free
from emotion and belief based bias:
Often our beliefs trump our ability to evaluate facts and
evidence in an objective and meaningful way. It is easy
to be a victim of what Dr. Kim Rossmo of Texas State
University refers to as, “Belief perseverance,” an
affliction where one’s beliefs close his mind to existing
or new evidence that refutes his longstanding beliefs.
Fact finding should be a deliberately skeptical process
that proceeds from general to specific in scope when
evaluating and analyzing the totality of all data and
circumstances.
2. An aggressive and proactive quest for
research, inquiry, and study to identify all
available facts and circumstances within a
sound foundation of the veracity of all
information is key:
One must be very dedicated and devoted toward
learning all he can, as soon as he can, to insure what he
learns is credible and reliable. Always remember: 99
percent of all preliminary information is either
misinterpreted, embellished, exaggerated, or totally
false 99 percent of the time. This is why we must
always ensure our collected information contains a
credible or reliable “basis of knowledge.” Always ask,
“How do you know?” Make this question an essential
part of you repertoire during all inquiry!
3. All conclusions must be based upon facts; all
claims must be supported by facts:
Evaluate, analyze, examine, and weigh the
specifics, then make sure any and all conclusions
stand on those specifics processed.
4. Work with an objective process of
reasoning; include others’ opinions in the
process:
There is wisdom, not weakness, in sharing
decision-making issues when you have the
benefit of time. Others opinions, ideas, and
theories are imperative to promote better
critical thinking as they foster open-mindedness,
alternate possibilities, and alternate conclusion
identification. Moreover, multiple minds always
see more and cover more than one. Welcome
debate and “devil’s advocate” style feedback
and commentary.
5. Reflect on conclusions for alternate theories,
ideas, and questions; anticipate both intended
and unintended consequences:
If one has the time, always invest in provocative
thought reflection to uncover additional issues,
identify potential problems, form additional
questions, and forecast possible consequences
of action, reactions, or, when applicable,
inaction. Further, reflection over one’s
conclusion promotes certainty and identifies
uncertainties; such uniquely prepares one for
the often quickly changing environments or
situations that follow decisions
Responding to a primal human desire for action, a
desire that continues to influence decision making
quickly without an objective and thorough
evaluation creates an “action imperative”
Don’t make decisions simply for the sake of making a
decision.
Avoid the “action imperative” - that “drive to do
something.”
Sometimes better decisions come as more facts unfold
overtime.
Sometimes decisions must be “quick” in order not to
lose on valuable issues. All must be fact driven.
Sometimes issues involved in
management become paradoxical.
Sometimes you will be required to
change your mind
The same circumstances under different
context require different responses.
Context is a critical component in
decision making…Remain adaptable
to the facts and circumstances
Content and Context
The same "content" may have a totally
different meaning (or function), if it is put in a
different “context”
This difference of meaning, function or
process is closely related to the concepts of
the totality of the facts and circumstances in a
given situation, issue, incident or event.
The same features can have a totally different
function or meaning, depending on which
logical type they are situated in.
Interpretation may result in objective
characteristics or subjective feelings or both
Benefits of Critical Thinking
 Better decisions
 Promotes input from other’s opinion
 Encourages “Devils advocate” thought
process
 Prevents “knee jerk reactions”
 Mitigation of unintended consequences
 Promotes self confidence
 Develops intellectual competence
Any risk related decision is likely to be
acceptable if:
It conforms with relevant guidelines
It is based on the best information
available
It is documented
The relevant people are informed
London Department of Health 2007
The Political Winds
THE FIVE TENSIONS
Constitutional
Human
Professional
Cultural
Political
CONSTITUTIONAL
HUMAN
PROFESSIONAL
CULTURAL
POLITICAL
It is tremendously important to remember
how people see reality
Often, people see reality totally different
than each other…
People can see the same things and come to
entirely different conclusions
 People often do not see what we see or
what we expect them to see…
 People see reality different based upon their
different views, education or lack there of,
cultures, beliefs, biases and feelings.
What really is the reality and who’s reality is
it?
Two Important Points:
1.) The perception is this country today is there
is a clear divide between the police and people
of color.
