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Chief Slaughter loses his temper at a contemptuous labor meeting with the patrol officers’ union. As Slaughter cools off in his office, he realizes some of his comments were out of line. He’s actually a good-hearted guy who backs his cops. Chief Slaughter recently attended a conference where a vender was selling hats with special reflective pink brims. The vender quoted impressive statistics concerning the added safety the hats provide to officers. Chief Slaughter knows he’s going to have to squeeze his tight budget to buy the hats, but it’s his way of demonstrating his concern for his officers and their safety. After his outburst at the labor meeting, he thinks this will be a good time to show them he cares.
ReplyDeleteChief Slaughter dictates a memo and has his secretary post it in the glass case outside the roll call room. He leaves for the weekend. “New hats with reflective pink safety brims will be distributed to the entire department next week. The hats will be worn by all officers. By order of Chief Slaughter.”
On Monday morning Chief Slaughter was greeted by disgruntled cops and a grievance.
1. Is there a problem in the communication process between Chief Slaughter and his officers?
2. Do you think Chief Slaughter used the most effective channel of communications for his message?
yes there is a problem in the communication process between the chief and his officers. The miss communication started when the chief lost his temper & went off on the officers. he apparently did not address the issue and apologize at the meeting. it says he cooled off later in his office. so he left his fellow officers upset with him at the meeting. then he comes back still having not directly apologize to the officers and has his secretary post a memo about some pink hats that they must where. in the officers mind, the chief is now adding salt to the wounds or trying to make them look like fools by making them where pink. Pink is for girls. the chief needs to have another meeting with his officers, apologize for the earlier blow up and then explain to the officers what the pink brims means and how they are more of a saftey addition.
ReplyDeleteTameka:
ReplyDeleteI think the memo was a poor communication channel. I agree with you and he should have had another meeting to apologise (or at least explain)
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Yeah, the chief went through a thrid party to send a message knowing that he was unfair to the officers some time before. It seemed as if he didn't want to face them himself and that's the reason he used that communication channel so he would't have to see the officers face to face.
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ReplyDelete1. Yes there is a problem! Chief listened to a vendor who quoted from statistics, whose to say it would be successful for his department. Instead of stating in the memo there will be an additional meeting discussing a possible new add on to the uniform he goes off affirming without the input of his officers “That new hats with reflective pink safety brims will be distributed to the entire department next week.” That explains why his officers were displeased.
ReplyDelete2. Instead of chief apologizing to his officers about his outburst, he continues to add more to the problem. I understand he lost it for a minute but when he came to and realize what he did; he should have express his regret of his negative attitude in the meeting. He used the less effective channel of communication but as we learned in class his style of leadership was autocratic.
Professor:
ReplyDeleteI have a quick question. the study questions that you posted for each of our groups in reference to chp. 4, we answer them on the blog or we bring a hard copy to class next meeting?
Tameka we bring them next class answered not on the blog, it is Test 1.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Mindy? How's it going?
ReplyDeleteKool. Thankx
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePink hats!!(just kidding :) On a more serious note i do believe there is a communication problem between Chief Slaughter and his officers. The communication barrier that now exists between the Chief and his officers was created by him when he lost his cool at the union meeting. I think he should have used the opportunity to apologise to them at a meeting with just him and his officers. That would have showed some good faith on his part. I also think he did not use the most effective channel to communicate his message pertaing to the new pink hats. the memo was so impersonal and more importantly the wording of the memo was a bit dictative. "The hats will be worn by all officers. By order of Chief Slaughter.” It was not a surprise that the officers were disgruntled! He purchased the hats in regards to their safety.He genuinely had their best interest at heart. However, he should have highlighted the safety issuse in the memo. Come to think of it, a police officer's safety is paramount, so he should have once again used the opportunity to call a major meeting with all the officers to introduce the new hats and point out its safety features and why it would be benefecial to them to embrace the new PINK hats.
ReplyDeleteTameka and Mindy:
ReplyDeleteYes, the questions in the group forums are for you to bring to the next class meeting, thanks.
Excellent points about the situation getting worse because of a failure by the chief to mitigate the bad feelings in the department caused by him.
Autocratic is on target. But is this a bad style for a police supervisor who meets with all high line staff?
Ericka:
ReplyDeleteExcellent point. His tone and the directive form was normal and with good intent. The issue was that in this particular SITUATION, the chief should have identified the problem, changed the style and method of communication, and then look for feedback.
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1) Yes there is a problem with the communication process with the Chief to his officers. I feel that the Chief's heart was in the right place with his decision but, the style in which he used to get this done could and should have been different.
ReplyDelete2) I feel that the Chief should have gotten more people involved in making a decision like that that effects every officers in his department. Instead of being autocratic and just signing off on the hats to be issued what he should have done was used more of a consultative approach. He could have easily created a memo stating his concerns about his officers safety, explain what the hats were for and how they would impact the department for the good then let the officers or his command staff make the decision.
1. There's definitely a problem in the communication process between the Chief and the cops. He knew that it was very wrong of him to loose his temper the way he did at the at the labor meeting the way he did. Since he knew his actions were wrong he thought that by getting his cops these "pink" hats, everything was forgotten and things would be back to normal. He should have called for another meeting to apologize for his actions. Also, he should have communicated to the officers that he was panning on getting these hats. They also may not have liked the fact that they were "pink."
ReplyDeleteI think that autocratic is a bad style for a police chief. Autocratic style makes decisions without the input of their subordinates. You can't be a police chief and not get information from your officers about what is going on in the streets? They are the ones who are in the thick of the battle. The officers have to come to the chief and says, "this is what we see going on out there", then they all get together and come up with solutions to the problems.
ReplyDelete2. As metioned in my previous post, the Chief should have definitely used a different method of approach towards his officers. Purchasing the whole pink hats idea was just a method he used to get out of the situtaion. The Chief should have first communicated with them by apologizing and then consulting with them his idea of purchasing the hats.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Travis. there should ahve been some sort of meeting about his earlier blow up. he should have apologize and explained his reasoning for loosing his temper then introduced the idea of the new hats more so for safety reasons if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteTravis:
ReplyDeleteGood point. The intention was good, but the method of delivery caused the problem. This is very common...The issue is how does the chief fix the problem. Does he even identify it as a proble, Sometimes the realization of a problem is the problem.
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I totally agree with Tameka's post. The autocratic style is not a method that should be used by a Police Chief. You always have to count with the opinion and back-up of your subordinates. I mean if it was not because of them, as a Chief, you have no idea what's going in the streets and secondly there would be no way you could carry out your duties as Chief. You have to count with their ideas and opinions to be able to do a even better job at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteChief Slaughter did not use the proper form of communication. Everyone loses their cools at times and that's understandable, but he handled the situation all wrong. It was a good idea that he brought those safety hats for his officers and used them as a form of apology and peace making, but he should have had a meeting face to face with his officers. He should have used that time and formerly apologize for him outburst and introduce the hat idea to them. It is very impersonal to put a memo in a glass window for the officers to see and expect that to be an effective way of “making thins up” to the officers. I see that as Chief Slaughter was of staying away from the officers. He is embarrassed and is afraid to face his officers.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a gap in communication can be worse than no communication at all, as is apparent in this case. after going off on his officers there is no contact at all until instructing them it is mandatory to wear pink hats from now on? Clearly his subordinates think they are being punished because let's face it, what color is less intimidating than pink? And for someone who's appearance is about as important as any other profession, i too would be upset if i had to wear pink.
