Supervision Audio- Session 15 (Master Review of Supervision) Flashcards

Question

What should you do if subordinates display leadership potential?

Answer 1

Consider them for temporary and permanent leadership positions

Answer 2

Let them know how they can improve

Answer 3

You will be able to see how they react to a variety of situations including pressure situations

Answer 4

* **Operational plans**- give guidance during course of normal police activities- deployment of personnel etc * **Tactical plans** - guidance for unusual occurrences (protests, shootings) * **Auxiliary services plans** - supplementary to operational plans (community services recruitment) * **Fiscal plans**- use and control of funds * **Long range or Strategic plans**- Defines the departments overall objectives ## Footnote * Units affected should be a part of the planning process to minimize resistance and gain subject matter expertice

Answer 5

A statement of management intent that guides personnel in accomplishing organizational objectives * Sometimes policies can be too restrictive and can cause problems * If a policy needs to be changed be sure to explain the reasoning to minimize blowback * Resistance often comes from how a policy is presented rather than what the content is. * Delivery can be more important than the policy itself ## Footnote * Input from members of the organization is acceptable and encouraged

Answer 6

How members of an organization go about accomplishing policy goals ## Footnote You must be aware how a change in procedure affects members of the department as well as how it affects other existing procedures

Answer 7

Interpersonal communications * In order to determine if communication is effective each member of the department should know how to do their job. * This skill is even more important than motivation. * We'd like to get the job done with motivated cops but if not the cops still need to know what is expected of them

Answer 8

* The most important skill for them should be their motivation **Note**: this is not the most important thing for the first line supervisor

Answer 9

* **NOT THE SAME AS FIELD TRAINING** but can occur at same time * Serves as a check on the selection process used to find out if an officer is suitable for continued employment * FTOs should be experienced officers with a **DESIRE** to work with new recruits

Answer 10

* **Written only** Other styles include: * Verbal only * Bulletin board * Rumor mill/Grapevine (**least effective**) - Know the issues and limitations but do not try to eradicate. Killing informal communication can kill morale

Answer 11

* **Failure to listen** * **Status differences**- rank, prestige, longevity (communications flow, easier downward than upward) * **Psychological size**- (superiority or inferiority complexes) * **Perceived noise/stati**c (stress, outside influences) * **Ambiguous language** - slang (ambulance/bus) * Not every action needs **commentary** this will make people stop talking to you. * **Jumping to conclusions** * **Filtering**- dilution or distorting of messages as they move from person to person, can be intentional (softening message) or unintentional LEADS TO RUMORS (FACTS DEFEAT RUMORS)-If your subordinates are filtering, your communication can be to blame * **Individual attitudes** -this means that different individuals will receive the same directions differently- communication styles resonate with people differently * **Attitudes** - employee to employee and employee to supervisor * **Intentional suppression or manipulation of information** - this is deliberate filtering of information that one group should know, but the individual that should be delivering the information intentionally withholds that information- as a supervisor this will lead to subordinates doing the same to you * **Communication channels** 1. Complexity leads to distortion 2. Overloading- channels can become bogged down supervisors need to determine what information is absolutely needed (train subordinates to keep you informed, but not inundate you with useless information) * **Overstructuring** - making all communication written or through dept channels, reduces valuable feedback and opportunities for better understanding ## Footnote On a test question examiners may ask: Should you provide your boss with all information given to you in reports by your subordinates or the correct answer which would be all **important and relevant information**

Answer 12

* **Introduction** - (introduce what is to follow with a title or subject line) * **Body** - (which contains main idea) * **Closing** - (recommendation or plan) * **Clarity of expression** - (style should be simple and easily understood, accurate, and with a logical order)

Answer 13

* You want a record * You want to hold someone accountable * Complicated statistics or hard to follow procedures

Answer 14

The combination of verbal and written communication

Answer 15

* **Interview** - is a two way conversation * **Interrogation** - one side is asking questions trying to gain information without giving a lot of information

Answer 16

* **Informal** - day to day conversations with subordinates, can be one of the most productive conversations for a boss * **Formal** - Employment interviews, progress interviews, grievances, problem solving/ consultation/ chaplain interviews * **Disciplinary action interview** - must be objective. If supervisor is worked up they should take time to cool off but subordinate is not afforded the same luxury * **Exit interview** - interview following an officer separation, firing, resignation, retirement etc ## Footnote * Interviewee is the most important person in the room and others must engage in active listening

Answer 17

* If people are well trained department capabilities will be enhanced * Subordinates should be able to act independently * Training failures are usually do to adminsitrative neglect. (Supervisors are unaware of what they need to do to train their subordinates.) * Lack of training can contribute to low morale, fustration, and preventable errors. The need for training is constant