2.) People living in poor neighborhoods need
the police and want the police…
They want Policing with the Community instead of to the
Community
They want outreach instead of overreach
They want fairness, empathy, and understanding versus
judgment
 They judge the police by their experiences,
observations, and past history
Factor into the equation
 People living in poverty receive their information
from twitter and social media more than CNN or
traditional media
 Having a bias is not being racist or sexist…Bias is
an inescapable part of the human condition, All
people (no matter the race) have biases
 We tend to transfer traits and characteristics
from one to another based upon our previous
experiences and beliefs
 The public “stereotypes" police, just like police
stereotype the public (We all prejudge)
 If we can’t recognize and understand our bias,
we can’t change it…
Attorney General Loretta Lynch
May 22nd 2015 CBS
Interview with Nora O’Donnel
“One of the ironies of this entire debate is when I talk
to police officers about their concerns, they too talk
about how they feel that people don’t see them as
individuals, they see the uniform first, and not the
person. People are really saying the same thing,
everyone wants to be seen, everyone wants to be
heard, everyone wants to be recognized as the person
that they are and not a stereotype or an image.”
The perspective of Police now and then
The impact of Politics' upon our
communication
• Impacts our supervisors, peers and
subordinates
• Impacts our ability to be effective
• Sets the tone and can define a very emotional
landscape
• Can cause massive problems if we read,
handle or interact improperly within the
context presented.
• Must follow agency policy and procedure and
never let your boss be surprised
President Lyndon Johnson had a
rule…
“Don’t ever tell anybody to go
to hell unless you can send
them.”
We must understand the role of
politics upon government
Always practice “ethical politics”
 Be transparent by intent and design
Never do something that you could not
endorse if it became public
Develop good people skills
Understand the political process
Understand roles and responsibilities
Be guarded, careful and accurate in all
communications
Politics continued
Be truthful, Never lie, build credibility
and reputation with people
Work toward helping people (The
difficult “yes” over the easy “No” )
Do not default to can’t without
seriously looking at how.
 Understand the importance of
“unintended” consequences forecasted
during the decision making process
Manage stakeholders well
Understand Politicians by nature
“Don’t have friends or enemies, just
common interests, and they don’t live
in the future or the past just the
present.”
--- Unknown
21st Century Environments impact
upon the political landscape
Manage Stakeholders
Manage Personnel
Manage Administration
Manage Operations
Manage Communications
Manage Media
Manage Image
 Manage Resources and Cost
Be mindful of Social networks effect
upon the 21st Century Political
Environment
Social networking can polarize
people to extreme positions and
create huge emotional outcries
based upon little or no facts…
at lighting speed.
Political Axioms
Dr. David Carter, Michigan State University
1. The tendency is to react emotionally
rather than act rationally to a new
issue or controversy
(Our conclusion is largely based upon what
feel rather than what we think)
Political Axioms
2. Superficial suppositions about ideas,
programs, and initiatives will have a
greater influence than in-depth
substantive knowledge
(embracing an idea or concept because
it “sounds good”, not because they truly
understand the meaning of the concept
and what it involves.)
Political Axioms
3. When it takes too long to explain an
idea and if it requires thought to
understand it, then the battle for
acceptance will be difficult
(The media sound bite paradigm)
Political Axioms
4. A conceptual initiative needs a hook or
a gimmick that can be easily identified
with in order to get a political foothold.
(The presence of a readily identifiable
icon of a broader, usually more complex,
endeavor is a necessity to gain
recognition and support.)
Political Axioms
5. Timing is everything; to gain maximum
political support a new initiative must
be proposed at the time it appears to
respond to a current, emotional, high
profile public need.
( “It has to be done now society” )
Political Axioms
6. The probability for greater political
support will increase if credit is given
where it is not due.
(Never underestimate the power of Ego)
Political Axioms
7. If some measures of activity or success
cannot be visibly shown in the shortterm, political support for the initiative
will be limited.
(No demonstrable success, no
demonstrable support)
Political Axioms
8. There is a direct relationship between
fickleness of the public and political
maneuvering; as the public changes its
mind, political support for an initiative
will change at light speed.
(It is the nature of our republic that
political support will follow the winds of
public concern)
Political Axioms
“These axioms illustrate, our complex
political interactions are based on
simple assumptions”
“The prudent executive/administrator
will use these axioms as guidepost
to help maneuver through the
political terrain”
--- Dr. David Carter MSU
Personal Confidence and
Competency
Effective Assistants can make
enormous contributions to
productivity at all levels of the
organization.
a competent administrative or executive
assistant to the Chief can promote
exemplary communication, foster critical
thinking and build relational currency
throughout the agency.
Melba Duncan Harvard review
The vast changes in political, economic and
technological winds require awareness,
objectivity and communication to be at a
premium. The Chief’s assistant is the antenna,
transmitter and network for organization,
coordination and cooperation to factor into all
operations to ensure proactive mitigation of risk
and focused promotion of effective operations.
