Instructions:
- Post a new discussion related to the topics covered in this module. Your post needs to provide specific lessons learned with examples from this module helping you enhance your leadership capacity at work.
- After posting your discussion, review posts provided by other students in the class and reply to at least one of them.
Relationships are key to carrying out our vision. Communicating to ensure everyone is on the same page, personal relationships to build trust, frequent conversations on all levels and communicating important changes with everyone and having a culture that embraces connections.
If our vision does not resonate uniformly with everyone, we risk our efforts being misaligned. Hard work alone is insufficient if our results do not dovetail with our vision. This module provides a road map to align these disparate interpretations by offering clarity in communication, regular feedback, and fostering a connection culture.
I agree, Brian. Communication and clarity are key components toward moving forward with our vision.
An agency's mission and vision statement should be intentional and should have clarity. Everyone needs to understand that agency's vision so that they can help the agency achieve it.
The vision statement must be intentional to provide inspiration. When an agency’s vision is intentional, it provides purpose and direction. If a vision is unclear, employees may work hard and get results that are not aligned with the agency’s vision. The agency must ensure that the vision statement means the same thing to different people to increase alignment.
Absolutely, an intentional vision statement is essential. It provides guidance, stimulates purpose, and fosters alignment in a police agency. It's crucial to clarify the vision, ensuring uniform understanding across the team to achieve consistent, vision-oriented results.
Vision statements are very important to each individual agency. They express what the agencies goals, missions and values. are. Unfortunately these statements are usually not focused on with regularity. As powerful as they are, without consistent focus and clarity on the vision to all employees these impactful words can fade into the background. Leaders should make sure that vision statements are discussed on a regular basis. These discussions should also include what actions are being implemented to make the vision a reality.
This module explored an issue in today's law enforcement profession. The overuse of technology for convenience has taken the place of one on one conversations. It is easiest to just type out a mass email to get your directives out there. Subordinates can not "read" your intent from an email. Have an "open door" policy, go out on calls, meet them away from your office. If they don't understand the goal of what you are trying to accomplish, who is really at fault for the failure?
Law enforcement agencies are no exception to this rule. A well-crafted vision statement can inspire officers, create a sense of unity, and guide decision-making processes. However, simply having a vision statement is not enough. It must be intentional and meaningful to impact the agency's culture and operations truly. This means that the vision statement should be developed with input from all levels of the organization, including officers on the front lines.
Once developed, the vision statement should be communicated regularly and consistently throughout the agency. It should be prominently displayed in all offices and training materials to be a constant reminder of what the agency strives to achieve.
Jeffrey I agree with your point on a vision statement being created that includes input from all levels of an organization.
Organizations are good at creating a vision and mission statement, placing it on walls in the buildings, but often fail in communicating it throughout the organization. It becomes even more apparent within the more specialized units who are mission focused on a specific task and do not have communication with the administration to ensure they understand the vision and mission statement and how it applies to them. This is where we as leaders/supervisors must have continuous communication and training to ensure compliance.
We as supervisors, have to lead with intention and create a connection with our personnel so that they can be successful in the mission. Creating clarity by explaining the plan thoroughly will get everyone on the same page.
Well spoken. Clarity and communication go hand in hand. An agency's vision needs to be clearly defined and it should be communicated to everyone inside the agency.
This module talked the vision statements and how to make them intentional. This can be accomplished by having clear and direct one-on-one communication discussing the vision, goals and mission of the organization. Laying out a direct path pn how to get there and the required steps it will lake. When a leader has the knowledge and knows the steps, path and desired outcome, they can reinforce the organizations goals with their subordinates so everyone is on the same page.
Vision statements can be critical for active law enforcement agencies. These vision statements must meet today’s demands and stay current with law enforcement trends. I like the idea of narrowing the focus and getting straight to the point. Define the mission and let the officers get to work.
I agree that a vision statement is crucial for law enforcement agencies and need to set the values and missions of the agency. Narrowing the focus, while adhering to the organizations broad vision and mission should be defined within more specialized divisions or units so that they may contribute to the organization's success.
This module discussed the vision statements and how to make them intentional. We must have a clear understanding of our own vision, mission, and values to ensure that we do not discourage diverse thinking among employees.
This whole module screamed "Leadership Connection" to me and how important communication skills are in all aspects of the leadership role and function of an organization.
Jennifer Callaway, I agree. Clear communication has to be done to get to the desired goals of the organization. The organization will create buy-in effectively when everything communicated to them and nothing is left to the imagination.
Jennifer, I agree, not in just one division but across the entire agency. We all should have that same common goal!
Throughout this course, effective communication is stressed in several modules. Communications is one the key characteristics that a leader should possess. Not only as a way to deliver policy of goals but also to talk with your team and see how they are feeling on a particular day. We as leaders must step out of our offices and engage our people face-to-face. As a credible leader, you should communicate personally with your people in order to maintain the trust that you have built by utilizing several skills you have learned.
We have lost the art of communicating, so much is passed through tone and body language and these elements are missing in an email, which has become the norm for passing along information through an agency. Understandably some things need to be written for future referral, but the initial contact should be a verbal conversation between all levels.
I catch my self reminding other supervisors of the importance of one on one communication and not using technologies to communicate certain things. This miscommunication can definitely get in the way of understanding roles and responsibilities.
Face-to-face communication is an essential tool for leaders to use. This lets your followers see you and let them know the importance of your sharing message.
Having a mission statement is important, but you must ensure that the entire organization knows and understands it, and is able to share in a positive way with the community.
I like the idea of communication without the use of technology. There are a lot of times that emails are sent purely for documentation purposes but having direct, personal, and effective communication is most definitely an important part of making the vision statements intentional.
I too agree with the idea of not relying on technology to communicate. A written message can lose meaning or convey something not intended to the receiver.
Travis, I love the idea of communicating without the use of technology! I am not electronically inclined and would much rather face to face interaction.
Electronic communications lack context and tone. I get the "reason" for documentation purposes, but if we don't understand the context, we don't understand the message.
I dislike all the emails. I've told my captain to call me in his office to pass things on to me because I only read three emails a day.
Mission statements are vital to an organization's views on departmental culture and plans. Ensuring the mission statement is understood and carried out to the best of your employee's ability is essential. The community can gauge the department's vision by its employees' behaviors. This is why having a community-first mentality is a good way to convey your agency's mission.
Very well said and I agree about the community-first mentality. After all, we are here to serve the community.
I particularly appreciated the emphasis on embracing a "connection culture" as the most effective means of communication. Recognizing the significance of observing body language and gauging the reactions of the individuals we engage with is essential. Moreover, I found great value in the techniques employed during the session to foster strong connections among team members.
Making vision statements intentional or sharing them is very important. During my first few years in law enforcement, I couldn’t tell you what our department’s vision statement was. It is important to clearly share this statement and make sure everyone understands it to make sure you are working towards the same goal.
Most employees have no idea what their department's mission statement is. Not knowing this information can create a barrier in the community.
I agree. I was with an organization for a long time and don't think anyone could tell you what the mission statement was. The Chief of my current organization makes sure everyone knows the mission statement and understands it.
Dr. Long stated, “Communicate the organization's mission and vision both up and down.” This is a crucial element in achieving an agency’s vision. Too often, we get into the daily grind of our job duties, and we either refuse to or neglect that we should strive to communicate at all levels better than we do. Communication is essential in achieving all goals, small and big. Without proper face-to-face communication, we will fail to achieve the small goals, ultimately falling short of achieving our personal and organizational visions.
You are absolutely right that effective communication is crucial for the success of any team. Often, amidst the demands of daily tasks, we can unintentionally neglect the importance of face-to-face interactions.
I agree John, we get so caught up on our daily duties that we forget how to effectively listen. One of the previous modules said to get out the office and talk to you people face to face. Show the importance of personal communication.
Like all subject matters on which we educate our law enforcement professionals, we should have open discussion on the values, mission, and vision. We should have checks and balances discussions, a part of the frequent reminder of said statements, to make sure we are true to that which we committed. A person who is constantly evaluating their "why" should be able to identify something of personal importance when they read these statements.
This module made some good points related to visions in organizations. These visions work best when there is clarity and connection with everyone in the organization. It is up to the organizational leaders to be clear and narrow the focus when portraying those visions on the organization. Another key to being successful with the vision is a positive connection in the organization. In my experience, this must begin at the top.
One of the high points of this lecture for me was to stop relying on technology to communicate. If I am right down the hallway from you, come to me and tell me what you have to tell me. Sending an email is easy and you feel like you have done something but its takes away from the interactions most of us need to truly understand what you want. I accidentally sent an email to one of our secretaries one day in all caps. She later asked me why I was yelling at her. I was completely lost in her question until she explained what she was talking about. I then apologized for yelling at her.
I agree with relying on something other than technology as much as we have become accustomed to. As Dr. Long stated, “Frequent contacts build understanding, and they build personal commitment.” Having more personal, one-on-one contacts with our team members will ensure that our communication is perceived correctly. Each individual can read body language to ensure a thorough understanding is made. Personal contacts can also lead to more buy-in from the team, creating the energy, excitement, and commitment needed from all members to accomplish the vision.
As Dr. Long stated, vision statements are often ambiguous and are open to many varying interpretations. When vision statements are ambiguous they “decrease alignment, coactivity, and the understanding of what the organization is attempting to accomplish”. I have seen vision and mission statements that are lengthy and difficult to understand which renders them useless. In order for vision statements to be effective, they must be clear, concise, and easily understood by all.
My department's mission and vision statement is posted on the wall of our briefing room. Our Chief has done a tremendous job explaining the vision statement to the department and trying to live by it. There has been some struggles with getting the entire department on board and there have been a few choke points in communication. However, these issues are being ironed out. In reference to the technology transforming the our connections and the need to improve our human face to face contact, I do not like emails. Emails are terrible handling nuance. There is a very humorous comedy skit done by Key and Peele which demonstrates the potential for miscommunication via text. I believe we should always make a point of directly talking to someone, it makes a difference in your relationships.
Our Sheriff saw your agency's mission statement on your training room wall and now we're getting it on some of our walls. I like it.
I enjoyed the technology gaps section of the module. We primarily communicate via email at my agency and often it is simply followed up with a phone call or in person meeting for clarification or follow-up. Like Mr. Larry Long says, "The more technology transforms, the more human our technology needs to become."