Answer 18

* **Readiness** * **Effect** - if learning is pleasureable subordinates will want to repeat it * **Repetition** * **Primacy** - things learned first create greatest impression * **Recency** - information acquired last/ recently are most easily remembered * **Intensity** - intensity of teaching effects how well it is retained

Answer 19

* **Aperceptive base** - and individuals preexisting knowledge * **Instructor personality** * **Motivation** * **Interest** * **Attention** Learning should start from the known and move to the unknown after building a good base ## Footnote * Accuracy speed and self confidence comes slowly * Effective teaching involves teaching operations in the order the tasks will be undertaken in the field * Goals must be understood prior to teaching

Answer 20

1. **Introduction** - considered most important (opportunity for instructor to gain or lose audience attention 2. **Presentation** - speed should be that of the average subject 3. **Review** - typically after each major segment and after the presentation as a whole 4. **Application** - learner gets to try out skills under supervision 5. **Testing** - measure students progress (also gives feedback on trainer effectiveness) **Common causes of training ineffectiveness:** Oversimplification, aimlessness, or irrelevant material or competency on the part of the instructor or students ## Footnote * **Oversimplification** is one of the most common mistakes in presenting * **Demonstrations** can be a teaching method on their own or used to enhance a lecture * **Training aids** are effective teaching enhancers, whiteboards, PowerPoint * **Discussions** liven up a lecture, training aids, opinions, teaching aids

Answer 21

* The person chosen to be an instructor should be the best teacher * Instructors should always have patience

Answer 22

* Cheap and quick way to cover a variety of subjects (not all topics are appropriate for roll call training) * If a supervisor is teaching and a subject is being disruptive, if it is inhibiting training you tell them to stop immediately

Answer 23

Application of learned knowledge

Answer 24

* Improve performance * Assist in the proper placement of personnel * Provides an opportunity to explain some personnel decisions or movement * Provides management with an inventory of officer capabilities * Gives a measure of some abstract traits like loyalty, temperment etc **Criticisms of rating systems include**: * They can be subjective * Time/cost * Personal bias of raters **Benefits of rating systems include**: * They can improve moral through recognition of good performance * Maintenance of department standards * Identify if department standards are reasonable * Show personnel efforts are being made to eliminate favoritism **Influences on rating system success include**: * Rater attitudes * Pressure (merit pay)

Answer 25

Consistent ratings over a period of years spanning multiple different raters

Answer 26

Failure to train the raters

Answer 27

* **Rankings** * **Selective employee standard** - (raters think of top, middle, and bottom employee and rank all other others against that standard * **Ideal employee standard** - (this is comparison to an ideal HYPOTHETICAL employee) * **Numerical standard** - (each characteristic is rated individual and weighted according to importance) * **Forced choice method** - (ratings such as satisfactory or unsatisfactory / meets standard or does not meet standard) ## Footnote Ratings should never be used for reasons other than their intended purpose (revenge, spite)

Answer 28

**Leniency** **Other errors include:** * **Bias ratings** - (rates persons they get along with higher) * **Central tendency** - (no highs no lows/ common in systems that require explanations by raters for 1s and 5s/ this penalizes harder workers) * **Halo effect** - ( rating is done on a general impression not specific attributes) * **Error of related traits aka logical error or association error** - ( rater gives similar ratings in different categories that seem related like physical health and mental health/ report writing and quality of investigations) **Overweighting** - (ratings boost due to an event close to the rating period/ a type of recency bias) * **Subjectivity** - (supervisor rates characteristics highly based on things that appeal to them, one Sgt loved dwi arrests and rates officers that do them highly) ## Footnote * Worker performance should be discussed with them throughout the year and ratings should be adjusted throughout the year not just based on rater feelings close to the rating period (**no surprises**) * **PTR- post evaluation/rating interview**: one of the most important aspects of the rating process. Allows employee to understand ratings, expectations, and if necessary plans for performance improvement

Answer 29

**The primary purpose of discipline is to change behavior** * **Positive discipline** - corrects deficiency without punishment (training) * **Negative discipline** - used when positive discipline fails, should be progressive * **Self discipline** - being an example to subordinates * **Upward discipline** - discipline exercised by subordinates against a supervisor (withholding information, force boss to over supervise, constant deferring to supervisor, actions in order to burden or frustrate the supervisor) ## Footnote * Discipline is necessary to achieve objectives and facilitate coordination of effort. * Loss of some form of time is a typical discipline, suspensions or loss of pay is more serious because it affects an officer's family