Two critical factors determine how well a
manager utilizes an assistant. The first is the
executive’s willingness to delegate pieces of his
or her workload to the assistant. The second is
the assistant’s willingness to stretch beyond his
or her comfort zone to assume new
responsibilities.
The effectiveness of an Executive or
Administrative assistant depends
upon:
 Their loyalty
 Their People Skills’
 Their work ethic
 Their ability to be objective and critically
think
 Their competence
The EA or AA must be resolved to be
devoted toward and loyal to the four
steps of dedicated behaviors and 10
areas of competency designed toward
giving others the respectful treatment
required and deserved.
FOUR STEPS
Step one: one’s objectivity through humility; an
open mind is central to the ability to judge
others based upon what they are versus what
you think. Once others are seen as worthy and
valuable, then they are treated as such.
Step two: one’s ability to understand that
everyone has an absolute right to information,
input, and role in mechanical and societal
actions, events, and issues during any
relationship that affects them.
Step three: one’s ability to anticipate the
consequences involved in and around the
dynamic of those particular relationships.
Step four: one’s response as a result of those
relationships.
1. Be value centric:
A conscience lives at the center of every being; it
determines how they process and understand
right from wrong, good from bad. The values we
adopt and hold dear forge our beliefs, influence
our thoughts, and mold mindsets. They are
quick to form and difficult to change, and they
will have a profound effect upon our initial
evaluation and decision processes.
2. Demonstrate premier work ethic:
There are two types of people: those who run
toward work or those that run away from
it. Those that constantly take the initiative to
seize the moment to enhance their performance
and better themselves and their organization
are successful. Those who don’t, well, are not.
Moreover, successful abilities become a model
for others to embrace and replicate. Be
passionate about your work and foster that
same desire around you.
3. Be servant driven:
An inherit belief and overt attitude that drives
behavior and conduct, that demonstrates
purposeful and loyal devotion toward the
organizational goals and mission over selfcentered care or ambitions, lies at the center of
this axiom. A servant understands how to
effectively lead.
4. Demonstrate purposeful, caring,
and people-sensitive behaviors:
Talk about and place emphasis on purpose, the positive
things the team does to achieve what is good.
Articulate in meaningful terms how everyone’s
contribution is valuable and important and how the
results matter. Live by what you say, a major
component in the evaluation and conclusion of
whether a leader is a servant driven person who
creates and sustains trust and builds positive
relationships among others.
That is how others perceive that leader based
upon their experience or the opinions of others.
When people see you clothe yourself with
humility and put them ahead of your own
ambitions, it matters. Moreover, when they see
you desire to develop and cultivate them, to
make them "better" within the organization,
they will far exceed your expectations.
5. Be a collaborative and
communicative Commander:
Cooperation, coordination, and collaboration
build exemplary teams; motivated and
competent teams are the future of a great
organization. When fueled with and by great
communication, the results will be fabulous.
Constantly reach out to partner with others,
build relationships, and develop reputation
within a positive image; cast vision and
articulate purpose to others in specific terms
with sincerity and enthusiasm.
6. Be performance and results
oriented:
Never settle for the status quo; always desire
and demand the best. Be the best and produce
or exceed the results expected.
7. Be patient, but persistent:
I use the term “qualified patience” because I believe
one needs to embrace the notion that things develop
over time, thus the self-discipline one can sustain to let
those things mature and be of great benefit in the
decision making process, timing for best effect or
simple reflection is needed to promote more discovery
into the process. However, patience can become a
hindrance if one uses it to stall or postpone what needs
to be done. Oftentimes, seizing the initiative has a
tremendous advantage and is successful component
toward achieving the results sought in any given set of
circumstances.
This situation regarding the decision to wait or
move is one of the most difficult and important
aspects of command. Such requires the unique
combination of competence and confidence
tempered by humility and driven by the information
available at the time. The key is maintaining a
proactive mindset with the anticipation of probable
consequence management. Never ever quit; stay
dedicated, devoted, focused, and optimistic. Use
optimism as an advantage in adverse circumstances
and conditions.
8. Be growth and development
focused:
You must develop your competencies and grow
your expertise and understanding in your craft
before you can teach, coach, or mentor others.
Work to make others “better” than you.
9. Be adaptable to change:
Embrace change as a challenge you can win.
Know that through adversity comes both
strength and opportunity; change facilitates
innovation.