ReplyDeleteDr. Kalam, This is a really good Scenario. Now these days, a lot of supervisor and beyond, thinks that just because they post a memo as a form of apology will make things better. Well, it doesn’t. like I said before, it is impersonal and lacks sincerity. I fell that if a person really wants to apologize to me, he or she will do it face to face. When the outburst took place it was face to face so the apology should be that way as well. Effective Communication is the Key.
ReplyDeleteJackie:
ReplyDeleteYou are right. If he communicated to them the he was planning to get the hats, he would be more PARTICIPATIVE. That style allows for more involvement in by the subordinates. It can be used to diffuse the situation and reduce conflict about the hats.
Thanks
yes, there is a communication problem between the Chief and his officers, after Chief Slaughter realized he had made comments that were out of line, he should have re-group his thoughts and called for a meeting (that would had happened in a perfect world)and apologize to the groupf officers. The idea of HATS was not bad at all;IT IS FOR THE OFFICRE'S SAFETY!!it was his secretary's poor choice of words for the memo (even if that's what the Chief dictated) that caused all the uproar in the department, she should have re-word the whole paper and have the Chief proof read and approve it before sending it to print and disburse.
ReplyDeleteIf the Chief had to relay something like a change in uniform via a memo before he was leaving, there is definitely a problem with this Chief and communicating with his officers. There is a gap, some sort of barrier here and the only way to fix it is to open up a clear line of communication and discussion in order to take the department to the next level of high performance.
ReplyDeleteCarole:
ReplyDeleteThe memo is a useful, but overused tool. I think the chief may be trying to avoid facing the problem and used the memo to achieve that. Howver, as we can see, the memo only maade it worse. Sometimes we need to face the problem and use teh right management style.
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I Agree with What Michael Rodirguez said. Sometimes a gap in communication can be worse than no communication at all. With the wrong form of communication, people can interpret the meaning wrong and that can increase the tension or problem.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe there is a HUGE problem in the Chief's communication. To begin with, like my peers said, after he realized that his comments were a bit out of line, he should have addressed this ASAP and apologized. Obviously he didn't mean to offend the officers in any way when he brought the hats with the pink brims, he was genuinely concerned about his team's safety and wanted the best for them. From his point of view, he probably thought they should have been thankful and happy with his "concer". They would have perhaps felt somewhat less upset if they knew exactly why they were being ORDERED to wear pink hats. Because of his lack of communication skills, he failed to realize that they were still obviously upset about his out-of-line comment at the meeting. He should have taken the moment to schedule an important meeting with his officers to APPROPRIATELY apologize to his team...then he could have explained the whole pink hats situation.
ReplyDeleteWithout proper communication in a team, weather you're the leader or a member of the team, proper communication is A MUST! without proper communication, something can go very wrong. For example if the officers had a problem, they would have probably tried to do everything, just to avoid speaking to the Chief because of the grudge they were still holding against him for not apologizing.
The chief's channel of communication was not the best one...as it was obviously unsuccessful. If he would have used a nicer and more sincere apologetic tone with his team, then they wouldnt approach him with all of that negative vibe. They might simply be thinking "wow, after that non-called-for incident at the meeting, this man has the nerve to smile at me and say 'good mornig'." a simple explanation and apology for his out-of-line outburst....but of course, this is just my opinion on the subject...another chief may think that the Chief Slaughter wasn't wrong at all and it is the officers who need to use THEIR nonverbal communication skills to see that the chief knows he was wrong, and him finding time to purchase hats [while on a tight budget during this recession] to buy hats for all the officers.
Good point Patricia:
ReplyDeleteImpersonal communication (through third parties) is poor communication. With important issues, the Leader must address the issues personally.
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I understand union meetings can be stressful for all involved. The chief gets stuck in the middle.He has to maintain the city's interest and financial constraints; while at the same time not forgetting where he came from and remember the interest of the officers. While getting upset showed poor self control, he needs to continue to lead and one out burst should not hamper his ability to lead. He obviously needs to get his control and respect of his officers back. The only way to accomplish this is to look someone in the eye shake hands and understand you are sincere with your apology. He needs to attend roll calls and be in direct contact with his officers so they can equally voice their concerns. Issuing a memo will only add to the incident and not resolve it. He will look like he is hiding in his officer rather then resolving on fixing the problem.
ReplyDeleteWhile showing officers you are concerned for their safety shows you care about them. I do not think his pink hat concept accomplishes this. He already is having union problems and miss use of funds will only add to this. Officers are adults and needed to be treated as such. Buying a gift and one that is going to lead to more then the butt of jokes then anything else, will not resolve anything. If he wants to show his officers he really is concerned and wants to give them something. He should lead by taking any cut that was trying to be made and use that money towards the officers to save jobs or increase their wagers; if that was the original intention of the meeting. The most important thing is the chief can not make empty promises. What he says he needs to deliver. Attending a few roll calls might get his officers respect back for the outburst, but to keep it. He is going to have to continue to have direct communication with the officers to show he is sincere about having a better rapport with the individuals that work for him.
fmatheiu:
ReplyDeleteExcellent summation. In this scenario, there are many instances, which can can be evaluated. When a chief gives a directive it is just that. In the traditional model, there is no room for questions.
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As I stated before the Chief should had call for a brief meeting and explain what was really going on and ensure them it will not happen again; I feel that it will bring the moral of the group back up, I can only imagine how the officers feel at this point, humilliated and pissed, they have basically been slapped a and now humilliated. An apology is not really necessary but at least the Chief should let the officers know that they are vital to the department (ofcourse)
ReplyDeleteJoseph:
ReplyDeleteThe direct communication is appropriate and the chief should now pay special attention to what he wants to achieve. His goal should be to resolve the issue. So he must implement some things (measures?), which will help him know if he is doing what he planned to do.
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Tameka, I agree with you had a good point.He should of resolved this at the time of his outburst and cleared things up at that time. However when people are mad they usually do not like to reason. So even if he said he was sorry at the original meeting. I think he should still have a follow up meeting when everyone is calm down and able to rationalize, and apologized again.
ReplyDelete1. In my opinion there is a problem in the communication process between Chief Slaughter and his Officers, because even though we don’t expect him to apologize (which he should) to every single Officer in the department he should at least get together with the middle managers in this case the sergeants, lieutenants, and captains and apologize to them, that way they can send his regards to the rest of the unit.
ReplyDelete2. The Chief of Police has a lot of position power, where if he feels that something should be implemented for the good of the Officers/department he doesn’t need their approval. However at the moment he is in a position where it’s in his best interest to consult with his subordinates about the change he wants to implement even though he means well. The fact that the hats have a pink brim is a controversy itself some Officers might even be offended. On the other hand we don’t know the exact reason why the Officers feel oppressed, perhaps they understand the hats are for their own safety and all they wanted was a simple explanation.
