Stripes and Bars AMAURY MURGADO
THE MANAGEMENT SIDE OF LEADERSHIP Keeping employees on task is part of being an effective leader. YOU OFTEN HEAR THE WORD "LEADERSHIP" used, but it has to their training if you don't? Make sure you are checking become so clichĂŠ that the real meaning has been all but lost. on any projects they are working on. If you delegated someMany have pushed away the management side of the house thing, it's still up to you to make sure that it gets done. I and have ignored the fact that being an effective manager is would do surprise equipment checks and log book checks a big part of a leader's job. as well. Do them with different officers and at different times No general ever won a battle with just an idea; their staff to avoid patterns. had to put that idea into action. What and why questions are Monthly: Monthly requirements tend to be more strucpart of leadership; who, when, where, and how questions tured and formal, like performing vehicle inspections. Have belong to management. I hope you understand that it's very a standard that's higher than policy and stick to it. If you hard to have one without the other. Although I have known keep your standards high, your unit will rise to meet them. If several good managers who turned out to be lousy leaders, your policy states quarterly inspections, that doesn't mean it's seldom true the other way around. Good leaders by defi- you can't do more, just no less. nition have to be good managers. Also, don't announce your inspections ahead of time. As a supervisor, you have to get in step with your man- Keep them guessing so they never know when you are comagement side by focusing on planning, organizing, direct- ing. Perform periodic weapons checks as well. Just don't do ing, and monitoring. These four general areas easily divide them after range fire because that's too obvious. Also quiz themselves into daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly your people on policy. Take advantage of any and all traintasks. Most of your managerial requireing opportunities. GOOD LEADERS BY ments will be policy driven. Find out Yearly: Keep tabs on your subordiDEFINITION HAVE TO nates' performance for their evaluations. what your agency expects of you and BE GOOD MANAGERS. You should set a reminder for when each make it happen. Here are some examples that are meant to wipe the dust off your member of your unit's evaluation is due. stripes and bars. Before that date, make sure they attend at Daily: Daily tasks include meeting with your unit. You least one school every year and that they review their own have to manage by walking around, especially at the first- personnel file. Also recommend that they keep copies of line supervisor level. You see subordinates at briefing and everything important in case someone loses it, purposely you see them on their calls; take these opportunities to per- takes something out or places something in (unfortunately form informal inspections. Check their overall appearance it's been known to happen), or some disaster strikes the reand make spot corrections when needed. Check their ve- pository. Keep tabs on their certifications as well. Although hicles when they pull up to turn in paperwork or meet with it's their responsibility, it's your job to help because if they you to ask a question. A working dirty patrol car is OK half- lose the capability, it hurts your effectiveness as a unit. way through the shift; having one look like a dump at the Management has been defined as the process of coordibeginning or end of a shift is not. Evaluate every officer's pa- nating human and material resources to achieve specific perwork. It must be complete and turned in on time. Scru- goals. In other words, the tasks required by your agency are tinize their inter-office communication. If you signed it and not optional. Those who pick and choose what tasks to persomeone in records sends it back, it reflects poorly on you. form and which ones to ignore eventually get into trouble. Weekly: Make sure your time sheets are done on time. Don't fall into that trap. Take the management side of the It's the easiest paperwork to complete and yet the most often house as seriously as the leadership side and you will be very screwed up. I am always chasing someone down for an elec- effective at what you do. tronic signature or having to correct an entry. You should make a point to at least observe each member of your unit Amaury Murgado is a special operations lieutenant with the doing his or her job at least once a week. How are you going Osceola County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office and is an adjunct proto accurately document their work or make any adjustments fessor for Valencia College.
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POLICE JUNE 2015