10. Be Innovative:
Innovation is the prism of advancement; finding
a better way makes a better day and brighter
future for everyone. Sustain an ongoing quest to
innovate and promote, to create a “culture”
dedicated toward new ideas, methods, and ways
of achieving your organization’s goals and
objectives.
Two Views/Versions of Competence
1. The Ability to use knowledge, product, and
process skills and as a result, Act effectively
to achieve a Purpose.
2. The Process and Development of Sufficient
Skills, Knowledge, Appropriate Attitudes and
Experience for Successful Performance in Life
Roles.
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge (What we have)
Interpretation (How we see it)
Application (How we do it)
Evaluation (How We Judge our Actions)
Development (What we Learned)
We inherit the awesome responsibility to
be competent in our duties.
In order to serve as we are required, we
must work to be competent. It is a
burden.
Competency is…
First, being able to see.
Second, being able to properly interpret.
Finally, being able to know how to apply
your solution to the problem in the
right fashion.
"Competency is the wisdom
to know and the discipline
to behave consistently with
that knowledge to drive
conduct"
There are no set of rules that always fit
or apply.
“No cookie cutter solution.”
One has to match the right strategy to
the right set of facts and circumstances
at the right place and time.
To be competent one has to be
“comfortable” in their job.
Blessed with a combination of
knowledge, wisdom, common sense,
and interpersonal skills.
3 Keys to Competence
1. Proactive mindset towards research,
study and preparation.
2. Humility to listen to others.
3. The self discipline to let the facts lead
you, not emotions.
The Bottom Line…
Know your job
And
Do the right thing
At the right time
For the right decision
To know the job you must learn the job.
You learn by…
Listening
Seeing
Doing
Studying
1) Step back and listen - don’t jump in!
2) Let others speak.
3) Get some objectivity - ask yourself is
there a sound reason for my reaction
or am I jumping to conclusions.
4) Ask clarifying questions rather than
ones that sound judgmental or hostile.
Stuart J. Firestein, PhD, chair of the
Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia
University,
Scientific research is like trying to find a black
cat in a dark room: It’s very hard to find it,
"especially when there’s no black cat." His
thesis is that the field of science has many black
rooms where scientists freely move from one to
another once the lights are turned on. Another
analogy he uses is that scientific research is like
a puzzle without a guaranteed solution.
Knowledge is a big subject…but
ignorance is a bigger one
Thoughtful ignorance looks at gaps in a
community's understanding and seeks to
resolve them
 A hypothesis should be made after collecting
data, not before. Firestein claims that
scientists fall in love with their own ideas to
the point that their own biases start dictating
the way they look at the data.
Knowledge generates more ignorance
Every answer prompts more questions
The purpose of knowing a lot of stuff is to be
able to frame thoughtful questions
Human levels of Confidence
Do we have physiological, psychological,
biological and behavioral differences between
the sexes that can effect our confidence ???
If so…it would be imperative for female and
male leaders and male and female followers to
know, understand and adapt toward personal
and professional growth and development.
The Confidence Code
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
• Empirical studies suggest that there is a large
gap between what women feel and men feel
about their ability to succeed
• Men overate themselves and women
underrate in self-assessments
• Confidence is partly genetic, environmental
and how one is raised
• Confidence is a choice and can be learned, in
the brain practice does not make perfect,
practice makes permanent.
The Confidence Code
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
Women tend to have “Wells of self-doubt” and
as a result hold themselves back
Take criticism too personally
Try to be perfect
Fear failure
Afraid to take risk
The Confidence Code
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
Men underprepare and jump out, women over
prepare and hold back, Women should train
themselves to learn…
Fail fast
When in doubt, act
Don’t ruminate, rewire
It’s not personal
Competency Spawns Self-Confidence
“Captured through the backdrop of
knowledge and wisdom incorporated
into common sense decision making
process.”
Self-confidence is an
impediment absent humility.
• Humility checks ego
• Humility welcomes open minded views
• Humility brings balance to confidence
and promotes consequence thinking
A competent and successful aid must
continuously self-educate themselves.
• Constantly read, research, and stay abreast
of all current and evolving issues afoot in
your profession.
• Interview, question, and discuss issues with
those involved in your craft.
• Stay current in professional organizations
and their training opportunities.
“A compass, I learned when I was surveying,
it’ll point you true North from where you’re
standing, but it’s got no advice about the
swamps and deserts and chasms that you’ll
encounter along the way. If in pursuit of your
destination, you plunge ahead, heedless of
obstacles, and achieve nothing more than to
sink in a swamp… what’s the use of knowing
true north?”
--- Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln, from the Motion picture Lincoln
Staff versus Line mindset
Know the importance of Staff
operations supporting line operations
LINE OPERATIONS
Field or supervisory
activities directly
related to day to day
work duties and
responsibilities
Supports Core Mission
of organization
STAFF OPERATIONS
In Police organizations
activities such as
administrative and
training that provide
support for the line
operations
Provides, promotes,
supports and enhances
the line operations
Staff versus Line Operations
• Never let the tail wag the dog (staff “works” to
supports the line, not the other way around)
• Insure the Staff knows their role and
responsibilities (create time for the line… not
take it)
• The Staff is in the business of making things
better, not worse (enhance not impede)
• Responsibility and Mission over Rank and
Position (Keep this perspective in the context)
Teams are built…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Through good relationships
Stellar work ethic
Dedication to the mission
Sharing ideas
Identifying goals
Shaping procedure
Delegating decision making and ownership
Working in harmony through exemplary roles,
responsibility assignment, and good
communication.
Team Production and Efficacy
The key to high group IQ is Social
Harmony.
Internal Group Harmony produces the
full talents, creativity and best
information from the groups
individual members
Teams of teams, 2015
by General Stanley McChrystal
Trust
Relationship
Common purpose
Awareness
Systematic understanding
Strong connectivity
Shared consciousness
Essential Qualities of 21st century Teams,
General Stanley McChrystal May 2015
Trust and common purpose
Emphasize purpose over procedure
Committed to sharing information
Strong connections between teams
“So if I, Your Lord and Teacher, Have
washed your feet, you also ought to
wash one Another’s Feet. For I have
set you an Example, that you also
should do as I have done to you.”
- Jesus Christ
John 13, 14-15
Understanding Modern
Technologies and
Communications
Relationships
Roles
Responsibilities
The 3 R’s foundation to effective and
successful communications
Structured
Communication Cycle
“Don’t make judgments until you have all the facts.”
Aggressively
Listen
Articulating statements
in clear unambiguous terms
Thorough processing
and understanding
information
Evaluating and forming
proper feedback
(questions/suggestions)
“Three Keys to Effective
Communication”
From material by Laurie McCann, University of
California, Santa Cruz.
1. What you say and how you say it
2. What you hear and how you hear it
3. What you do with the information
THE NEW MEDIUMS AND OUR
COMMUNICATION ABILITY
Smart phones and the web have a profound
effect…
Take advantage of the utility of the
technologies, but relay upon personal contact,
evaluation and analysis in a human relational
context
STRIVE TO DRIVE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS
AS A “RELATIONAL ENGINEER.”
The Technological and Human Mix
(Citizens)
The dissemination and receiving of
information in real-time
Human subjectivity, emotion and impatience
Perpetual tensions
Viral Contextual Ignorance (Lack of
understanding)
Viral and Infectious stupidly (No attitude or,
aptitude or ability to understand)
Lack of trust and conspiracy theorist
(Promotes confirmation bias)
The Technological and Human Mix
(Public Safety Professionals)
No response, poor response or late response
One spokesman to maneuver the mass
communications over fast and vast internet
terrain
Poor or lack of subject matter expertise
Poor choice of words, examples or context
The impact and residual effect of “BAD VIDEO”
(N.J.R.R’s) Knee Jerk Reactions and Responses
Bias, lack of empathy or understanding opposite
perspectives
Secret Squirrels and Dinosaur mindsets
Proactive Bridging Strategies between
“Them and us”
Have a proactive PIO team have talking points
and guidelines
Thank people, correct facts, and share
updated information.
Fashion brief accurate responses, don’t
debate or engage in defense or explanations.
Being calm and polite while handing criticism
is just as important as being graceful and
humble while handling praise
Be transparent but do not fall victim to the
pressure to release preliminary
(unsubstantiated) information
Twitter is a network of people, like the
networks we have it allows us to monitor and
measure how information is spread through
this network of people. A group of people
connected on Twitter will most likely share
similar interests in a certain situation.
A group of people following one another on
Twitter can be viewed as nodes with strong
ties. Information that a person is interested in
is most likely to come from other people that
they have strong ties with.
Twitter can be viewed as a News source that
specializes in what a person is interested. People
on Twitter will most likely be interested in the
same thing, follow it and will tweet about it.
Monitoring Twitter helps to understand this and
see how information is flowing in a network and
what is happening within certain events.