I feel that chief Slaughter lacks a great deal of leadership skills.
Alejandro:
ReplyDeleteYes, the officers may simply need some "respect" in this scenario. I agree with you that they may not dissagree with the initiative, but may have some important questions or comments. These things are critical to moral and the chief should have been aware of this.
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Good Joseph:
ReplyDeleteEveryone at the meeting should be allowed to regain some level of rationalization.
Excellent point.
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Fmathieu, I think by saying good morning and smiling at the men he will not be insulting them. I think by hiding in his office or ignoring them would have much greater impact. The chief must continue to show he is sincere. A good chief is one who officers feel they can be free to talk to and not fear them. He needs to be able to be side by side with his officers. If an officer is seriously hurt he needs to make visit to the hospital and show he is part of that officers families. If they feel he is just mocking them and doing what he has to. There is a total break down in communication that will never be resolved.
ReplyDeleteI know the scenario says that the chief was greeted on Monday morning by the upset cops but how would the chief have felt if the officers had responed by just posting a memo back on the board refusing to wear the hats? Im sure he would have not like thier form of communication had they did that.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part I agree with what Alejandro said. The only thing that I would do differently is the apology. I feel that the apology should be done at every level of management not just the middle or upper level. The Chief should also personally apologize to his front line officers personally ie. roll calls, memo, or meetings. I dont think that the officers would take an apology that is passed along sincerly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my peers that there is a problem with the communication process. The memo is ok, but communicating with the officers hands-on would have been a better solution. After a person looses their temper and goes off on someone, in order to show people that you are remorseful, the best thing to do is tell them face to face what happend and why you reacted the way you did; not send a memo stating he bought pink hats for everyone to wear to show his remorsefulness. lol This sounds like a auto-cratic here.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Professor I have been on line since 8:30 couldn't posted my comments. Finally called Tamika, She walked me throug and now in business. Sorry
ReplyDeleteHello Sonya:
ReplyDeleteGreat news. I look forward to your comments,
Thanks
Travis:
ReplyDeleteTry apologizing to every single member of the department face to face in a department the size of Metro Dade, and let me know how that went. It’s what we would like to do not reality unless you go on a video conference or send memos.
Even though Chief Slaughter had the officer's best interests with the safer caps, the fact that he made this decision on his own without even bringing it up to his subordinates is a slap in the face. Even though the Chief has every right to make such a decision due to his given AUTHORITY from his position, in order for him to gain the trust and respect of his officers he needs to involve them more. I know at my job I feel a lot better about what I do when someone asks my opinion in any decision making process that involves the company. It makes everyone feel like a person with a voice rather than just another worker bee buzzing along aimlessly and seemingly with no real place or position. I'm not saying to tell everyone everything, but something simple like a uniform change being put up for a vote could have easily bridged some of the gap of communication and worked favorably for all parties. There is no way they would vote down the new caps if it was explained to them it was for their best interests in terms of safety.
ReplyDeletei totally and completely agree 110% with what carol is saying. I mean, you cant expect people to be able to read your mind and just KNOW that the pink hats are a form of apology [although it supposedly was]. He should have at LEAST called a brief 10 inute meeting to apologize and discuss the hats instead of just ordering them to wear it and think that everyone knows that's his way of apologizing
ReplyDeleteAlejandro:
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutly right. It is vitually impossible to apologize face to face to every single officer. With that said let's say that the Chief sends out a memo apologizing to every officer for his actions. That memo now becomes more personal then a Lt. at roll call saying " The Chief would like to apologize for his actions the other night" there is no connection there. Even if the Chief writes a memo and at roll call the commanding officers reads it aloud would do. It becomes more personal and people tend to respect that.
Travis:
ReplyDeletenow were getting somewhere...
Do I sense some agreement.....Great communication must leads to positive results?
ReplyDeleteThanks
1. Yes there is a communication problem with his Chief Slaughter and his officers. In the event of him loosing his temper he could have went back to his supervisors first and spoke to that group and expressed his sorrow and regret for the outburst. Next, his should have scheduled another meeting or met with those officers that was apart of the meeting during role call and he could have apologized to them and then expressed himself to what caused him to lose it and he could have taken it a step further by explaining to them what course of action he would take to prevent this from happening again. Also, he could have sent a video message through email to express his actions to his entire department for his outburst as being their top leader and how he can assure them it won't happen again because of the measures he's taking to make himself better.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Patricia and Dr. Kalam on the issue that "communication through a third party lacks sincerity." It sends a clear message that, i am not still mad at you but just a little miffed. Ok...so is my chief still angry and harboring ill feelings towards the entire department or is he trying to make ammends with the PINK hats? The Chief just added a gallon of fuel to an already blazing fire as far as i'm concerned. To make matters worse, he left for the weekend as if he is avoiding confrontation which only leads me to believe that his dictative memo might have been intentional.If this was a court case we could put the Chief on the stand and disect his PINK hat actions and find out what was his real intentions. Now i am disgruntled at the Chief.
ReplyDelete2. Chief Slaughter could have used the consultative approach in regards to the pink hats and the safety they would bring. Also, he could have researched the pink hats in greater depth before making a decision based on trying to atone for mistake he made with his officers. His impersonal approach also created a lack of respect towards his officers and department. He could have also infused the participative approach to include others in maing this decision. Also the fact that he made it a memo, left for the weekend and placed it in the glass case so when they arrive this hits them in the face by words and how he left them it actuaaly raised the lack of respect that he showed adults and the people that are working for him.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Chief would have gained respect from his subordinates if he had initailly apologize for his outburst at the meeting. Dr. Kalam discribed the meeting as "contemptuous" so we know tempers were flying high and nerotransmitters were out of whack! It is not unusual that we sometimes lose our cool. Especially at a union meeting i think that is to be expected. But when our usually mild tempered Chief loses it we should not be so hasty to dispense judgement. He still should have apologized to them but instead he ordered them to wear PINK hats. That was an additional slap in the face!! He asserted himself without being tactful. I am still mad at the Chief!!
ReplyDelete:(
Michael I agree with you totally. The Chief could have easily informed his team about what he's thinking about as far as their unifrm change and the pink hats. Then durig roll call they could have gauged the acceptance of the hats and explained to them the reasoning behind the hats instead of just doing it and not consulting those who work hand in hand with the front line workers.
ReplyDeleteAlejandro and Travis
ReplyDeleteIt would be impossible for the chief to apologize to each officer individually. All he has to do is go to roll call and apologize to the officers. If he has to attend 2 to3 roll calls, so be it… the goal is to undo the wrong that was done. So what if it takes a little more time, at the end it will be worth it because he will have the RESPECT from his officers.
All:
ReplyDeleteIf we go back to the inception, what could the Chief had done to better prepare for the meeting?
When managers in these types of environments communicate, there will obviously be a Directive tone (command and control structures). As such, what changes should be taken by progressive managers in these Old structures?
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Travis I agree with you because it is impossible to apologize to everyone individually, but there is always another way to make your actions sincere. If he's really remorseful or empathetic it will show. Hearing someone voice is showing more concern than a memo.