Answer 30

**Punishment requisites- certainty, swiftness, fairness, consistency** * **Certainty** - must be sure punishment will be effective * **Swiftness** - without unnecessary delay keeping in mind due process, protects department from officer misconduct that they let go, protects officer from significant issues later, without being told they may think their conduct is okay * **Fairness** - Fair and equal not the same (1st vs 10th lateness should not be punished the same), If you as a boss are heated take time to cool off, same is not afforded to the subordinate * **Consistent** - Similar breaches should have similar punishment (two people each on their third lateness should have similar discipline **Red hot stove rule- discipline should be immediate, with knowledge (you see the stove is hot), consistent (burns every time), impersonal (burns everyone)** * The appropriate level of discipline should rest with the first line supervisor * Never tell a subordinate that discipline rests with a higher level supervisor (undermines your authority) * Be aware punishments may generate hostility, we do not want to foster long lasting negative attitudes towards the job, these attitudes can infect the group * Discipline should be as severe as necessary to correct the behavior

Answer 31

Morale is a difficult to quantify, fluctuating feeling- it is an individuals level of confidence in an organization and its members, varies from employee to employee **Low morale indicators** * **The most obvious indicator of slumping morale is deteriorating appearance** * Absenteeism **High Morale Indicator** * Willingness to put department objectives above their own interests **Things that improve morale** * Employee suggestion programs * Involving subordinates in the decision making process * Setting achievable goals for the team * Willingness to give praise (should not be always followed by criticism and should not be given so freely that it becomes less meaningful)

Answer 32

**A formal work related complaint or accusation** * Often perception based issues, however supervisors who do not take them seriously will experience resentment * Supervisors might not have control over the working conditions of their officers but must recognize ways they can contribute to low morale such as: 1. Inept supervision - within supervisor control 2. Policy misunderstanding - confusing or poorly explained policies and procedures

Answer 33

1. Supervisor or union delegate receives complaint 2. Complaint referred to upper management 3. If unresolved, complaint moves to top management 4. If still unresolved, arbitration can result **Important notes:** * Grievances are often symptoms of more serious problems within the agency (inept supervision, contract disputes, defective equipment, poor working conditions) * As a supervisor receiving a grievance be sure to reiterate back to the subordinate what you understand their grievance to be to avoid misunderstanding * A lot of grievances are unfounded but in any case the subordinate needs to be heard and feel fairly treated * If a subordinate is coming to you to complain about a coworker be sure to calm them down so you can get the facts * If you receive a complaint of possible sexual harassment or inappropriate speech towards a female officer while it does not lessen the issue you should find out if this officer has expressed their discontent with these comments to these individuals

Answer 34

**Drinking problems:** * **Most serious drug problem in the US** * Can exist without the person realizing that it has got out of hand * Progression often goes unnoticed, as they lose control they rationalize, deflect, etc * If it escalates to misconduct the supervisor must act * Timely punishment may force them to address the problem early, employee will not accept help until they are ready * **Any attempt to moderate rather than abstain is often unsuccessful** Indications of problem drinking include (accidents and fighting off job time, absenteeism, can be a correlation between paydays and absence, **recurring memory blackout (best indicator)**, domestic and financial trouble) **Emotional problems**: * Marked changes in behavior patterns, often stress related, anxiety common due to a variety of factors * Transfer is not always a good solution (never to avoid disciplining the person) but can help an employee move to an assignment that is a better fit and can reduce job stress and performance problems * **Depressed employees should have their attention diverted towards physical activity**, * If family stress is present at home due to job issues see if the employee is too invested in the job and poorly navigating work/ life balance * In all cases be willing to admit you may not be the right person but can help them find the proper resource but do not dismiss them **Employee dissatisfaction:** * You are a unit supervisor receiving numerous grievances, you handle them but they keep arising, they can be an indication of other problems you do not realize, one of the best indicator of high morale can be a high degree of teamwork among team members

Answer 35

* Analysis * Develop plan * Implement * Monitor * Evaluate | Can be applied to any supervisory problem

Answer 36

All allegations should be investigated unless the act is something trivial like officer was not wearing their hat or procedural like a citizen did not like that officers put take down lights on them on a car stop ## Footnote * With minor infractions supervisors should discuss these with the officer promptly, and warnings are permissable for minor incidents * There should always be a record made to make sure this doesnt turn into a bigger problem

Answer 37

* Protect the integrity of the force * Protect the department from criticism * Protect the public interest * Protect employees from not all but from unjust accusations * Maintaining public confidence * Avoiding the appearance of preferential treatment * Avoiding actual police misconduct

Answer 38

* Sources of complaints can be internal or external, they can also be primary source (victim) or secondary (on behalf of victim) * Secondary complaints should be taken but the investigation should not proceed to its conclusion without a primary party being interviewed * Intoxicated complainants should be interviewed and complaint should be taken but they should be reinterviewed at a later date with the help of heightened sobriety ## Footnote Be aware that anonymous complaints can negatively affect morale and should be handled with care