I agree Mitch. Writing accounts for about seven percent of communication. So much can be lost or misunderstood through emails and texts. Having face to face interactions helps reduce many misunderstandings and fosters healthier relationships.
When Long stated that when creating intentional leadership opportunities to and embracing you should focus on challenging up and supporting down. This is a key factor of leading especially when focusing on making sure that the members of the department are aware of the mission and vision of the department and know where it is going. Having that inclusive vision that is shared by all is critical for all to have.
A key lesson I have learned from this module is the importance of having a clear vision and mission for an organization. A strong vision and mission help keep everyone focused and on track while providing a sense of purpose. It's important to communicate the vision and mission to ensure everyone understands what they are working towards and how their individual contributions tie into the larger goals.
Communication is an essential requirement for making a vision statement intentional. One-on-one in-person communication is preferred when possible. Breaking down the vision and mission of our department into clear, concise, easy-to-understand statements is vital. We are demonstrating our moral and ethical views as a department.
I agree, that communication is key to the success of the vision statement. It must have clarity and there must be positive connections within the organization to be successful. According to Long "Connection creates a positive emotional bond between people".
Vision statements must be clear and concise and set the organization's tone. Unfortunately, far too often, these become wordy paragraphs that the executive leader tries to get as much in as possible. So take a note from Simon Sinek's "start with why" speech, and list why you do what you do.
Daniel, I agree simple, concise statements are best. These statements must be given with clarity and with ethical and moral standards.
Bravo Daniel. Vison statements and mission statements do us no good if they can not be understood, remembered, or followed.
Vision statements must be clearly understood by each member of the organization to achieve success. This cannot be accomplished through the written word alone. Commanders must ensure their commanders intent is clearly defined which will allow lower-level leaders to make appropriate decisions on the fly as needed. This requires a positive workplace culture, one-on-one interactions for relationship building, and support of two-way communication between all members. Often, I feel that my command staff do this well as a team but fail to recognize that they are the leaders of the organization as a whole and not just their sergeants. We run permanent shifts in patrol (days and nights, 12hrs). Generally speaking, my night shift guys and gals only see command level officers in the extremes (major event or disciplinary action). This goes against the lessons taught in this module.
In order for leader and subordinates to be effective each must have a great awareness of the overall mission or vision plan as it relates to them. A good vision statement will outline what is expected of each member at their level and the end goal state. it is what drives us to do our duties as leaders to push our followers to adhere by. If everyone is knowledgeable and aware of the mission/vision statement it will foster a greater teamwork relationship and cause the subordinates to work harder in accomplishing the mission or task.
The good vision statement will help all members of the organization to understand their duties and help to drive all decisions for a department structure. Policies and procedures should all be able to feed back to the vision and mission and be supportive of the concepts.
Whatever your vision statement is, everyone falling under this statement must believe in it or it is just white noise. The vision statement at my office is very clear and easy to uphold, but you still have a few with alternate views and interpretations on what it says or means. And like some of the others have said here, most have never read or even know what the vision of the office is. As new people come in, we need to make sure we explain this to them.
Understanding the department’s goal and mission should align with the vision of the Chief and his staff. Explaining only the mission and not the goal or vis versa could cause a misunderstanding of the direction the department should be headed. Our agency’s SOP states what ours is, but the problems arise because no one reads it or remembers it. Secondly, it’s not reinforced and a regular basis. This is something we need to re-establish. I also found it interesting when Dr. Long mentioned not overusing technology. Emails are the number one communicator in our department for negative reasons; it’s there to say “I told you” without one-on-one communication to alleviate miscommunication.
This module shows that the agency has to have a mission/vision statement. Most important, the members of the agency must understand what it is and the best way to implement it. The best way for this to occur is for the management to have interpersonal communication with the members of the agency.
Communication and understanding of the mission/vision statement is a must. This will ensure all personnel understands the intent of the organization.
I agree Joe. Staff needs to make themselves available to the rank and file and have conversations about an agency's vision and goals to get everyone rowing the same direction.
I was interested in the section about technology and understanding its limitations. Often in my organization I hear people complain about a lack of communication and supervisors who "aren't on the same page". I think the emphasis on maintaining face to face contact in an ever-increasing digital world is hugely important. Maintaining relationships is very difficult and we must focus on taking the time to have the conversations. Communicating to the masses is important and technology can help make that message consistent. As a leader, having face to face conversations about those messages to make sure everyone understands it is an important follow-through.
This module was interesting, and it brought up the point that most have taken for granted and haven’t given it much thought. If an agency is going to hold their organization to their statement, then it’s their responsibility to see that they have a clear understanding of it.
I agree, Elliot,
In many organizations, most members can't tell you what the vision or department goals are. However, if executive leaders made an effort to get out and about and speak with the members, the visions and goals would be easily understood.
Elliot, I agree with this statement also. If the leaders of an agency want you to be on board with the vision or mission statement they should first make sure you understand it. I would go a step further and ask how many department leaders know their own mission statement.
I feel some agencies do not emphasize the vision statement that they should. Many vision statements are stored away on the front pages of department policy manuals. I agree t's important for leaders to ensure everyone usnderstands the vision of the agency. I like the concept of aligning constant communication to the vision statement.
This is precisely the same issue with agencies in this area. Everyone read it when they were hired in and had to read the police and procedures of the department, but no one has elaborated further on the vison, and it's never been brought back up.
Joseph Spadoni, Jr.
Session #15
Technology has hindered us from one-on-one or face-to-face interactions with individuals as it is convenient to just send a text message, send an email, or place a phone call. I like how this module touched on not overusing technology and express the importance of getting out of the office and using frequent contact to build understanding and personal commitment among subordinates.
I agree leaders can not rely on technology to communicate and must make time to get out of the office. Leaders must connect with their people to be effective and over computers is not enough to achieve that.
I agree. I'm more old school and believe in going to a person or persons and talking to them directly.
Many agencies prominently display mission and vision statements, but I suspect these are rarely discussed. They explain purpose and answer the question, "Why are we here?" It may be easy to lose sight of this because law enforcement agencies are comprised of teams with very different purposes where focus can tend to remain narrow.
Session #015
We have our vision and mission statements displayed, but I am not thoroughly familiar with them. I am going to make a habit of reading and understanding them so that I can be a part of making sure we are living up to them.
I agree that communicating from team to team is very important for everyone to have a better understanding of why every job in an organization is important and they all work together to accomplish the same mission.
The vision statement was not seen as important. In recent years the more leadership classes have come into the picture, the vision and mission statement are looked at. I think as a leader, we should make sure that subordinates know and understand the vision statement.
It is very important that an organization not only relays its mission/vision throughout an organization but it important that the organization echoes them from the top to the very bottom to have everyone on the same page. Dr. Long made a very good statement by referencing two blocks versus two miles, we need to keep in mind what needs to be done in order to maintain the same output and do not let technology take over and dilute what we strive to achieve in our organizations.
I have seen that the technology gaps have hindered some of the vision statements within the organization. I like a face-to-face meeting when ever possible.
The reference to two blocks being the same as two miles illustrated and emphasized the need for leaders to be present and redistribute the agency's vision. Far too infrequently organization mission and vision are left undiscussed.
Jason, I agree. the message of our mission and vision throughout our organization needs to be passed on from the top all the way to the bottom to have everyone on the same page and have an understanding of our values and goals.
I agree that organizations must ensure that their mission and vision are communicated and understood throughout the entire organization. This cannot be overstated, as it helps ensure that everyone in the organization works together towards a common goal. Without proper communication, it would be easy for employees to take different paths.
The mission statement at my agency is comparable to the ideas we see in the Moral Compass for Law Enforcement Professionals. Seasoned officers focus on doing the job one call at a time and rarely take time to review the mission. When asked what the mission statement is, few can answer correctly
I believe a company's mission statement should be reflective of the ideas of the agency. As Dr. Long put it should be simplistic yet challenging and understood by all members within the organization.
Kecia, I agree our mission statement is posted right next to the time clock but rarely do people actually read it or put it into practice.
Our mission statement is posted on the wall in all our agency's buildings. Is it being read? Likely not. Many walk past it without even noticing it. Most employees only learn of the mission statement during new hire orientation.
Dr. Long spoke of the importance of one on one interaction. With technology today, I believe it is important to continue face-to-face interactions. I think email or other messages often do not come off as the sender intended, and the attempted message is lost.
I agree Lance. Much is lost in translation with emails or texts. Face to face interaction is always best. You can observe what is said as well as what is not being said(non-verbal cues).
I agree with your points, Lance. These messages are impersonal and can be misinterpreted. Further, the subordinate may feel avoided and experience a lack of engagement. We work in a fast paced profession and live in a fast paced world. Technology was intended to facilitate faster communication. It is a necessary mode of communication, but there are times when supervisors should take the time to personally engage, teach, and congratulate, to name a few.
I took from this that the plans, missions, and vision while important, are not the most important thing. Without our people understanding, you may not get the desired results. Also one-on-one communication and establishing relationships is more effective than the use of technology sources to communicate.
The mission statement of my agency is, “The Pascagoula Police Department was established by the people of Pascagoula and exists to serve them. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in the City of Pascagoula by working cooperatively with the public within the framework of the United States Constitution to enforce the laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide for a safe environment.”
I would bet that if we stood in the hall and asked the employees what our mission statement was, most would reply that they do not remember or take the old “serve and protect” answer. We, as leaders, must do a better job of teaching the true meaning and importance of our mission.
I would be willing to believe that as well. I like the idea of placing this information in the lobby of the station as well as throughout the building to keep this information fresh in the minds of the officers.
It was interesting to note that most mission/vision statements are so vague that they can be interpreted in many different ways, and I never realized the need to clarify the mission to such a degree that everyone understands it. I guess I just assumed that most of us think alike. I also liked the part about understanding technology gaps. So many people in the age of technology like to overuse text and email, forgetting that most of our communication as humans is non-verbal and mush is lost to the technology. Nothing can replace face-to-face communication and a pat on the back – or a stern warning in person.
I agree, we overuse email and texts as an organization when it comes to the important stuff. I truly hope this is changing as we all complete this program. Culture issues cannot be solved through technology. It must be done in the trenches in one-on-one interactions from the top down. To be fair, I also believe that leaders within the organization do not utilize the power of delegation and committee development nearly enough to facilitate this. Time is a precious commodity in todays law enforcement environment, and there is never enough of it.