ReplyDelete1. Yes there is a problem in the communication process between the Chief and his officers. The behavior of the Chief was very unprofessional and he should have addressed the issues in a different manner. As a police Chief losing his temper was very much so out of line. This role as Chief to his fellow offices is to set example and have great leadership’s skills. Instead of buying the hats on a tight budget Chief Slaughter should have sent out a memo or called a meeting to personally apologize to his officers instead of rewarding them with (Pink) hats “someone feels guilty”.
ReplyDeleteCarole you have a point but, what if he can accomplish the same result (apologizing and gaining his officers respect) in a shorter amount of time. Not exactly but similar to a sort of TQM by using other means?
ReplyDeleteEricka:
ReplyDeletewe want to believe that the Officers are angry at the fact that they were issued PINK hats, but nowhere does it state that. The outburst was what started it and to top it off a weak judgment was made on the Chiefs behalf, without consultation.
Ericka I do not agree totally with you. I understand that it was a union meeting and people where out of whack. However, being a head of an organization where communicating with others is the top principle he can't afford to lose his temper. If he was out on the streets dealing with civilians and he loses his temper he then opens himself up for lawsuits. If the top leader of our nation loses his temper then others would think what of him? Can he not handle the job, is that how he always acts, what will he do next. There is a time and place for everything, and him losing his temper in a joint ventured meeting in regards to his officers shows what? Then discord seeps into the mind of his officers and morale drops and he loses his entire department because he lost his temper in an issue regarding us and our livelihood. In addition he sends us a stupid piece of paper sticks it in a glass and he still doesn't approach us about it a gross showing of disrespect then he doesn't even show up this weekend.
ReplyDeleteAlso Carole like Alejandro mentioned earlier, in a department with the mass of people like Metro Dade the Chief will be attending a lot more then two or three roll calls. More like two or three roll calls a day for a quite a while.
ReplyDeleteTravis:
ReplyDeleteI second the roll call issue by the time the Chief is done it won't be an issue anymore. On the other hand, when you talk about TQM you are talking about reducing/improving time in something that is done on a regular basis. We are dealing with an apology.
Cheif Slaughter took his frastration out on the officers because of his problems. Working period is stressful it comes with the job. You must know how and which way to deal with issues accordingly. Communication is one of the most important skills needed in life and because we have to encounter with people it is expected specially from our higher leaders, adminstators, etc.. to have the professional knowledge as well as person knowledge to handle issues accordingly.
ReplyDeleteCheif Slaughter verbally did the damage so by all means he needs to verbally fix the damage. Pink hats, the first thing came to my mind was Breast Cancer organizations. Unless the cheif was fund raising that ideal should have been out of the question. That's the only way I see the officers maybe agreeing to wear pink hats. As far as "safety" well this where the common sense kicks in. Having his secretary type the memo, put in the case so everyone could read shows the person really not sensitive to the sitation.
Yes, there is serious communication problem. In this case the cheif would want his officers to work in a pleasant environment and never be to proud to apologize.
Alejandro:
ReplyDeleteWhich is correct. I was merely using the TQM process as an example to get my point across that the Chief could get his meaningful apology out without have to personally talk to every officer. The time that it would take to do that is very costly.
Dr. Kalam, answering to your last posting. I think that what the chief could have done from inception to prepare for his meeting, was better preparation on his part. He knew already that the attendees of this meeting were his men and the union. He should have been better prepared to handle any outburst and analyze the situation from a different perspective, without his temper getting in the way. Your most important role as Chief is having absolute control of any situation.
ReplyDeleteThe changes that should be made in old structures is simply direct communication. There is no other way that a Chief of a Police Dept. can outweigh the and handle his duties if he doesn't know how to communicate with his officers.
i agree with Carole guys, the way he started the fire is the same way he needs to put it out....
ReplyDeletePink hats? Lol
ReplyDeleteThe chief outburst was out of line. He could have gathered the officiers together and make an open apology. The pink hat idea isn't to bad but an open apology would primarily but a better solution.
Travis,
ReplyDeleteIf he has to apologize to 2 to 3 roll calls a day for a while then that’s what he’s going to have to do. I would not accept an apology through email, text, memo, CCTV broadcast, etc. He’s the Chief of police he has to be more professional than that.
“Fake it if you must, but look good”!!!!
Travis:
ReplyDeleteyou can't put a price on having an entire department feeling hatred and/or remorse towards one of the most, if not the most important person in a police department. TQM does not apply to this scenario.
2. Chief Slaughter did not use an effective communication channel. He should have better prepared himself for the meeting. As a Cheif his approach should have been different. The Democratic leadership would have help the Cheif in this situation allowing the officer to feel involved in the decision making process with the pink hats. The Chief has set himself up for major communication barriers with his officers. I also feel that he should have had better control over the way he communicated with the memo.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sonya, Im glad to see that great minds think alike!
ReplyDeleteRegina, Erica, good point.. Your responses were similar to mines.
ReplyDeleteTravis, i don't agree with you stating " it is impossible to apologize to every officer face to face." As chief of police, you can gather a handful of officiers and apologize to them. In addition, you should make a note to yourself to list the officers that were not present so next time you see them, you can apologize.
In addition to everyone's comments, I think that better preparation on behalf of the Chief for any meeting, would be for him to do a strategic analysis on how he could express to his peers want he wants accomplished and how. Besides that he needs to have better communication skills in order to do this, it is very fundamental in any position he would face.
ReplyDeleteJackie:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the second part of the discussion if he felt so passionate about it he should have prepared better.
It’s obvious that the Chief did not properly prepare himself for that meeting. He went into the meeting blindly and he was caught off guard. He should have thought about the possible questions he was going to be asked and planed different ways of answering them with out offending anyone. He should have gotten all the paper works and stats in regards to the type of meeting together, go over his notes so he would have better answer the questions.
ReplyDeleteCarole,
ReplyDeleteI agree if the Chief has to apologize during two or three roll calls a day he should. On a professional level he needs to be more accountable for his actions and demonstrate some kind of leadership as well as respect for his officers.
One thing we haven't touched upon was the reasoning for the Chief's outburst from the original meeting. Granted, he should be prepared for the worst going into a meeting of subordinates which usually have a ton of things to complain about. That being said, the chief's lack of self control really says a lot about his demeanor. To have someone in that position of power lose it like that, what kind of example does that lead for his officers? They deal with stressfull situations on a daily basis, and if they see it's ok for their chief to lose it, who's to say they won't do the same out there on the job? That could create quite a bit of problematic situations out on the street. All this from a simple lack of communication. Goes to show how important it is to properly get things across to one another.
ReplyDeleteALL:
ReplyDeleteOK, you are the Chief. Draft a response that you would deliver verbally. Make it real. It does not have to be too long; just a couple of sentences.
Please post it here in this discussion forum.