Answer 39

* Investigators should not show any bias when interviewing a person making a complaint * Investigators should be aware of underlying motives * Investigators should research prior contacts between this officer and the complainant or the complainant and the police department as a whole * Investigators should never commit to an outcome, only tell the complainant that the matter will be investigated ## Footnote We do not bring accusers and accused officers together

Answer 40

* Accused must be provided with written notice of accusations as well as evidence. * They must have the opportunity to be heard and provide witnesses and evidence in their favor. * They are entitled to a hearing from an impartial detached body.

Answer 41

* **Sustained** - Facts of the complaint are supported by evidence * **Exonerated** - The evidence indicates the act complained of did occur but the cop acted with necessary and proper conduct * **Unfounded** - The events complained of did not happen * **Not Sustained** - Complaint made, action accused, not enough evidence to find in favor of the complainant * **Misconduct not based on complaint or misconduct noted** - The misconduct noted is not found but other misconduct discovered during course of the investigation ## Footnote In all cases the complainant should be made aware of the disposition of their complaint but not of discipline or penalties, they can be told the disposition and that appropriate action has been taken No records on the final disposition or evidence of a complaint without the accused being notified

Answer 42

* Do not take immediate action when the supervisor is not on duty * Observe and report or make some sort of notification * Do not take immediate action this could be an undercover investigation you are not aware of

Answer 43

If found to be substantiated prompt action is required with respect to due process

Answer 44

* Eliminate crime opportunities * Contribute to a lack of desire for crime due to fear or belief of likely apprehension * Responsible for investigations and apprehension * Responsible for calls for service * Maintaining social order ## Footnote * Remember patrol is the most important and visible division of the department * They are usually first on scene, first to contact citizens, and have a significant impact on the outcome of an investigation

Answer 45

* No, specialization should be avoided to the greatest degree possible as to allow for patrol to handle as much as they are capable of doing * Specialization pulls resources from the patrol force and has a negative impact on the patrol force * Less specialization = more well rounded patrol force

Answer 46

**No best method, best choice depends on desired objectives, but methods include:** * **Auto patrol** - covers a wide geographical area and promptly responds to calls for service, provides protection from inclement weather and provides space to transport resources, people and materials. **Disadvantages**- creates an isolation from community and lessens ability to communicate with people more freely, certain types of criminal activity may go unnoticed when traveling at vehicle speed * **Foot patrol** - easier to establish community relations, more easily detect certain types of criminal activity, visible crime deterrent value, more easily develop community rapport and information sources. **Disadvantages-** one of the most expensive forms of patrol, supervision is difficult due to ability to disappear, largely ineffective at a variety of functions such as expeditious response, traffic enforcement * **Bicycle patrol** - good for congested areas autos can’t get into and can cover more ground than foot patrol, stealthy and easy to operate can create an element of surprise and surveillance element. **Disadvantages**- less proficient at covering a large area compared to a vehicle * **Motorcycle patrol** - many depts are abandoning due to cost, hazards, weather * **Other** - Scooters and special purpose vehicles, boats, helicopters, K9 (bio sensor dogs can be used for crowd control, searches, contraband detection, search for wanted persons, but can potentially negatively impact public relations. Supplemental, never used to replace officers) Horses are best used for crowd control

Answer 47

**Patrol officers should be distributed in proportion to need** ## Footnote You dont just spread sources evenly. You put officers where and when they are needed most

Answer 48

**When receiving a job make sure you know your responsibility and authority.** **Examiner example:** An instance occurs where you have delegated and the reports aren't done or not done to the right standard and the options are: * Discipline * Going and doing the job yourself * Asking what happened. Asking what happened is always best. You dont need to always jump to taking immediate action. Gathering all the facts first is advisable. ## Footnote Asking what happened is advisable before taking immediate action.

Answer 49

**Examiners often give options of:** * Starting tomorrow we are enforcing this * Ignore it * Make the change (you may not have this authority) * **Find out if the rule is still relevant / look into the matter further**

Answer 50

**NOTHING** this is ideal the men are working things out amongst themselves and helping eachother This is only an issue if those officers are giving the others **bad information** ## Footnote It indicates teamwork and self-sufficiency among officers.

Answer 51

Changing established ideas while gaining credibility and respect

Answer 52

It should always be done in writing ## Footnote * Avoids confusion * Spells out the procedure clearly * Officers can refer back to the written procedure when needed

Supervision Audio- Session 15 (Master Review of Supervision) Flashcards

(54 cards)