Our agency has a pretty good vision and mission statement, but our division lacks one. Going forward I’ll take a general pole to see how subordinates define it. Diversity in understanding should bring focus to the need for clarity and open doors for communication and understanding. Then, ill solicit ideas for the division statement and watch the group define it. Another good lesson.
I agree with what was said in this module about the importance of face-to-face communication to avoid ambiguity. It is hard to stay on the same page as other shifts or departments, relying on the occasional memo and emails
Making Vision Statements Intentional: I never gave our mission statement any thought in the context of ambiguity because I feel it’s well-crafted however, after this lecture I can see that the vision is not reinforced as often as it may need to be. The only real concern I can see is that leadership does not always do a good job at living up to a portion of the vision. I’m part of that leadership so I must take some responsibility in doing better to promote our vision as well.
This module showed the importance of communication. Clarity and simplicity is the starting point to getting everyone to understand our Vision, Mission and Values. As a Leader you should make sure that you explain expectations and how they relate to the over all mission.
I agree, Devon. So many times leaders just put information or directives out there and say follow them, without checking to make sure everyone understood or interpreted it the same way. This is something I will take to my agency and work on.
The only thing I remember about the mission statement my department had when I got on was that is was very long and that it contained the horrifying grammatical construction, "alleviate the criminal fears of the public" (or maybe it was "of our citizens). Because I hated that phrase, I remember it. But I didn't remember anything else about it. That's not entirely the department's fault. That mission statement seems to have been adopted at a time when organizations used their mission statements as a way to describe everything they do in one long, gangly sentence. Most organizations had ridiculous and unusable mission statements at that time. The problem is that such sentences are impossible to memorize (or even summarize) and so they could do nothing to guide our employees. The only time anyone even looked at this mission statement was when studying for a promotional exam. A well done mission statement captures an organization's core values simply enough that an employee can know it and use it to gauge their actions against what is expected of them. Of course, for this to work, the organization must make the mission statement part of their everyday messaging to employees, and they must reinforce it by celebrating extraordinary examples of employees following the mission, and holding those accountable who violate the mission. The more clear we make it that these actions are directly connected to our sense of mission, the more real the statement feels. Otherwise, employees will think of the mission statement as pretty words stenciled on the walls at the entrances to our buildings.
My agency currently does not have a vision statement. Obviously, this needs to change. Our mission and core values are the things that we work to uphold; however, once our initial introduction to these during initial training and occasional policy mandated retraining, we do a poor job of weaving these into all aspects of training and operations. They are posted in key locations throughout the building; however, since they are not a common topic of conversation they are filtered out into the background. With addition of a vision statement, we must bring all of these to the forefront of our daily operations, so all employees understand them and work to automatically apply them in their work.
I agreed with Long that the vision and mission statements hang in nearly ever hallway of the police department. Most could not recite those statements and of those who could, most would have a different answer for what they mean and how we get there. For those who have successfully rolled out a vision, it takes constant attending. You must regularly weed and prune to ensure vision alignment remains. Occasionally officers will get slightly off track, and you must quickly step in and get them back on the correct pathway. Officers do thrive and get energy when they not only understand the vision but believe in the vision. Additionally, officers will hold each other accountable when the unit is aligned for a single purpose. Getting everyone aligned is difficult at first but when it happens, only minor adjustments are required over time. Unfortunately, without those minor adjustments, it will not be long before the group is off course and completely forgets about the vision and their prior alignment.
My agency has a mission statement and a vision statement, but is not talked about all that much. In fact, I see many times where our Vision Statement: One Agency, One Mission, Public Safety is ignored when supervisors tell their subordinates that doing something is the "jail's job" or "someone elses job". Are we not in this together. Should we not do whatever we can to get things done, instead of pawn them off onto another division?? I wish that my leaders would discuss this more with the employees. I think if there was better buy in, then things would run more smoothly. Perhaps that is something I can do with the next sheriff (election is this fall).
Andrew, you make a great point and point to a problem that I'm sure many of us have experienced. It's really easy for us to get caught up in the day to day performance of our jobs and for most of the direction that we give and that we receive ends up being about the nuts and bolts of our day to day responsibilities. It's easy, the, for those nuts and bolts to stand in for our missions and guiding principles so that our mission becomes "get charge packets put together and presented within 10 days." When this becomes our "mission," the territorial problems responsible for attitudes like "well, that's someone else's job" makes sense. We see those intrusions on our time or things that should be "someone else's job" as detrimental to our mission. If, however, we are able to remind ourselves and our people of our actual mission, "One agency, One Mission, Public safety," it's easier to recognize that even if it is true that our teammate at the jail dropped the ball, our mission requires that we pick up the ball for them this time. That doesn't have to mean that our units become the dumping ground for all the things ineffective units neglect, but it does mean that we tale ownership to do whatever has to be done to serve our public, even if it isn't our usual responsibility.
Face to face communication is so important when implementing plans and building the relationships needed to ensure the clarity of the vision and mission. Our department began using an electronic means of delivering training, directives and other announcements. It is more efficient and has helped keeping manpower on the streets, but a lot is lost in the delivery. Rarely do the officers and supervisors who work evening or overnight shift get to have face to face visits with command.
Dan,
I agree this is one of our biggest problems in our leadership approach. There are many reasons for this, but primarily, the lack of personal communication is due to the number of administrative duties each leader is assigned. We must work toward a plan of limiting some duties so leaders can stop leading from behind their computer and engage in relationship building two and three ranks down the chain of command. I believe 20% of a leader’s day should be face to face relationship building which includes being in the field with subordinates. Leading through email and digital messaging does not have the impact of leaders being spontaneous, open, and present with the officers who must fulfill the mission.
I agree. Technology is such a double-edged sword. The convenience of electronic communication is so appealing to use for several reasons; however, so much is lost with the absence of non-verbal communication, the opportunity to get and give immediate clarification and feedback, etc… I also agree with Jeremy’s statement about the number of administrative duties that have piled on as a result of ever-increasing requirements for information and additional assigned duties. We have to carve out time to have more face-to-face interactions. This is compounded when the leader is over a unit that operates around the clock with multiple workgroups. This takes additional planning for command level personnel since they too are swamped with administrative duties. They have to very deliberately schedule visits on evenings, nights, and weekends. I’ll add one more complicating element. The newest generations of officers would rather communicate electronically, so having face-to face engagements with them and sustaining that in the long term might be challenging as they move into leadership positions.
I think face to face interaction leads to a sense of camaraderie that makes working relationships stronger. Some people have a better understanding of things when its communicated directly than by third parties because they feel part of a team.
I agree with you.
Devon, I agree, no doubt e mails take away opportunity to see and feel empathy in responses which to me hinder communication.
I agree also. Living in a world of technology has done so much to negatively impact our organizations. Daily emails that range from shift expectations to corrections on a report have diluted the personal relationships that have helped organizations progress in the past. A little bit of actual conversation can go a long way.
As stated in this lesson, most agencies have a mission statement hung on a wall. Rarely is that mission every fully explained or understood. I agree human interaction is the most effective way of communicating and ensuring everyone understands the vision and mission at hand. Without clarity, failure in our mission is most likely certain.
Although mission and vision statements are important, the clarity of the statements and effectively communicating them may ultimately determine the impact they have on individual employees and the organizational as a whole. Recently, my department created a new vision and mission statement. The statement is much simpler than the one it replaced and much easier to understand. It was communicated via an electronic system that our department uses to verify officers have signed off on new training. Leaders of individual units were also given the opportunity to communicate this new statement personally to their team members. There was not a directive for individual leaders to do this, so it was up to each leader to decide how to implement this.
This module on making a vision statement intentional is truly important grasp. It is important to have a clear vision statement, it gives your employees purpose and direction. This vision statement also needs to be applied within the organization. Dr. Long discussed the idea of the organization being on the same page the best way to do that is those one-on-one conversations. I struggle with this more than I would like. It is easy for me to see those officers who work day or afternoon shifts, but I miss out on just visiting with those on nights. I need to make part of my routine to face-to-face conversation. I must convey the organizational vision and mission in person as often as I can.
I agree that face-to-face communication is important. With administrative tasks that can bog down my day and the ease of technology it can be tempting to lean on technology as a primary means of communication. I try to challenge myself to get out of the office as much as possible and spend time with those I work with. I believe building relationships and modeling the expected behavior is essential and I am unable to effectively do that by sending emails while sitting alone in my office.
I think a very important take-away from this module is the importance of one-on-one contact. In our world of technology, it is very easy to become lazy and not work on interpersonal skills. A one-on-one meeting says to a person that you value them, you want to have productive conversation and that you always have time to hear their thoughts and ideas. Through this productive exchange it is easier to see if they are in alignment with the organization's values and mission. A quick email cannot accomplish this very important exchange.
I also think it is important to have those one-on-one conversations. It is much easier to exchange intent and ideas face-to-face. It also allows me to see whether or not my message is fully understood. The other benefit for me is it allows for feedback. I typically have a plan sketched out but I will go to my Captains and ask for feedback. More often than not we develop a better plan or proposal than the one I had. I truly enjoy the team aspect and gaining consensus when it comes to major projects.
Having a defined vision statement is very important for a police organization. Without a vision statement it is hard to make sure that everyone knows what we are striving for on a daily basis. While everyone thinks to serve and protect, it really is much more than just that, and we should make sure that our people are aware of how we want to be looked at from the public that we serve and protect.
The vision statement describes the organization's purpose, what the organization is striving for, and what it wants to achieve. It is very rewarding to live up to your organization's vision statement in law enforcement. It gives the organizations the chance to articulate the characteristics that influence their strategy. Every agency should have a mission statement, and this is something that each individual can strive to live up to. We should constantly be reminded of our mission statement so that we can always be conscious of what it is that or department as choose to live up to.
Almost all agencies have a vision statement. We fail the connection between culture and leaders who make that vision intentional. Employees without constant dunking in the fountain of the organizational vision tend to stop looking forward to the future goals and focus on the day's goals. An analogy is individuals that fail to plan for the future financially. They use money as a tool of the day, and when their ultimate vision of retirement is made, they have failed to live up to their long-term goals.