Thanks
How many times have one of us gone off the deep end and had to apologize? If you did it face to face, did you notice how much more receptive people were than if you apologized via an email or another impersonal form of communication? It goes so much further seeing the sincerity in someone's eyes when speaking to them. Yeah, it probably would have taken a while to apologize to everyone, but I'm sure it wasn't the whole department in there. And once the officers feel the sincerity of the chief's apology, the whole vibe of the precinct will become much more positive and a more productive department than before.
ReplyDeleteRegina,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see we're on the same page.. You hit the nail right on the head!!
Dr. Kalam,
ReplyDeleteYou want a response for the disgruntled officers?
Yes, Carole:
ReplyDeleteDraft a response to the disgruntled officers.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon everyone. I called this forum to apologize to each and everyone one of you for my outburst the other day. It was uncalled for and I am sorry for my uncharacteristic lack of control for that moment. I will do my utmost to ensure it does not happen again.
ReplyDeleteI see you all are wearing the latest addition to your uniforms. I would have liked to have gotten everyone's take on them, but there was a time constraint on getting them at a price that would fit our already strained budget. I assure you we try our best to include everyone in as many departmental decisions as is possible.
(Explains a little about the safety features). If anyone has any questions or comments, please share them with us now and we will do our best to address them.
I guess I'll take on the role of the bad guy today. But there in the topic it said nothing about the Chief losing the trust or respect from his officers. We don't even know what was said. We are all just jumping to conclusions. The out of line comments could of been directed to or at anything or any one. We spoke briefly in class about labor unions and how they have a place but also can be some what negative. Prime example the $60 per hour the gm employee makes which in turns jacks the price up of all these American cars. Or how about something that is closer to home, the 5% budget cuts that most of the cops down here have to take. You try explaining to thousands of people how and why the have to take a pay cut. I've never done it but I'm pretty sure it's not easy. On whole pink hat issue that goes to something else that we talked about yesterday. About how we as people oppose change. I feel that no matter what color the brim of the hat might have been the officers would have resisted. It's just apart of the human nature. For the most part, the only time people accept change is when things are already below standards. Prime example this passed elections with Barack. I know that many of you might not agree with this but just take it for what it's worth and think outside of the box. There is a reason for everything and there was a reason why the Chief said what he said. I am not condoning his actions but he did not become a Chief for no reason.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy response as chief would be: "Can we all come in, take a seat and talk. I'll start by apologizing for jumping the gun and losing my temper at our last meeting. My emotions got the best of me and as your leader I should have handled the insident on a more professional level and showed more respect for you all as my officers and fellow brothermen. This is what I was thinking and what was going on at the time..." after explaining I would then explain the idea of the new safety hats.
ReplyDeleteDear men and women, of this great department. I want to express my thanks and appreciation for all you do. I am a very passionate man and I care deeply about your welfare, and the welfare of the department. I want to apologize for losing my head in the last meeting. In no ways was my outburst a direct reflection of you. I respect all the officers of the this department and with great pride wear the same uniform you do. I do not want to provide excuses for my actions. I like you and human and sometimes long days emotions and being put in a difficult spot can get the best of a person. I want once again to thank all of you for what you do.I would hope we can move pass this situation and continue the great working relationship; we have have and is needed to continue. we all know this department would be nothing without your dedication and hard work.
ReplyDeleteGood comment Michael. KISS. Keep it Short and Sweet.
ReplyDeleteMichael, I like when you say "I am sorry for my uncharacteristic lack of control for that moment. I will do my utmost to ensure it does not happen again." It shows that you understand your character is important and one of the key things that makes you chief. you show that you take full actions for your behavior and you are going to correct and monitor it so the incident does not occur again. I also like the fat you close with questions any two way communication shows you care about the troops and want to hear what they have to say.
ReplyDeleteTravis, the chief himself realized that some of his comments were out of line. So he had to have said some pretty bad stuff. No we don't know what he said but the way it was mentioned that the officers showed up on Monday morning, he probally talked about thier mamas. yes he is the chief and he most likely got the job because he was an excellent officer. so if he was an officer, some of the things he said he probally would have been upset at his chief too.
ReplyDeleteI think he got the hats anyways out of shame for the things he said and as a form of an apology.
ReplyDeleteTravis, I do not think it is jumping to a conclusion. The thing is, regardless you don't expect that behavior from your leaders. It is like in basket ball when bobby knight would get mad a referees call he would throw chairs on the court and have a tantrum. Even if it was a bad call you can not lead by acting like that. The bottom line is in times of crisis you are suppose to look to leaders and they are suppose to be the calm ones. It does not mean they can not have emotions, but they have to have class and tact. Even if he was on the officers side yelling at the mayor is not helping the officers cause.
ReplyDeleteTravis:
ReplyDeleteYou make an excellent point with regards to the Union goals and the often opposing goals of people like the chief. Budget cuts and pay raises are hot issues that go in different directions...and take much heated debate to resolve if ever.
Thanks
Yes, I agree with what Tameka said. Of course the Chief felt bad about his unprofessional outburst at the meeting, so therefore he went out and bought the hats as his way of saying sorry, or he just bought them out of guilt. He could have approached the whole situation completely different. To begin with, before he even posted the memo, he should have called a meeting...as a matter of fact, right after he cooled down in his office and realized he took things out of proportion, he should have called an immidiate meeting to apologize and then he could have discussed the whole "pink hats" situation. Then he could have explained that he was buying the hats because of the statistics he heard, and that he wanted the upmost and best security for his officers. In order to show the good leadership skills that he OBVIOUSLY had [or else he wouldnt be Chief], he could learn to communicate just a little more better and not let his guilt get in the way of facing his team of officers.
ReplyDelete1. Is there a problem in the communication process between Chief Slaughter and his officers?
ReplyDeleteYes, there's a problem in the communication process between Chief Slaughter and his officers. Chief Slaughter had an argument with his officers in an inappropriate manner. For starters, this was at a meeting. Chief Slaughter allowed his emotions to be exposed in the mist of business. Secondly, after the meeting was over he went back to his office and cooled off. However, though he found himself cooling off he didn't realize the impact of his behavior on his officers. Instead of Chief Slaughter having another meeting to apologize and to discuss the issues at hand, he decides to develop a memo that's used as a third party (as one of my cohorts stated) that's suppose to express his "apology". Furthermore, pink hats? What were they going to use the pink hats for anyhow? Chief Slaughter took the thoughts of someone else about the pink hats. I guess Chief thought this would solve everything, but in turn it made matters worse.
2. Do you think Chief Slaughter used the most effective channel of communications for his message?
NO! Chief Slaughter did not use the MOST effective channel of communications for his message. The same way Chief was able to express himself verbally in a rudely manner he should've been able to express himself verbally in an apologetic manner with his officers. He hid behind a memo instead of expressing himself verbally to his officers.
ALL:
ReplyDeleteGreat communication so far from teh chief.
Thanks
My fellow Officer,
ReplyDeleteThe other night in the heat of the moment there were some things that were said that were out of line. My actions, were out of line and uncalled for. As your Chief I can not condone what I said. I would like to take this time to sincerly apolopgize for my actions. All of know what I stand for. You all know that what I stand for is YOU my Officers. Without all of YOU I would not be here. Without YOU the department would not be where it is at. YOU are the reason why I took this position and with YOU we can get threw this.