Source: Cornell University
People share stories on Twitter for lots of
reasons, and not always because they think it is
accurate. Outlandish rumors often spread quickly,
because they are interesting, and people like
interesting things.
Misinformation often remains uncorrected within
groups.
Twitter is both an enormous rumor mill, and
invaluable source of valuable information.
Source: Jamie Bartlett
As more people get their news on mobile
devices, we want to make the experience faster
and richer on Facebook. People share a lot of
articles on Facebook, particularly on our mobile
app. To date, however, these stories take an
average of eight seconds to load, by far the
slowest single content type on Facebook. Instant
Articles makes the reading experience as much
as ten times faster than standard mobile web
articles,” wrote Facebook product manager
Michael Reckhow on their site.
A study released by the Pew Research Center
last year revealed that almost half of those
surveyed said they accessed news about
government and politics through Facebook.
Meanwhile, Facebook also earns around a
quarter (24 percent) of all display ad revenue
and more than a third (37 percent) of mobile
display, Pew's 2015 State of the News Media
report demonstrated.
Source: Cristina Maza, Staff writer Christian Science
Monitor MAY 13, 2015
ING 2014 Study on Social Media and
Professional Journalist Today
One-third of journalists said social media
posts are not a reliable source of information.
Despite this, half of journalists said social
media were their main source of information.
Remarkably, half of journalists said they
consider consumer opinion to be more
reliable than a statement by an organization.
Journalists use social media to find out what
people are talking about and when writing
articles, but do not always check whether
public opinion is based on facts.
 Fact-checking has become less thorough; ‘publish
first, correct if necessary’ is the motto these days.
 Only 20% of journalists always check their facts
before publishing.
 Almost half of journalists said they published
most of their stories as quickly as possible to
correct later if necessary.
 PR professionals also noted that since the arrival
of social media journalists are getting in contact
less frequently to check facts.
People need to feel they are important
and what they say, write, or do is
valuable to you/organization…
21st century technologies can undermine
this situation…
E-mail Communications
• Should not be “lighting bolts” or “flaming
arrows” with unreasonable suspense times
unless they are required or because of their
origin are compelled to be.
• Don’t rely totally on e-mail in an office. People
require personal attention and opportunities
to offer feedback.
E-mails are 21st century cock roaches.
They can go everywhere and
anywhere absent any control!
The “E” in E-mail stands for “Evidence”…
Communications in Writing
1) Memos/Reports should set out the main
points in a series of short paragraphs.
2) If a report relies on a detailed analysis of
complicated factors or statistics, these
should be set out in an appendix.
3) Use plain language for clear thinking.
4) Keep the message concise.
Interagency communications require
coordination and cooperation with a
mutual courtesy and understanding of
all diverse roles and responsibilities.
Sum Total: Talk - Don’t surprise!
Take your job seriously,
not yourself.
The Administrative aids
Communications Checklist
1. Do I assume that if an idea is clear to me, it
will be clear to the receiver?
2. Do I make it comfortable for others to tell me
what’s really on their mind—or do I
encourage them to tell me only what I like to
hear?
3. Do I check my understanding of what
another person has told me before I Reply?
4. Am I tolerant of other people’s feelings,
realizing that their feelings, which may be
different from mine, affect their
communication?
5. Do I really try to listen from the sender’s point
of view before evaluating the message from
my point of view?
6. Do I make a conscious effort to build feedback
possibility into all communication, since even
at its best communication is an imperfect
process?
7. Have I communicated the “why” of this
communication so that the communication
makes sense to the receiver?
8. Have I made an effort to relate this
information or communication so that the
receiver sees how it relates to himself, his job,
or his organization?
9. Do I understand that people do not
misunderstand because of perversity or
contrariness directed to me, but because they
are human beings?
10. Do I really understand that the first barrier
any communication has to bore through is
“Why should I read, or listen to, this
communication?
Would the person in
question,
“move the possum?”
What POAG is Doing to Support YOU!
House bill 591 (go to POAG Website)
Committee Meetings this session
POAGF Use of Force in Georgia,
White Paper
POAG 100% Training Initiative
POAG 2015-2016 100% Agency
Training Courses Available
 Seven steps toward a professional police
reputation (4hrs.)
The 21st Century Utility of Premier Police
Report Writing (4hrs.)
21st Century Policing (4hrs.)
Police/Citizen Encounters and the Fourth
Amendment (4hrs.)
Website Kits and Pod Cast