Clarity is the key here. When organizational values, missions, and goals mean different things to different individuals, the organization loses alignment, co-activity, and an understanding of what is to be accomplished. The lack of clarity hinders top priorities, which results in people running in all directions. As leaders, it is imperative that our teams know what we are asking of them.
Many times I have seen a leader put out a vision statement that is short, flowery, and almost awe inspiring, but then I really wouldn't know what they meant. Often times, I would think they really didn't either, but it sounded good! This module really highlighted the importance of making sure every single member of the organization knows exactly what it means and how it should guide our day-to-day.
Dustin, I agree, there is no room for fluff that has no direction or meaning. Everyone is left with a feeling of "what the heck is that?". Unfortunately, this usually occurs because people creating the mission statement are unclear themselves. That is why it is so important to have those one-on-one discussions before going forward in actually creating the mission statement.
This module focused on making vision statements intentional. The vision statement of an agency is why the agency does what it does. There needs to be good communication and clarity in the work place because meanings differ amongst different people. We need to ensure everyone is on the same page in order to lessen any confusion. There needs to be more one-on-one between leaders and officers. It is imperative that everyone be on the same page on what needs to be done and how.
Its important that an agency's mission and vision are clear and understood by everyone within the organization. All leaders should ensure that everyone within the agency understands the mission and how it relates to them. The mission and vision should not be ambiguous and unattainable goal. It should have true meaning and it should develop the culture within your agency.
I agree. My agency just put out new vision and mission statements as well as core values. They replaced the vision and mission statement that had been the same for many years and were antiquated. Our new statements are clear, concise and easy to understand. Our chief put a ton of time and effort into updating them.
A departments vision has to be attainable by all members of the department. They also have to see themselves being part of that vision. The vision should also align to the mission of the department and its values. It is critical that the department leaders fully understand it and align with it and are able to communicate it effectively to all members of the department. The vision statement should also give the members of the department a sense of purpose, pose a challenge and be inspirational to them. Otherwise, they are meaningless words painted or posted in the walls of the department.
From experience, it is key that all leaders in the police organization operate on the same page. To be successful everyone must utilize effective communication to ensure the mission gets complete. I have seen when leadership becomes divided across the agency; subordinates become confused, disgruntled and go in different directions. There has to be a shared vision to build confidence, resiliency, and trust.
Joey,
I completely agree with you. There are many times where confusion sets in because people are on different pages. Communication is key as well as clarity.
Our mission statement is posted all over our police department, but Dr. Terry Anderson back in Area 2 covered it well when he said, it doesn't matter if it isn't lived. It is a good mission statement, but the person writing it had no credibility and we haven't changed it. If we have a vision statement, I don't know it which means as a member of the command staff I am doing a poor job, or we don't have one....Dr. Long said it best when he said to narrow the focus and make things personal, maybe then they will matter.
The mission statement give us something to live up to. As Dr. Terry said its a good mission statement. Every department will not live up to their mission statement but we can all try. Great post!
I believe it is important for every agency to display their vision and mission statement so that it may be a reminder of what our obligation is not only to ourselves but the public who puts their trust in us to carry out the laws and our purpose in which we uphold with dignity. I find it interesting that so many people in our profession could not recite our vision and mission statement verbatim even if our lives depended on it, including myself. Our agency recently revised our Mission, Vision and Core Values to reflect a new prospective of what our agency stands for. I have placed all three of these values on a display board by my desk and find myself reviewing them often so I can keep myself holding true to the vision and mission of our office.
Jerrod, I would agree. I feel it also helps employees see the positive aspects of their daily duties and creates a long-term employee investment.
Being new to the manager side of the job, this module was great. Recently within the department there has been confusion within the department. Unfortunately this issue is falling on my shoulders for not clarifying our mission/vision/values and plans for the future. The fact I can meet with staff on a daily is my opportunity to start getting all this clarified. I can also use these skills to lead up the change and get the Sheriff to clarify these things too.
I think we all have missed the opportunities in front of us to make sure every thing is being communicated clearly. This module highlighted the importance of being intentional is maximizing the opportunities and not falling into the trap of assumption.
Tyler, it is nice to hear the perspective of a leader who is currently tasked with the job of connecting vision and employees. I'm glad you see the opportunity and think that you have that self awareness is admirable.
I am sure the change over to the administration side is difficult. This set of classes should be very helpful in that transition. Good luck to you.
This module makes a very good point advising that it is important for our officers to understand the vision and mission statement our department. It is easy to get caught up with our everyday duties and forget the vision and mission. It's important for us as leaders to have frequent discussions, updates, and training with our officers in order to make sure they think about the values of our organization often.
Glenn your are correct. Failure for our leaders to discuss updates and ensure everyone understands the vision, mission and goals will prevent us from being unsuccessful.
Glenn,
I agree. This module gives great examples of communication issues. Leaders have to be able to explain mission/vision to subordinates in order for the task to be completed as desired. The use of technology is to often a means of convenience instead of personal interaction.
The vision statement should be taught in the academy and reinforced in the Field Training program to ensure everyone knows what is expected. If each member of the agency is putting that vision to work with accountability up and down the chain of command the public will benefit with higher quality service.
Our agency has us review and sign the code of ethics each year, it would seem prudent to do the same with the vision statement.
Having employees sign the code of ethics, mission statement, vision, and values each year is a great idea. Posting around department and making laminated cards for employees can help remind everyone of each subject everyday. Thanks for the idea!
I agree with Tyler, that is a great idea. Do you ever have officers that jump in and say what about this or that and changing things based on the way the world is going? If so, does it ever get implemented and do your officers live it or at least explain what it means to them on a personal level?
Curtis, I agree with you, there has to be reinforcement of the vision and mission of the department. It also serves as a reminder that what we do should be aligning with not just the vision of the department but also the mission and the values of the department. Great suggestion on reviewing it all annually with staff.
It is of the utmost importance that all hands not only understand the vision and mission of their agency but to also be good stewards of it as well. How it is passed down the line will directly effect the buy in result from those further down within the command. We all not only need to be on the same page when in regards to vision but must also project that to the community and those we serve as well. There should be no doubt about command solidarity because that will only lead to distrust.
Andy,
I agree that we all must not only understand our vision and mission but also be good stewards of it as well. The way we set examples through our leadership is keeping true to the values and displaying them to the ones within our command and who are below us. In doing this will solidify our goals and prospective as an agency and aid us in holding true to each as serve our communities.
I thought this module really drove home the importance of having mission and vision statements and more importantly, clarity in their understanding throughout the agency. While I'm confident that most employees in my agency can recite our mission statement, I'm not so sure that many can recite the vision statement. Prior to this module I could also be classified in the ladder. I had to dig around for it but eventually found it. Obviously, this is something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Donald,
You are not the only one having trouble finding the vision statement. We have our mission statement posted up everywhere but I could only find one copy of the vision statement. I met with the chief and this is also a top priority on our list.
This made me think a lot of my department's vision statement. It was created during our strategic planning meetings during 2019. We (supervisor staff) were really pumped to instill our vision, mission and values that we created to our officers. However, the steam seemed to die down shortly after we implemented the plan. This module had me questioning if the members on my crew even know what our vision statement is. That tells me that I need to definitely step it up in communicating the importance of our vision and really getting the buy-in of my officers.
You are not alone Jared. While my department does a great job of driving home our mission statement, we definitely have dropped the ball when it comes to our vision statement.
Jared you are correct. Understanding the agencies vision sometimes requires that we address it often with our people to promote a feeling of recency with them. I was recently at one of our local municipalities and in there briefing room where the held role call they had the Mission and Vision statements clearly written largely on one of the walls. This is brilliant as it was catchy and each officer was expected to be in that space for briefings regardless.
I believe it is crucial for agencies to provide clarity to the mission and vision. I feel our agency has been bombarded with so many changes in supervisors, commands, procedures that staff are barely keeping up with the tasks that they have to complete. As much as I want to have the connection and clarity I feel it's a constant game of catch up to keep up. I really like the idea of having one on one meetings which is something I started doing with my FTO's and new hires on a weekly basis. I would like to implement team meetings more often for connection as well. I think the biggest impact is being available and visible for our staff to connect with us, and more importantly be approachable is key to starting to providing clarity and reconnection to our purpose.
I had a great leader ask me one time to state my organization's mission statement verbatim to him. I couldn't even remember the first sentence. He did this to show me and my command staff on how important it is to have a mission statement that everyone knows and they see being carried out by the leaders of the organization. Your mission statement needs to be the core values of which you operate on. This needs to be carried out from the top down.
Zach, it’s entertaining to watch when someone is asked to recite my organizations vision statement. There’s a lot of squirming that happens but usually I will see the essence of the vision recited. From a staff point of view, our vision statement is recited verbatim by someone at our meetings at least quarterly. Although there will be some uneasiness, it is usually recited verbatim. This is a great way to reinforce to subordinates the importance of promoting the vision, to pass it down to your followers.
This lesson focused on successfully communicating the vision rather than how to create an intentional vision. Sadly, I could see his points clearly as a result of our recent Strategic Planning. The meetings went well, but now that we are a year past the final meetings, the message has been muddied and buried. For awhile the shared folder was empty. Fortunately, it now includes the strategic plan. Yet, we do tend to see ambiguity and a lack of intentionality as we get busy and new programs need addressed. This topic was a good reminder about the role I can play with my staff on meeting our goals and displaying our vision, mission, and core values.
I agree Brian. This made me think whether or not our officers know the vision and mission statements we created. I don't think we have been successful in communicating and really instilling in our officers these statements.
This lecture certainly reinforced that effective communication is critical in making sure there is clarity so everyone can be properly aligned moving forward in achieving the mission and vision. Ensuring there is no ambiguous directives, tasks, etc. is also a key part in clarity of the communication.
This module is again about effective communication in the form of your agency's mission and vision statement. It's not about just having the nice words poetically posted, it's about ensuring that everyone grasps the idea and fully understands. This happens through effective, two-way communication and realistic feedback.
I would agree, David. Effective communication and feedback are crucial in making sure everyone has a full understanding of the mission and vision and how to get there successfully.
The mission statement can be interpreted differently by individuals in the agency. Good communication is essential to have a agency wide understanding of the mission statement. It is also important to no forget the human contact you your personnel. getting caught up in technology does not replace the power of personal human contact.