Now I want to touch on the issue about the memo that was sent out last week about new hats with the pink brim.
These hats are not meant to punish you nor is it meant to make fun of us. I know that it may seem that way but it is not. These hats are to make each and everyone of us ( Myself included)safer. My number one goal as Chief of this department is to make sure that each and everyone of you at the end of your shift make it back home to your families alive and well. If that mean us going out on these streets getting laughed at or feeling a little silly so be it but, at the end of the day I can go home and sleep soundly knowing that I did everything in my power to take care of my people. I admit, that I should have handled the situation much better then I did but I'm not perfect I am human and I make mistakes. With that said I can ensure you that I have learned from this mistake and now am ready to move forward.
Glad to see everyone is on the same page!
ReplyDeleteThat is why I have always said, "leave your feelings aside from work"; it is very negative when feelings are mixed with business because the Chief's outburst in the meeting made him look bad and present a bad perception to other people. I strongly believe there was a problem in the communication process between Slaughter and his officers. Before making the deal about the pink hats, he should have consulted with his officers during the next roll call and address this offer to receive feedback and make a better decision whether or not to squeeze the budget for the pink hats; but he did not do that, he simply thought it would be a nice surprise for his officers. He should have given a formal apology to his officers about his outbursts and loss of temper during the meeting; this way he can explain and rebuild his relationship and status with his officers - this would have been a more effective channel of communication with his officers. The consequences of not doing this process is the reason he received disgruntles Monday morning.
ReplyDeleteIf I was the Chief and I had a loss of temper and an outburst with my fellow officers, I would
ReplyDelete1. Taken time off to myself and reflect on my actions
2. Hold back on the deal with the pink hats (because I'm thinking about my officers and the budget)
3. Write a formal apology letter and present it to my officers on the next roll call meeting (maybe buy doughnuts and coffee also to give to them)
4. Present the issue about the deal with the pink hats
5. If majority or minority wins on the pink, (which I doubt the majority will win) make a decision on whether to purchase the hats from the vendor.
Chief response:
ReplyDeleteHello my fellow officers. I'm glad you were able to attend this brief meeting and to those who were not able to attend as well; I appreciate the effort. First off, I would like to apologize for my behavior during our last meeting. I was out of line, and I wanted you all to acknowledge my condolence. We all work very hard, and I appreciate the effort each of you put in. Thank you
In response to what you said this morning professor Kalam, autocratic is a bad style for a police supervisor, in order for offices to fulfill their commitment to the public there MUST be communication between all “officers” to make sure their goals are accomplished. If everyone goes their own way and perform their own method then autocratic would shift to laissez faire. Image a police station in that type of leadership!!!
ReplyDeleteGood day men and women of this distinguished department. First I'd like to acknowledge your unfailing commitment to the department, the staff, and most importantly to yourself! I'm writing this memeo to apologize for my inappropriate out lash to all officers and members of this great institution. I allowed my emotions to interfer with the business side of this department and I've stated some thoughts inappropriately. I'm asking that you will forgive my actions and let us progress into great women and men that we TRULY are for our institution, families, and most importantly ourselves! If there are any questions, comments, or concerns please free to let me know...I have an open door policy.
ReplyDeleteDr. Kalam in response to the meeting with the disgruntled officers, If I was chief (I am being real now) I would have not let it get that far to the point I have to address the problem ever further. When the chief realized his attitude was not appropriate, he should have gone right into that room and apologize. I bet things would be different if he did, there would be no memo for pink safety brims and the officers would not be pissed. If he communicated in the beginning properly then there would not be an issue.
ReplyDeleteDear fellow officers:
ReplyDeleteHow is everyone doing today? First order of business, I would like to take this time and be sincerely sorry for my actions at the labor meeting. It was uncalled for and very unprofessional on my part. My feelings got in the way of my judgement and my actions were shameful. As Chief, I call out to every single officer present today and promise you this type of behavior will never happen again because a good effective police officer must lead by example and be a role model for others around him. This is the purpose of a leader.
But Mindy sometime you do think before you speak. lokking back things could have been done differently of course or not being in the situation you can say what you would have did. Its like a football coach who is yelling at his team ans saying bad things because they are losing the game. At that moment he is upset and he can stand his players but later when the game is over he might be sorry for some of the things he said.
ReplyDeleteSorry, you DO NOT think before you speak
ReplyDeleteFrom this class and many in the past, I'm sure a lot of us can agree that lack of communication due to the large bureaucracy in agencies such as a police department contributes to many headaches trying to get things done. There are so many steps a patrol officer would have to go through just to see the chief of police on a regular occasion, to get a face to face meeting to discuss anything would make an officer feel like he is doing his part more efficiently. Patrol officers are the eyes and ears of those that make departmental decisions affecting how they do their policing, so alienating and getting on the bad side of officers won't accomplish anything positive. I think we all agree there was an initial lack of communication, and if us students can see it, it's a wonder someone who has reached status of chief of police doesn't see how some simple tweaks in his style could prevent major miscommunication in the department.
ReplyDelete2-The Chief could had been better prepared for the meeting by basically getting feedback from his crew;I know meetings can sometimes get out of hand but all this could had been prevented.
ReplyDeleteDr. Kalam in response to earlier post
ReplyDeleteIf we go back to the inception, what could the Chief had done to better prepare for the meeting?
What the Chief could have done was sat down either with himself or his peers(staff) and ran threw different scenarios or questions that could or would pose a problem in the meeting. This would have possibly prevented the Chief from over reacting.
When managers in these types of environments communicate, there will obviously be a Directive tone (command and control structures). As such, what changes should be taken by progressive managers in these Old structures?
Once again managers in these type of organization should whenever feasible consult with peers and others. Like the old saying goes "two heads are better then one" the more people that can be invovled the better answers and thoughts you can gather. In this police type structure a Chief is almost force to be autocratic. With that said they still must be open a use a variety on management styles to accomplish the goal.
Chief's response: Good afternoon my fellow officers of this fine department, first and foremost i would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my unprofessional behavior earlier this week. I must admit my behaior was a bit out of character but i was not totatlly in control of my emotions which was wrong and once again i apologize to each and every one of you. As your Chief i know you all expect better from me and i promise in the future i will put forth maximum effort in doing so. I do hope each and every one of you will accept my deepest and sincere apology.
ReplyDeleteI recently went to a law enforcement convention and some new head gear was introduced so i took the initiative to purchase these hats because they have some excellent saftety features. Since your safety is paramount me and this department i am recommending that we all use this head gear starting today. My assistant Chief Gonzalez will offer a quick demonstration.
@Mindy,
ReplyDeleteThe chief didn't realize he was out of line until he got home. Also, everyone is different. The chief chose to use pink hats as his apology where others may chose to make an open verbal apology.
Mindy you stated "If he communicated in the beginning properly then there would not be an issue."
Well, sometimes you don't realize you've done something wrong until its been done. He was wrong for the outburst but some people can't control that. Therefor for some people, it may be a difficult task to prevent a future outburst.
