Face it chief; regardless of the process and issues, there will always be people who will not be pleased with all of your decisions. That being the reality, once the most appropriate course of action emerges from a solid and credible process, have the courage and inclination to do it and don’t be distracted by the flak that you may continue to receive from certain persons or interests. Never forget that weak decisions are often today’s solution and tomorrow’s nightmare, and that solid decisions that emerge from a solid process will be sustained and appreciated in the long run.
The core of leadership activities, more so than any other issues, is decision making. Were it not for the need to make decisions, we probably wouldn’t need people in leadership positions. This being the case, a chief’s ability to make decisions, that others respect and see as well-arrived at, even if there is the usual disagreement, is often the key to success of the issues involved and the credibility of the chief.
We can all reflect, often painfully, on great programs that never got off the ground because those critical to implementation lacked confidence in the decision-making process. If given the opportunity to do some things over again, most chiefs will reflect on some missteps in the decision-making and implementation phases of critical programs. The purpose of this paper is to serve as a reminder to chiefs of the steps he or she needs to take in order to hopefully ensures that personnel, even if they dislike the end result, will have to grudgingly acknowledge that the decision-making process was credibly and professionally done.
Identifying the Need
The initial actions of the chief in identifying an issue that needs to be changed or implemented are critical, and must not be seen as arbitrary or a “knee jerk” reaction. When an issue comes to the attention of the chief, he or she must avoid actions, both verbal and non-verbal, that would cause others to believe that an over-reaction is occurring and that there is a preconceived opinion that will drive subsequent actions. Things are seldom as they initially appear, and the chief who starts jumping to conclusions and criticizing actions may well be forming judgments on things that have not yet been completely understood or defined. The chief must set the tone for calmness and objectivity, and not permit others to prematurely judge a situation, however troubling it may appear to be.
Truly Understand the Situation and Identify the Issues
It is critical to ensure that the person(s) who does the fact-finding on an issue be seen as objective, open-minded, and without any type of agenda or preconceived notions. Realistically, people just about always have some type of initial impression, but such must not be seen as a factor that will drive the inquiry or research into the issue at hand. Also, to the extent reasonable, the process must be seen as open and transparent.
Solicitation of Perspectives
Once the matter is completely understood and all related issues have been identified, it is important to solicit and genuinely consider all perspectives and interests before a final course of action has been decided upon. While the initial process may well strongly point towards a course of action, the chief needs to make it clear that he is withholding a final decision until all input from all concerned is presented and truly taken into consideration. This is the point where the chief needs not to be just a good listener, but more importantly an active listener where it is obvious to all that genuine consideration is being given to all that is presented.
Seeking a Compromise?
While it is often popular to seek a “win-win” approach where all of the competing interests achieve some of what they seek, such an approach is often not the correct thing to do. A chief needs to have the courage and inclination to truly go where the facts lead, and sometimes make decisions that a considerable number of people may not like; this goes with the territory of the stars on the collar. Although it is important to work hard to be inclusive and consider all points of view, in the final analysis our departments are not democracies and in a vote of twenty to one the minority opinion must prevail if the one happens to be the chief of police.
Initial and Lasting Impact
Face it chief; regardless of the process and issues, there will always be people who will not be pleased with all of your decisions. That being the reality, once the most appropriate course of action emerges from a solid and credible process, have the courage and inclination to do it and don’t be distracted by the flak that you may continue to receive from certain persons or interests. Never forget that weak decisions are often today’s solution and tomorrow’s nightmare, and that solid decisions that emerge from a solid process will be sustained and appreciated in the long run.
Chiefs are evaluated not only on what they do, but also on how they do things. Skill and credibility in the decision-making process is close to the top of that list!