I agree Jose. Everyone is different and we can each interpret something different from each other. There needs to be clear communication amongst everyone in the department.
The motto for my agency is "Whatever it takes to properly serve the public." The motto is believed and followed by the employees within my agency. The upper brass believes in it and demonstrates it to the fullest. The motto is so broad to the fact; it leaves it up to the team member to utilize their ability and tools to serve and protect our community. As everything else they give us the opportunity to be ourselves and be the best that we can be.
Sounds like a good motto. It allows staff to apply it differently based on the personality of the public member they are with. Some people only respond to direct, authoritarian commands or speech. Others will need to be a bit more babied. Either response would be "proper" if it accurately reflects the person with whom you are communicating.
I love the simplicity of this motto. It's easy to communicate, easy to interpret and easy to remember. Our motto is so complex and wordy I find it difficult to communicate. It complicates and compromises the clarity of our purpose.
Effective communication is a leadership trait that is touched on in just about every module we have reviewed. This skill is important to the overall health of the agency and the employees. As leaders, we must remember the importance of face-to-face communication and not get caught up with the availability of technology.
I agree Andrew. Effective communication is most effective when performed face-to-face, that way you can ensure the message is received accurately and on time.
While it is important, every Agency have a vision and mission statement. It is also just as important that everyone within the Agency knows what they are and understand them. In order to do that you need to have good communication. Effective communication comes in face-to-face meetings. I believe that some value gets lost with communication is only done through emails
The need for communication is paramount. We need to make sure we are effectively communicating the mission and vision of our department and our unit. Electronic communication loses a lot of meaning. Many messages need that personal contact to be delivered. Voice inflexion and tone conveys so much more message than just the words. So often we rely on emails to convey a message that needs to be delivered in person.
This is very true. This is probably on e of the negatives of having amazing technology. now with zoom even meetings can be replaced, but you are correct it can never replace the impact which personal contact can have
Everyone in the organization has to be on the same page for the vision to be clear. I find that sending directives in an email to the team works best because the information in the correspondence is direct, clear and everyone understands and receives the information at one time. I have found that it is very difficult to get everyone in a room together or meeting separately in small groups due to ever-changing shift work. I will always follow up with in-person meetings with front-line supervisors to find out if there has been any feedback on that particular directive. All levels must be clear in understanding any information that is received from upper management for the overall success of the organization.
When Dr. Long spoke of the importance of staying connected to the subordinates on a face to face level I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. I have found myself sending an email to someone, knowing that the information or issue should be addressed in person.
I felt the same way Chris, we've become so accustom to sending emails; that we forget about how impactful and direct an in person visit is. Sending emails are easy and can be misunderstood. We as leaders have to make time to still interact with our subordinates.
I know I am guilty of not defining my vision statement specifically enough, and not adequately conveying it to team members. Obviously this can discuss in the discussed ambiguity in the work place. This module has given me a lot to consider and a direction to take to make improvements.
An agency’s mission is important to convey- to both the public and the members of the organization. Further, these statements must be clear and concise (Long, 2021). In keeping with this practice, agencies can expect more buy-in from their members and the public. Follow-up from executive level leadership must also be the order of the day to ensure the alignment of mission and tactical practices. The output or performance of the agency members should match the vision and mission of the agency holistically.
References
Long, L. (2021). Making vision statements intentional. Module # 12, Week # 5. National Command and Staff College.
I like how Dr. Long explained ambiguity in the workplace and the lack of clarity of defining a task at hand. Often times employees lack understanding of what's being asked of them, and they are too afraid to let us know that they do not understand. In order for a team to be successful, a leader need to make sure that everyone understands the goals, the mission, and the tasks. I agree that the lack of clarity hinders top priorities which results in people running in all directions and not being on the same page. Leaders must provide clarity and have relationships with their team.
I enjoyed the focus Dr. Long put on making face to face meeting and connections. I feel a lot is lost when communications are all done through email. I think that true communication and motivation can only be delivered in person and if you want a vision, values, and mission statements to be properly understood and then disseminated they must be presented in person.
Long, L. (2017). Making vision statement intentional. Module 12, Weeks 5 & 6. National Command and Staff College.
Great point, I agree that this is very important and often overlooked. Like Erik Therwanger pointed out in previous modules, getting off site and building personal connections is imperative.
Agreed. It seems to have gotten so easy to quickly send an email, all of the humanity has been lost sometimes.
Communication is critical. As LEO's we all know what true exigency looks like; barring those times, take the time to communicate up and down your chain of command to include line-level officers about pending changes, mission adjustments or input about said changes and adjustments. Taking the time to chat about the current state of affairs will go a long way in ensuring officers and command staff are clear on the mission, vision and values of your agency.
I agree, and a lot of upper management do not want to take the time to make sure everything is communicated effectively. If they would make themselves more available, especially for face-to-face communication, I think a lot of messages could be delivered more clearly.
Jay I agree with the importance of communication up and down the chain of command. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that often this communication is lost the higher up the chain something goes. These leaders need to remember the personal connections they need to create. Sometimes having that communication is better than sending the message down the chain for someone else to deliver
The vision statement of my Agency is “We will do whatever it takes to properly serve the public;” usually shortened to “Whatever it Takes…” This statement is echoed by everyone and the employees at our Agency display it. This statement doesn’t lock you into one goal, but a general reminder that anything is possible and you should do everything you can to “PROPERLY” serve the public
Derek,
That’s nice that the vision statement is that short concise and easily applied. Ours is a little more stretched out than that and although it sounds great and is a great goal to work towards it is not as easy to apply as “Whatever it Takes.” But we do have Protection, Justice, and Service as our core values and that is emblazoned everywhere we can post it. It is on our units, our webpage and on the walls of all of our buildings. So we are still daily reminded of at least what we should always be offering our citizens in all of our actions. Which is what the vision is supposed to do.
I was able to find many ways I could apply the intentional leadership opportunities identified in this lesson. Executive staff shoulders a good majority of the responsibility to make sure the vision is understood, in addition to the values and the mission or the organization. They should utilize face-to-face meetings or two-way communication. It is imperative they provide an opportunity for the receiver of the message to understand what is being asked of them, and for the receiver to be able to ask questions for clarification. Executive staff should have frequent top-down conversations about responsibilities and delivery of the vision. This is imperative in this instance, but also has a whole concept. In my organization, I have many times heard officers talk about wanting to have interaction with the executive staff. When executive staff have visited shift briefing for any reason, officers have frequently engaged them in conversation about various issues that are important to them and the organization. The impact of this type of communication / interaction is far-reaching and should never be overlooked.
It is very important for the executive staff and the upper management to engage in conversations regularly with the individual teams in order to effectively communicate their vision. They will also receive much-needed feedback from these teams and will have a better understanding if the communication is working top-down.
I think the idea of making the agency vision clear is most important. Often, vision statements are simply word soup with ambiguity written all over it. I know they must have some intentional vagueness to them about how things are delivered, but they should not be ambiguous. It drives me crazy when you see mission statements with things like "Syngergy through unprecedented delivery". There is no point to it and it does not provide a clear path to those within the agency.
All agencies have mission statements but do they live up to their mission statements? Ours is "Courteous, Professional, Responsive" which we are all taught to be courteous to everyone, act professional at all times and be responsive to everyone you come into contact with.
Having a vision statement is essential to any agency but having employees understand the meaning universally is vital to its impact. Taking the time to revisit it once a year or more can help remind deputies/officers of its importance and value. I try to add a portion of it to any letter or recognition I write for my staff to help remind them that their action gives it meaning.
I agree that having employees understand the mission statement is important and what the impact of it is. If you do not honor your mission statement then you are not honoring your community.
You are right, you have to have the buy-in to give the community what you say you will do in your statement.
After watching the lecture, it made me reflect on mission statements. Many people know what their statement is, but do they know the meaning. If the upper management creates a statement but doesn`t explain the meaning of the words, then it`s just words. This message needs to be made part of the culture where the words and meaning are explained form the top to the bottom.
I agree. Effective communication to clarify what the vision and mission statement truly is is critical.
I agree Scott! The mission or vision statement should be explained, shown, demonstrated, and memorized.
Its important that an agencies mission and vision are clear and understood by everyone within the organization. Leaders should ensure they clearly explain expectations and how they relate to the over all mission. This is an area where I see room for improvement in our jail division of our agency. The only place you will find our jail mission/vision statements is in our policy manual. In the field training process, it is simply a check off on a sheet of paper that they have reviewed the jail mission/vision statement. There is no follow up to ensure the staff understand the mission or what their role is in carrying out that mission. This is something I want to focus on as a leader in our jail. Clarifying our mission and ensuring all understand their roles in carrying out the mission.
Samantha- This is an area of opportunity for me as well. Oftentimes I assume the collective within our agency understands the mission and vision...when we really have not discussed it at length. As our agency moves forward we will likely include some of this in our in-service blocks to assure alignment is taking place.
Best and stay safe-
Ken
Too often, agencies create a vision and mission statement but fail to live up to those standards. Other than seeing it written in a policy manual, or possibly on a plaque on the wall, most officers never hear about it during their career. I think that if an agency is going to "live" their vision, they need to repeat it often and demonstrate it through action. This module was helpful in outlining several steps we can take to better align our employees with the vision, mission, and values of the organization. I am a big believer in creating a "connection culture" where everyone gets out of their office (or squad cars) to communicate, face-to-face with others often.
I liked how Dr Long stressed in person communication. I remember back when I was first promoted. I was reviewing reports and I needed an officer to fix something in his report. I knew the office was in the officers room about 20 ft away from me. I got up to go walk and talk to him. The LT that was training me asked what I was doing. I said I needed to talk to the officer about his report. The LT said just send him an email about it. That blew me away. I did as I was told then but made a point to myself never to do that again in the future. I believe the face to face dialog would have helped the officer more and we both would understand where the other person was coming from
Steve, I agree that face-to-face communication is much more effective. By meeting and talking face-to-face, you gain so much more information just from someone’s body language. In addition, using email can sometimes leave things open for the readers interpretation.