Ladies and Gentleman…I’ve decided to bring you all here today because I wanted to talk to you faced to face about my actions a few days ago. During the Police Union meeting, I’ve said a few things that were out of line and unprofessional towards the police officers of this department and I want to apologize to each and every one of you. Day in and Day out you have provided this department with your hard work and dedications and I should not have behave in the matter in which I did at that meeting. I am proud of the work each of you has done and I hope that you will accept my apology. I will ensure that this does not happen again in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think the Chief should have reviewed the issues pertaing to the union meeting before he went to the meeting. I am sure he had prior knowledge as to what the issues were. By doing so he would have equipped himself to answer their questions without losing his tempter in their presence. Someone commented that this is where TQM comes into play and i think they were right.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon officers; reason all of you have been called for this late minute meeting is that as your Chief an inmediate supervisor have the need to apologize for my erratic behavior last meeting. First, It is my responsbility to let you all know that the job this particular group has done for the department has been outstanding and most if not all of you have gone the extra mile while doing your job. As you all are aware; the County is going through changes and that involves the budget which affects this department directly as there will be personnel reduction; I have known all of you for a long time and I know the qualified team I have, the pressure I have over my shoulders is incresing as the days go by as I morally can't point out how many or who has to be laid off. I know that a your Chief I should had reacted in a different manner but it just didn't happen the proper way. I thank you all for attenting this meeting and I hope we remain the same outstanding team we've been for all this time.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that there is a communication problem between the Chief and his officers; I believe that the right thing to do in this case would be some type of apology from the chief to his officers. Most likely a meeting, where he can express his apology, not only that shows his officers that he is a stand up guy, it also shows his officers that even in his position, he recognizes that he is human and could make mistakes, and asks his officers opinion about the purchase of the hats, since the funds could be used for other immediate needs, not to say that the safety hat is not an important thing, but there could be other equipment needed that may be of immediate importance. The miscommunication problem may cause the officers to believe their Chief, has poor people skills since, part of being a leader is having strong people skills, as a result the Chief’s credibility may be affected.
ReplyDeleteThis is an extreemly efficient dialogue and the responses are on target.
ReplyDeletePlease continue with the great postings and responses. As always, these discussions foster so much thought and so much professional interaction, I am proud to be involved. Keep up the cordial yet vigorous discussions, and remember the lessons learned from the chief.
Thanks
Good morning fellow officers,
ReplyDeleteI would like to address my unacceptable behavior the other day. I got a little heated because of my passion and dedication to this job. However, I should never let my emotions get the best of me. It is not right or professional. I am totally apologetic for my actions and it won't happen again. To show my remorse i am setting up a meeting where i will apologize publicly to my fellow officers.
Thank you
1.)Hello to all, yes i would say that the Chief conducted himself in a non-professional manner there is a tie and a place for everything;he may well be good hearted person; howvever he most remember their is an image that he needs to uphold as a professionl at all times no matter what the situation may well be! "yes" i agree that he needs to apologize.
ReplyDelete2.)No! he could have communicated in a more effective way.
To DR. Kalam and my fellow classmates,
ReplyDeleteI wish each of you a SAFE and HAPPY
ThanksGiving. Let us be thankful for what God has blessed us with.
If I were the Chief I would organize a meeting with my officers, and would start off the meeting by apologizing for the innapropriate reaction and would also establish an open line of communication between the officers and I, to be able to clarify any questions or concerns the officers may have about any issues, that may reduce employee disgruntlement, and change the officers' perception about the Chief's attitude.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you too Carole!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Traivs! that's what i called an sincere apology! one who stands behind there officers;I wonder if the chief would not mind wearing a pink safty brims hat in the support of his officers ? maybe that will eliminate the disgrunted officers and the grievance process.
ReplyDeleteLeon
ReplyDeleteIt states that Slaughter cools off in his office, he realizes some of his comments were out of line. Therefore he did not exit the building.
I agree that we are all different but I'm just stating what could have been done in the beginning. Feel me?
Tyler, I like your introduction. You cut right to the behavior what I did was wrong and it will not be done again. The only problem is the chief has to be true to this. If he ever suffers from the heat of the moment again. His word will be no good and without his word he will be unable to lead.
ReplyDeleteChiefs response:
ReplyDeleteHello everyone, I want to thank you all for taking the time to gather here today. At this time I would like to apologize to all the Officers that make up this great department for my actions last week at the patrol Officers meeting. I said something’s that didn’t come out the way I planned them, and impacted a lot of you. I want to make it clear that I want what’s best for all the Officers, and I will stand by you for years to come just like I have in the past. We all make mistakes its what makes us human, but the important part is learning from that mistake, acknowledging it, and most importantly correcting it.
Hello Leon; i disagree with the chief realizing that he lost his temper when got home one konws!again their is a time and a place for any and every thing! he's a chief and human;however he could have excuse himself for a cool down period to compose himself. I under stand when one is upset and may well be out of control what comes up comes out I still say he needs to wear a Pink hat in the support of his officers.Yah!!!!
ReplyDeleteI apolozie the Chief don't realize that he lost his temper when he got home ,but in his office! he should have excuse himself until he was calm!
ReplyDeleteThank you, for accepting my apology! for my mistake.
Alejandro,
ReplyDeleteWell Said!!!
Hi Joseph, I truly agree if it happens again that the chiefs word will be no good! not to say that the chief needs to be dealt with!!!(Discipline).
ReplyDeleteIf i were in the chief's position, i would first of all make the secretary type up a memo saying there would be a brief meeting.
ReplyDelete"Good afternoon/morning to y'all, first of all i would like to begin this meeting by apologizing. That outburst was totally out of line and it was uncalled for and i know that i was wrong for saying what i said. I would like to apologize to each and every one of you for that behavior. I have purchased these hats with pink brims on it because...[goes on to explain hats, then asks for feedback and addresses best he can].
Hi Carol, maybe you need to give the chief some lessons on how to apologize. GREAT JOB!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI know what has been said can't be taken back; please take into consideration the fact that the Chief is under a lot of pressure, all fingers are pointing at him and the union is not really making it any easier for him. I know he should have controlled his temper but at least he realized it AND tried to do the right thing, even if it backfired on him.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS CAROLE! HAPPY THANKS GIVING TO YOU AND THE REST OF Y'ALL!
ReplyDeleteAlenjandro I agree with your point of view,nad Mathieu I agree with yours too, however, I believe that the hat purchase should be something that the officers should put their input, prior to the purchase being done, because especially at these times, Police Departments Budgets are going through several changes due to our economic situation. There could be other needs within the Police Department that could be of more importance, and again I'm not sayng that safety is not important but a big problem with cities budgeting these days is City employees spending money with unnecessary purchases, there are a lot of Police and Fire employees being laid off as a result of it.
ReplyDeleteHi fmalhieu, " yes" the chief could have said it in that way! getting feedback is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteHi Juliana,"yes" The country is in a economic crisis; I say if agreed upon the hats by the officers! why not do a fundraiser.
ReplyDeleteJuliana:
ReplyDeleteYes this is a real problem and is applicable to how departments operate under adverse economic conditions, as well as dealing with many different elements, such as unions.