Overall, I think that Dr. Larry Long provides an excellent roadmap showing us all how to be intentional with our vision in leadership. Every agency has mission and vision statements, but the staff do not clearly understand what it is supposed to mean. Although well intentioned, their version of the mission or vision may not be aligned with the leaders of the agency. What I see often is there is limited meaningful interaction between staff and senior leaders whereby understanding is clear throughout, and the mission and vision are in sync with the demands of the job. There is also usually too little communication when it comes to course correcting on the mission. Frequent contacts with staff are the key to ensure success at any mission.
Dr. Long argued that values drive commitment and clarity. We, as leaders, need to get people thinking of this often. This goes along with being on the same page and effective communication. Like everything else discussed in this course, communication is a key component of leadership. Expressing the values of the agency, whether it’s through a mission or vision statement, or through other means of communication, is crucial.
As you said it seems the one common factor of this entire course is communication. I believe that is one area I need to improve on myself. It`s easy enough to say the words of the statement, but we have to communicate the meaning as well. If not it`s still just words.
I think Doctor Long summed it up by saying vision, and mission plans are important, but how leadership carries them out is a complex operation. New staff members have exposure to their agencies mission and vision statements. They can base their future off the mission and vision statements, and the everyday actions and attitudes of their administrators. If we want to set them up for success, we must be mindful of our values as they design our actions.
I think that as with previous lessons, a "checks and balances" type of meeting is an optimal time to remind employees of the vision statement. I am not implying that all the members of the group recite the words. I believe that a supervisor or leader could simply remind the division in his or her own words.
Having a vision statement hanging on the walls seems like a way to communicate the vision of the department, but people do not read what is on the walls. Since clarity is the key to understanding, we need to ensure people don't just look at the mission and vision statements we want them to ask questions about their meaning. What they mean to the department and to the community we serve. Fluff pieces are hard to remember but vision statements clearly defined and well written are easy to follow.
An agency having a vision (mission statement) is great. Having an organization collectively understand, practice and live the their vision is phenomenal! As leaders or potential leaders we bear part of the responsibility to assist in that understanding, practice and living the agency's vision. Making the vision of the agency part of our vision is vital.
Part of stepping up as leaders is to direct others in the right direction and remind them from time to time what we stand for. We need to understand completely our vision statement, what it means, and how we can use it to benefit the people we serve.
Having a clear vision statement shows the employees the goals of the business as well as gives the expectations
Like the poor leadership comment of we must do more with less, the lesson's "ethic of more" illustrates the importance of creating value in getting the most out of our resources. Learning to lead with intention and destroying the carrot and stick approach is about changing behaviors.
Behaviors that become a culture of minimalism, narrow and focused on the short-term, ruins an agency's ability to get ahead of its challenges. Understanding the themes behind establishing a true vision statement creates a mechanism to align our subordinates' diverse group. To unify their work for a single goal or mission needs a vision. Seldom do we set off on a trip without knowing where we want to go and why. Yet, we do this daily to execute one of the most treasured professions in the country.
Having a clear mission or vision for your organization is not only a good PR decision, however it give employees a basis from which to work. If members of the organization don't fully understand what is expected of them and what the executive members of the agency what from them, it becomes very difficult to hold them to a high standard.
The vision and mission statements within an organization need to be conveyed to all at the first line supervision level. When a new employee is hired they should be required to understand the vision and mission of an organization. As leaders I believe we need to be solution focused and if our agencies vision and mission statement is collecting dust on a wall then we should be developing an action plan to correct that deficiency. Positive change and understanding of an agencies mission and vision statements is imperative as it provides a clear path on what is expected.
The vision statement should be the ethos of your agency. This will provide the expectations that each employee knows they have to follow. It can also provide the expectations that the public can expect when being provided with the service from your agency,
Troy
Since when is logic understood to be necessary for police work? Don't we just blindly strap up and go out intending to do good in the world? You make a good point about setting expectations and using the vision statement along with the mission statement is a good starting point.
While most agencies have vision statements or mission statements or both, there is generally not enough work put into making the connection. The ambiguity of these statements can lead to confusion. This module provided some clarity on making these statements have meaning for all members of the team.
Narrowing the flow of what is presented in the agency's vision by building clarity will help clear some of the ambiguity and confusion. I agree with you that the module provided ways to clear up some confusion. Supervisors first need to make sure they're understanding the mission of their agency to keep clear the mission.
Mission statements can have great value but as the module states they mean different things to different people. I think one of the most important thinks a leader can do is have an understanding of what the mission means to the different divisions and officers within their department. For any leader this means boots on the ground. Meeting with your people can give clarity and even help modify the statement if necessary. It again comes down to setting expectations for employees. We all must be on the same page. If the front line and administration, see their mission and expectations differently the lack of clarity is going to create misunderstanding and morale issues.
I believe that a mission and vision statement is very important to the overall success of our agencies. However, if it is just words on paper, that is never explain or modeled by leaders, it isn't worth much. Some mission statements get too wordy and ambiguous as suggested in the lecture. Straightforward, plain English is best in my opinion.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office is committed to providing public service that is beneficial to all members of the community through leadership, experience, and compassion.
We strive to lead the way, via time-tested examples while always showing empathy to our customer base.
The other thing I learned and believe is spot on was the discussion on overusing technology. Guilty. There should be a 3 email quota per day and then your email stops working. Communication breakdown happens every day because of written vs. spoken word.
The importance of mission and vison statements in an organization should provide clarity and direction for staff to succeed. Without focus and clarity organizations can work hard and still not meet their objectives. I enjoyed this module and some of the quick insights provided.
Robert,
I agree with you comment. Having a mission statement without clarity truly takes away from its value.
I really enjoyed this module. I really like that they talk about being positive. Create the positive environment with the small wins and celebrate them publicly! I believe all too often, especially in law enforcement, that we do not want to bring that kind of attention to ourselves, but when someone else recognizes us for our hard work it is important. Clarity in defining task at hand and then communicating that mission in person. WOW! Should happen more often.
I agreed 100% with Dr. Long's point about face-to-face connections and meetings. Personal interaction with the "brass" helps alleviate miscommunication and allows the rank & file employees see the "brass" as people, not just some impersonal entity that sends out policies and punishments.
Well stated. We have to remember, SGTs on up, that we're looked at by followers to lead and make them feel safe. We wield a lot of power and it has to be used for the good. This doesn't mean we're push-overs, it just means we deal with problems and setbacks effectively and efficiently. Consistency is the key in my opinion. Too often though, people shy away from conflict as leaders. Have the good and the tough conversations.
For many agencies it is difficult to have any sort of regular meeting between the top people of an agency and the lower ranks, however having the message be clearly convey down the chain of command should be a priority all the time.
Having regular meetings is tough, but it must be done. Our executive staff meets once a month, supervisors once a month, and department wide meetings take place four times a year. Even with 300 total in enforcement, we still make these meetings happen. Our Sheriff makes it clear what his vision is, and what actions we need to take to achieve them.
I'm getting the idea that most organizations have mission statements, but it seems as if it is common that a lot of them have really old ones that haven't been updated in years. If you want them to be meaningful and beneficial, they may have to change once in awhile. The administration, deputies/officers, generations, and many other factors often change and they should reflect something that the new people can actually achieve or work towards. It is also important to remind everyone often of the mission statement because it's one of things that is easily forgotten and hung on the wall to collect dust.
This was a brief module but to the point. Focus and clarity in a vision statement. We must make sure that our values align with our vision and mission statement and that true understanding of expectations takes place. We have to make sure these statements aren't simply displayed but rather lived.
I wouldn’t say we as law enforcement fail at ensuring the vision in understood, but the words posted in most vision statements can rarely be recited. At least in our Office the direction of the vision seems very clear and most work towards a common goal, even though no one could recite it like it was the pledge (unless a promotional interview is insight). Our office actually has a committee assigned to review, assess and make recommendations to the sheriff regarding our Vision Statement, Mission Statement and Core Values. We are past due a meeting and the last part of recommendation has been drastically delayed. That recommendation was approved, but just has not been completed. It was to print each statement on current and historical photos showing sheriff’s office employees, locations and equipment as well as some local attraction specific to the location of each satellite office. The hope was to draw attention and a connection to each statement. Part of the proposal was to change the photos every so often to re-attract attention. The fact is, it is incumbent on all leaders to make sure they understand what the boss wants and then ensure those in and around them have the same understanding.
Values drive commitment and credibility. It is paramount that Mission statements and visions are understood at a basic level. Most police departments' "Vision" states the departments' purpose and value. But many officers don't know what their department's vision is, nor do they know the meaning of the mission statement. I think visions are good, however it is important that we don’t let those statements become fictitious writings on the wall. Department head should make sure clarity is a part of these visions and assuring employees have the knowledge of what is being asked of them.
Very good point made in this module. The values drive us and take us down the path.
Narrowing the focus of a mission and value can help people understand it. Leaders who take the time to meet in person can help drive home how the mission/value should be interpreted. The one on one contacts builds a connection that leads to commitment and collaboration.
I appreciate Larry Long's information on not overusing technology and driving home the importance of face-to-face contact.
While we are currently in the middle of the COVID pandemic, we have been forced to use Teams for roll-call's and meetings. There is so much that is lost in technology and I find officers crave the in person contact and being on the same page.
I agree with you. TO me so much is lost when you don't have the one one one interaction with people in person not over the phone of zoom meeting. I think that covid will have made us lazy and too dependent on this. I can't wait for the day on in person communication as more is communicated and in a highly more effective way when you are sitting in same room with that person
Great lesson on how important communication is even with something written out. How many of us really understand the mission/vision statements of our organization the way the author intended? One on one communication is key to pure understanding.
I agree, I try to go out of my way to have a face to face meeting with each of my staff every day. I use this time to ask questions and have a better idea of their needs but to also communicate the organizations purpose and how we can use our mission and vision to focus on greater results.
One on one communication is key. Tech is making it too easy to avoid each other. I think there is a lot missed by not talking to our people face to face, not to mention sitting down with your people to really understand their view of the mission or vision statement. I see that as a missing component to expectations with employees. How can they understand our expectations if their view of the mission is different than ours as leaders?
I agree, one on one communication and feedback are necessary to ensure everyone is on the same page. Too much can be left to the individual to interpret through text or email.
The topic of Vision Statements and intentional actions has spurred some interesting conversations between my chief and I. This started several modules back when Sinek was discussing his WHAT, WHY, HOW theory. After seeing that presentation and several others in this course, I asked the chief one day how we as a command team emphasized/ actioned our vision statement? It's easy to say they are hanging on the wall in Roll Call, but when it's said and done, it's all about leaders taking action. Here, the battle between clarity and ambiguity takes place. There is a lot of truth to the idea that a good sounding long winded vision statement is just words if no one really knows what it means, or how it affects them. Additionally, Dr. Long was on target when he said buy-in and support is developed through interpersonal communication and one on one contact. Technology is not our friend when it comes to communications. I have seen leaders spend copious amounts of time to draft the perfect email to someone when they could have walked down the hall and spoken to their counterpart in person. As Dr. Long stated, leaders must take every opportunity to connect with the organization at every level. I will be the first to admit that COVID has made it tough to communicate in person sometimes. That said, I still try to speak to people first and then follow up that conversation with an email recapping the conversation.
Vision, mission, and values act like guard rails for an organization. Every decision should complement all three components and should support strategic objectives. These concepts have to be injected intentionally into every-day conversations, training topics, change implementation, promotional process, FTO program, scheduling, disciplinary process, leadership development and many more topics. Although I believe that executives should encourage and model effective face-to-face communication as often as possible I also understand that they cannot do that full time. But this doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t make it a daily priority. Formal and casual conversations about the vision and values should be commonplace in every organization because officers need to hear this information as often as possible if we truly believe in these principles.
Interesting module, I just recently had an interview for a Captain's position within our office. One question the panel asked was, "how do we get back in touch with the public after COVID", immediately I replied back saying we need to first get away from technology (Facebook, Instragram and Twitter to name a few) and get back to the basics, stopping to actually meet with people and conducting foot patrols. We have gotten out of touch with the public whom we serve and that was reiterated here by Dr. Long. The other piece of advice most organizations can benefit the most from is that we need to be better communicators, needing to have more conversations both up and down the chain of command so everyone is on the same page about their roles, contributions, and the organizations vision.
Agree. Walking a beat. Get our people out of the cars and stations and begin interacting with the community by putting down the phones and tablets.
I agree Kelly. We have become so comfortable with notifying the public via Facebook and twitter, that we forgot first hand about good communication. I think that we need to talk to the public and get to know them by having conversations with them.
Having a mission and vision statement is not enough. Making sure that all from commands down to the line level understand the mission and vision is essential. Connecting through team meeting one one on one engagement is critical. Also creating a positive culture through establishing small victories and recognizing them.
Those are all great points. The personal connection that a leader can make is the key element.
I liked the idea of celebrating small victories, it creates momentum driving our people to want more success.
Love the idea of this! The importance of effective communication on all levers make the operation much smoother. Having a culture of positivity through celebrating small victories is a fantastic idea.
I appreciated how frequent communication was highlighted as a way to reinforce the mission/values of the organization. In addition to in person meetings, one on one meetings are essential as well. Organizations need to work towards clarity in mission and values..
I completely agree with you. In order to make a vague statement meaningful you have to give it context. If we’re all working on our own interpretation of a vision statement then we are not working together. We may have the best of intentions, but we’re not maximizing our potential. If these are the guiding principles of an organization, then they should be discussed often to give us consistency, clarity, and purpose no matter what our job description is.
This lesson brought up understanding the mission and vision statements of your organization and making sure that people understand it. How often do we ask staff their thoughts on it? I know I haven't but I sure will now.
Technology can hinder communication so easily, I see it a lot when I send an email to staff. Face to face communication is needed for multiple reasons.
Interesting time for this module to come up, I know you too recently tested for a Captain's position just as I did and a question was posed to me about how do we get back in touch with the public after COVID is over. I immediately responded by saying, "get back to the basics, stop and see people and actually talk face to face is the only way to rebuild the lost time" Contacting people via the telephone or computer isn't going to work. We all need that face to face time.
I'm also going to have talks with my deputies about our agency's vision & mission statements. it's a great way to see what their understanding is and how they can apply it to daily interactions.
This module brought up some interesting points. An agency should be making decisions based on their mission/vision statements but how frequently do we truly review those to ensure our decisions are following those statements. I can only recall a couple of times I remember someone referencing the mission/vision statements. I am sure there were more than I recall but still not frequent enough. Also a good reminder in here about the use of technology vs in person, face to face conversations.
Most commonly noted within agencies is the lack of a true vision statement. Often one will see the mission statement hanging on the wall has not seen an update, or at least a reprinting when Chiefs/Sheriffs change. It is sad to know they must do some level of "protect and serve," but getting deeper into the why is concerning.
With no eye on the future, an agency will continue to react to the changes, which is terrible. It like ducking after the ball goes by in the game of dodgeball. One should try to see from where the next ball is coming.
I appreciate this module touching on the use of electronics (email/text) to communicate information. It made me realize further what the appropriate use for these items are (email to send documents, texts to convey less essential communication). Trying to convey things as critical as mission, core values, and standards can be very difficult, if not impossible, with the use of electronic means. Personal communication is far more effective, tone of voice, body language, eye contact all make up so much of communication and it's impossible to convey that via email.
Agreed. Technology is great and there is a place for it. Nothing will form great relationship and bond of understanding than one one and team in person interactions.
I think it is important that we reevaluate how we do business on a regular basis. Especially in today’s anti-police climate, we need to think through the processes and consider the outcomes and consider if there is a better way going forward.
I agree, we should everything that we do and how it aligns with the mission and vision of RPD. If it's not inline we need to re-evaluate or stop doing it.
I agree with you Paul, we need to be intentional with the mission and vision. This is something our Chief does well.
This module spoke about the importance of all staff being on the same page, and how to get staff motivated towards the vision of the organization. What I took away from this module was the importance of leaders being present in the organization from the top down. The relationships built by face to face interactions are crucial towards building understanding and commitment within the organization. This traditionally is challenging given the shift work in law enforcement, with the highest levels of administration working traditional hours. I believe as a leader, making yourself available when it isn't necessarily convenient is important to show those within that you are willing to sacrifice convenience for them, this shows staff that you value them and are willing to make time for them.
Kyle hit on key point. I cannot stress how important it is to be on the same page. When I was promoted to lieutenant, myself and the two other bureau commanders were not on the same page. overtime, we started to speak with one voice, but it was not without its bumps and hiccups along the way. Once I got promoted to captain, that changed.. The chief and I made it a point to meet and communicate with the command staff at every opportunity. This worked out so well even our officers commented on how all the commanders seemed to speak with one voice. Then COVID hit. In many ways COVID forced us to communicate through email and Zoom. We did not use this technology because it was convenient or the best way to communicate. We did it because it was for our health and safety. Now my command team is starting to see the end results of this. Little things falling through the cracks, a lack of situational understanding, and more pessimism. We acknowledge this and are continually working to make the way we do communicate count.
Great point! How often does patrol interact with the executive levels of the department? This would really help to break down communication barriers.
Lead by wandering around. Make it a point to touch base with as many people as possible in a day, week, or even a month. Find out what makes people tick, personally and professionally.
Don't forget, personal time with "the boss" is more valuable than we probably realize. Try and remember where we came from is the best bet.
This module really illustrated the basics of mission and vision statements. Every public organization has a mission and vision statement but it all boils down to the same principles. Mission and vision statements set the stage and provide value to our operations. It is important for everyone in the organization to understand why we do what we do. It is also important to constantly remind our people the vision of the agency. With continuous discussions and briefing training on both, we make sure our people embrace and believe in the noble cause. Most importantly, we as leaders must set the example and have constant self-reflections about our performance and if we are living up to the mission of our current positions (supervisors). If we set the example and walk the walk, we are credible leaders. With credibility we can influence our followers to live by and embrace the mission and vision statements of our agencies. The leadership within our organizations we need to instill values our people subordinates and to make sure they follow through. A mission and vision statement framed and hung on the wall without a clear understanding of everyone it is just a worthless quote.
I think it was important to note that there must be clarity in all of the discussions on the visions, missions, and plans at all levels of the organization. Sometimes the mission statements can be nebulous, and when the top leaders don't make it clear what they mean it brings confusion all the way through the chain of command. The module did a good job of speaking on the vital role of what intentional leadership is. That, combined with the core concept of being on the same page, can really make an organization "whole."
I agree Jim. Agencies create mission statements and values that are designed to encompass everything we do as law enforcement officers but we still have to narrow down the true meaning of what these things mean. I thought it was an interesting point that this module brought up when they said a group can be very productive but yet have little to show for it, mainly due to a lack of cohesiveness in understanding of what these values and mission statement really mean.
I believe Larry Long's information on not overusing technology and to try and do face to face one on one contact is extremely important. There have been a handful of times where I have sent out e-mails and some employees have taken them out of context. If there is no follow-up to the message it can begin to cause bad morale amongst some What I have noticed is if I send out a string of e-mails I need to follow them up at an upcoming meeting so the employees understand the tone and to get us all on the same page. In addition, having one on one face to face contact with your employees is extremely important so they don't just see you as a desk warrior and to really build those personal bonds and allow questions back to you. There is nothing that can take the place of a face to face contact.
Great response. As my department is small (17 sworn) I can find time to meet with each officer one on one at least once per month. I find this especially useful in sharing my vision and expectations without it being misinterpreted. It also allows me an opportunity to hear from each officer as their observations may be pertinent to the vision.
Great response. As my department is small (17 sworn) I can find time to meet with each officer one on one at least once per month. I find this especially useful in sharing my vision and expectations without it being misinterpreted. It also allows me an opportunity to hear from each officer as their observations may be pertinent to the vision.
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well said, your own experience with miss information has provided experience with what the lesson referenced. By taking the time to meet with your own employees and asking follow-up questions, you have ensured that your organization is receiving the correct information as you intended it.
I too have noticed when I send an email out it can be misunderstood. If I send it to two people it can be interpreted two completely different ways and neither is how I intended it to be. Like you said, nothing takes the place of a face to face conversation. There is so much meaning behind tone of voice, facial expression and body language that cannot come across in emails.
Sheriff Jahner,
I agree with you. Technology can be a hindrance to our relationships and communication. To build on the vision, one on one relationships give more solid, trusting relationships.