Thanks
Natalie, the fundraiser is an excellent idea!!
ReplyDeleteDear Fellow Officers,
ReplyDeleteI have called this meeting firstly to apologize for my behavior in the last meeting. I completely lost my temper as you noticed and it was totally uncalled for. You all deserve my respect. I hope that you find my apology acceptable and understand that we all have our rough days. There is no excuse for the way I acted, regardless of what I was going through at that time. You all are not responsible, but myself. I hope that we can continue to work as dedicated and united as we always have. Once again I apologize and I want to thank you all for your hard work and dedication always.
Great job everyone !
ReplyDeleteI agree with what most of you have stated in reference to the Chief receiving feedback from the officers. I think this is more like reinforcement for the officers. This way the Chief knows what to give and expect from his officers and so would they. By the Chief acting this way with his officers, he is executing effectively is duties. The Dept. will work in a more productive atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Patricia in what you stated earlier that you can't take back things that you have already said. If it really was that easy, it would be a completely different world.
ReplyDeleteI think we all do take consideration that maybe the Chief was under a lot of stress at the moment he lost his temper. Yet, that definitely does not justify him. As you said the good thing is that he realized later that he was wrong, eventhough it had already backfired him.
1. Yes, there is a big problem in the communication process between the chief Slaughter and his officers. The chief Slaughter lost his temper and made comments out of line, we know we should think before we talk, but there comes out our spontaneous reactions, actions that upset the officer. The chief should know that there are times where we should not say everything we think. Later he realized his mistake, but he didn’t address the problem by apologizing to the officers which I think was the proper or best way to do so. Because if he taught assigning those pink hats would fix the problem. He is totally wrong, because now he is inputting his authority again, he should have address a new meeting with his officers and let them know that he did in the previous meeting was wrong and that he understood that we when out of control. Because of his mistake I think now his officers would not consider him a person with strong people skills, because the lack of control in front of a crowd. But I also agree that he should learn from his mistakes and treat his officers with respect.
ReplyDelete2. He did not used the most effective channel if communication, because everything got out of control, now he have to fix his mistake. About the budget he taught that buying those hats will fix in some way the problem caused by his bad temper. Totally wrong, what he has to do is talk to his officers and apologize.
Dear Fellow Officers,
ReplyDeleteI have set this meeting to apologize because of my behavior in the previous meeting. I analyzed and understood that what I said and did last meeting was wrong, that I went out of control with my actions and words. I hope that you understand that I am human and go thru problems that unfortunately brought me to this problem. I recognize that all of you do a great job and are hard workers. Again accept my apologies.
Sonya,
ReplyDeleteI also thought that the pink hats was something related to the Breast Cancer oraganization.
As all we know, money money most of the time causes huge problems. And in this case money was playing a role, in my opinion buying the hats was only wasting the money.
ReplyDeleteTravis, Mike, Michael, Tamika, Carole great Chief intros, you all can work for me. :- )
ReplyDeleteMichael going off the deep in is not cool. Sincerity is not granted when you hide behind someone else. Face to face is the policy. You see body language, eye contact (TQM)(transformational leadership.
I couldn't have said it better Mindy ...you hit it heads on... There's the way and wrong way and we know, it might take a minute but we have a conscience. The chief knew before he left work he sn'the outburst wasn't right.
Coorection there's a right way and wrong way.. I read the other comments re: the chiefs speech and I like. We have a pretty interesting class.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Sonya, our classmates did an excellent work, with their posting. You al have excellent points of view. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Julianna, when it comes to a police officer uniform or equipment, their input should important. After all, they are the ones to be wearing it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, had this been a decision on something of greater significance (ie. policy or departmental changes) their input may not be neccessary. It is so easy to say what we would all do better in this instance if we were the chief. However, the stress and responsibility of the entire station rest on the chief. When officers perform or grade poorly it reflects on him. On the other hand, when they perform well the chief gets the glory.
My point is that even though we can all second guess how the chief responded, we may never understand the stress, or circumstances surrounding his state of mind reguarding these chain of events.
Apology Letter:Goodday fellow colleagues, i called this meeting out of humility do to my disruptive behavior as the chief of this department. i will take this time to deeply apoloize for my misconduct during the meeting with the union, that is not my character and i will asure each and every one of you that it will never happen again! Thank you for coming and do stay safe.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would want to know in all of this is:
ReplyDeleteHow has the station improved or regressed under his leadership?
How has the officers as a whole improved or regressed since he has been chief?
What is the crime rate of the area his station services?
These are questions that show the quality of his overall work, not just the few ill advised decisions that he made.
What would we rather, a popular, people friendly boss that everyone likes; even if the station as a whole regressed under his care. Or, the unpopular boss who everyone hates but gets results.
This might be considered two opposite extremes, but they are factors that we should all consider when we second guess decisions that are made by people who has to make them... not us.
Elise
ReplyDeleteYou made a very good point about the stress of the Chief of Police, trying to please everyone is sometimes impossible,especially when you are in the middle of trying to make the best to back your officers and dealing with city officials and things don't go as planned.
Elise and Juliana
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of your statements regarding the Chief of Police being under so much stress and trying to please everyone is just impossible. Typically it's been known that when Chief's of Police try to intervene in such ways it just does not go as planned. Maybe this is exactly what may have happened to Chief Slaughteron this harsh day for him.
@ natalie,
ReplyDeleteI do agree that some form of acknowlegdement is needed by the chief to assure his officers that he has their best interest at heart.
However, being to humble and outright can undermine his job as chief. This can be viewed by his superiors as weakness or lack of control over his department. Futhermore, he could also be make a case for him to be repremanded by admitting hewas wrong.
There is a way as a leader to admit to making a "poor decision" vs. making a "wrong decision." The use of wisdom in the words you use MUST be taken into account to protect the office of the chief.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!Be safe....
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to u guys tooo.....
ReplyDeleteThe Chief have to apologize no matter what, he made a mistake and have to correct it, by accepting his bad desicions.He have to let know his staff that he cares.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving everybody!!
Is there a problem in the communication process between Chief Slaughter and his officers?
ReplyDeleteYes, if Chief Slaughter wanted to show remorse for his actions he should have shown empathy towards his officers with a formal apology, rather than informally with pink hats
Do you think Chief Slaughter used the most effective channel of communications for his message?
No, there are more effective ways of communicating, even an impromptu speech of ethics would have done. Yes, the bulletin board maybe effective to certain degree for relaying simple f.y.i., but in this case not so much due to the fact most officers will not respond in the fashion Chief Slaughter would have preferred.
If we go back to the inception, what could the Chief had done to better prepare for the meeting?
ReplyDeleteWhen managers in these types of environments communicate, there will obviously be a Directive tone (command and control structures). As such, what changes should be taken by progressive managers in these Old structures?
There are many ways the Chief could have prepared himself for the meeting. Simple to compose but the effectiveness of the preparation will be shown in the execution. Being assertive in standing and delivering is a must, but it must be done with professional poise. Also, for older structures a class or training on professional communication wouldn’t hurt.
I wish safe and Happy Holidays to all...
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