This module described the importance of making vision statements intentional. It is important that each individual understands the mission of their agency and how they represent their organization. Long discussed that, "We as officer's need to be effective at carrying out the organizational directives to the best of our abilities, even if the mission is viewed differently by each individual." Long also discussed that lack of clarity in the mission could create, "decreased alignment, coactivity, and understanding on what the organization is trying to accomplishment." It is important for everyone to be on the same page in order to reach the same plans, missions, and vision in order to have effective results as a whole.
Module 12 was about making vision statements intentional. Making sure that the department's values line up with it's vision is a key element. It's important as leaders that we help provide clarity cohesiveness to the people we lead. Effective communication is a key element to making sure that everyone is on the same page.
Leadership challenges up and supports down, by using two way communication on a regular basis and meeting with our officers we build a strong foundation. We need clarity, breaking down a vision/mission statement to align our officers would create a better future.
I have seen over the years where the Chief relies on his command staff to relay a message and by the time the message reaches the troops, it has personal opinions built into the message and is no longer received as it was intended.
I am sure every law enforcement agency in the country have their mission and vision statements hanging on the wall. The agencies go through a lot of effort to create these statements, but I feel they need to go through a lot of effort to make sure their employees understand them.
While it is important for every agency to have a vision statement. A mission statement is the purpose of your work and to better understand the goals of your company. It ensures that personnel are performing their duties in every way. As it was pointed out in this module, the key is communication.
Vision and mission statements are important, but how often are they checked to see if they still hold up? As times have changed, so has methods in policing along with community relationships and standards. Having employees understand the departments' goals, while we as leaders ensure those same employees goals align with the departments is crucial. From this concurrence, one should see the vision and mission statements are being fulfilled.
Agreed after watching this module I looked up our mission statement on our sheriff office website. I haven't looked at it in over 13 plus years.
I found myself looking up ours as well. I looked it up when I applied but haven't since then. I think it's important that we remember what our office's mission statement is and ensure that the vision and mission statements are being fulfilled. I am going to encourage the deputies I work with to look up or office's mission statement.
It is a good idea once they look it up to go over it regularly until employees start to think of it. I know in our organization we just changed ours because it hadn't been updated for several years. Now that we have updated we go over it regularly at command staff meetings and ask what different parts of the mission and vision statement mean to get everyone on the same page.
I agree that the vision and mission statements of each agency is important in order to create clarity and understanding of what is expected by everyone involved in the agency. Although we are in an ever-changing dynamic of what is expected of us as law enforcement officer's, we must never stray away from our mission by leading with integrity, honor, and trust in order to be effective leaders within our communities. Policing dynamics, technology, and trainings regarding certain areas may change, but the true mission of integrity, honor, and trust should not.
Trust is a big one. Easy burned, hard to build. But you're correct, clarity and constant communication are big to help build trust throughout the ranks.
I like that comment/question- how often are the mission statements checked to see if they still hold up? If they don't, who to get involved in updating them? Especially now with how policing- and the focus on it- has changed so drastically. Our job as leaders is to make sure these questions are answered.
Dr. Long describes in this module leaders must be able to communicate up the ladder and down the ladder to get people thinking about these values often. Lack of effective communication for the leader can lead to a level of ambiguity in the workplace.
Having received some training with regards to this module and the necessity of creating a meaningful vision statement with buy in from each of your share holders, I thoroughly enjoyed this training and was reminded of just how foundational creating a vision statement is. I love the part where Dr. Long describes how by so doing a vision statement, one rids the agency of ambiguity, as long as this vision statement is done correctly, narrows the focus of the organization and embraces a connection culture.
Many times people are confused, by what a mission or vision statement is. Some people will say that their agency does not have one. Usually these are the people that may be highly competent but are mainly concerned about their day to day operational tasks. There is also those agencies that have a "motto" fo their missions statement. Sometimes your mission statement is basically the law.
I agree with the overall message of this training module. Every agency has a mission/ vision statement to express their philosophy and values as they serve their local communities. However, its up to leadership within the organization to instill the agency's values in their subordinates and to incorporate those values in to their every day activities.
It's not enough that the agency has a well worded mission statement or fancy “motto” that implies high moral, ethical, and professional values. It’s how we as administrators, supervisors and mentors live up to those values and encourage others within the organization to do the same.
It is vital to understand our agencies' mission statement, so we can effectively lead our subordinates in a way that reflects the department's principle. We must also ensure that our subordinates have a clear understanding of the mission statement so we can all be on the same page to ensure our success.
That is the key, continuity, and agreeable association. We should be seeking these traits and goals with potential new employees, so we know they are on board from the start.
I agree Lt. Dean. As we leaders it is our job to clearly understand our mission and vision statement to illustrate it to our people. We also need to embrace and believe in it. If we embrace and believe in our mission, our vision as an agency will be fulfilled. Spot on sir.
I can not remember the last time i saw or read our mission statement. I believe that we need to incorporate the values in our mission in our training and point out this is the why we train this way, in order to uphold this value in our mission statement. It needs to be incorporated and instilled in our everyday work. In high school we had a strict set of guidelines and values that my high school held every person to. Every morning we said a prayer, the pledge and read our mission statement. 20 years later and i can still tell you what the mission statement is.
To be honest, I had never given much thought to what our mission/ vision statement is. I think it's time for me to go back and read it. Then read it to my watch and give them copies of it. Then work on aligning out work with the mission statement.
This module by Dr. Long does well to show how having clear mission and values gives your leaders and followers the ability to complete their tasks. It shows what is expected of them and allows them to ask for what they need or to clarify if any confusion exists. Making sure that all parties are on the "same page" keeps your agency, unit, etc from having a chance to fail instead of success. It is paramount to keep clear lines of communications in our profession
I agree that communication is key to success and keeping all employees on the same page. This needs to happen daily and not just as a reaction to some sort of communication failure.
Michael,
Well said. Communication is always the key to success. Keeping these lines clear for everyone can help sort out any issues but also keep everyone on the same page as long as they are using these lines of communication.
The topic that Dr. Long mentioned related to many people's fear of not asking questions made a lot of sense to me. I have seen the "fear of inferiority" in action throughout my career and it typically causes a lot of confusion and misinterpretation across the organization.
The advice of not overusing technology was great as well. As a supervisor I spend so much of my time behind a desk and even though it would be easier to just shoot out emails I know the importance of face to face communication. If that is not possible than a phone call is better that just sending an email. Two way communication is necessary.
I think it is beneficial when we work with employees at different levels to work on plans, mission, and vision statement. When this is done, it brings clarity. They would also work hard to fulfill the agency's goal. It will create buy-in and commitment.
This is a very important goal that I will attempt to implement at my agency. It is evident that great organizations have clarity in their mission and vision statements. This is also trained and used at every attempt to promote a positive culture of success and improvement to serve the organizations needs. I can see the benefit of being positive at all times in order to receive positive results.
Lack of clarity can definitely hinder progress and results. Perhaps instead of just emailing out a new policy, we should also discuss it with the members of our agency to ensure they are truly understanding it and allow them to ask questions.
I like how Dr. Long emphasized the importance of using one-on-one communication to help overcome the "Fear of Feeling Inferior" and while we have increasing technology, as leaders it is up to us to use it responsibly. I have been in various training seminars and hesitated to ask questions because everyone else seemed to understand what was being communicated...I didn't want to lose face or stand out by asking too many questions.
I agree that all policies should be discussed with members of our agency before rolling out. Even if it does not directly affect an employee or a particular department.
It is so important to have one on one communnication. It is an easy to just send an email and lose that personal connection with people but it is not as effective.
I used to tell my guys that an E-mail or text was not proper notification. That I needed to speak to them. Well this got blown out of the water when command started E-mailing or texting everything. I still believe one-on-one communication is by far the best.
I admit that i haven't read our mission statement since my hire date, over 11 years ago. This module actually made me think about and want to read it again. Also make copies laminated and handed out to the shift so its readily available.
I think far too many agencies use their vision statement as a decoration and do not convey the meaning to their people. I am thankful that my agency instills its vision statement into every person they hire.
I have to admit i haven't read ours in years.. I do my job by the law, morals and ethics i follow. I need to get a copy, laminate and hand out to the shift, especially the veterans.
I agree Devin! I definitely believe that our values strongly align with our vision statement. i truly believe in what we do as an agency and our responsibility to help carry out our mission.
This is a very nice thing to have. A clear vision with the 'team' on the same page and training everyone to understand and practice this is the best way to support a positive culture for an organization. Hope to see how your agency implemented this.
i agree, i haven't heard or read our statement since i was hired 15 years ago
I can empathize. I used to work for an agency that had a one line mission statement.
It is important for an agency to have a mission and vision statement. Without one the agency and its employees will not know its culture and what it represents. The mission and vision statement can be made known by the agencies leaders teaching it through expectations, training, and leading by example.
Three years ago, when our school district received a new leader, we went through this change and worked on our mission, vision, and values. I agree with Brian Ellis's article, as it explains how we need to align ourselves as a whole. As the Chief, if we do not tell the vision and mission, the troops can not carry out the task.
I also support celebrating little victories in the agency. These small events make life memorable.
Having a vision and a mission statement is important, but i feel it made mandatory to learn the mission statement and the vision, can better all agencies
This lecture brought up some great points in regards to mission and vision statements. It is something that we all have read at least once in our career, but how often do we make sure that everyone's understanding and perception of what is expected of them is fully aligned with that statement. I like the solutions offered to truly connect with our staff and make sure the context of our mission and vision is not lost in the technological gaps present.
I agree everyone should be held accountable to learn both the Mission and vision statement their agency, this can detour a lot of officer complainants.
Luckily our mission statement is visible in my office building that I can read it on a regular basis. This lesson provided valuable insight on how important that everyone clearly understand the messages to ensure we are all in alignment with our agencies values.
I agree. Team meetings, staff meetings, annual meetings, etc. They can all help with the communication issues we all face every day. Ensuring understanding and alignment is critical.
Dustin,
Absolutely! It is many times overlooked in one-way communication to make sure the message is not lost when it is received. It is our responsibility to make sure the message is received appropriately and understood. I have seen too many times the detrimental effects of one-way communication with a message and how it was actually meant to be received.
Our departments' mission and vision statement is very long. I know most people do not have it memorized word for word, but I believe that our officers have an excellent clarity of what the department stands for and how to accomplish the statement. Most of our supervisors lead by example, are they are out with the person for support and guidance. Our department also provides numerous training opportunities to the officers to ensure that they know how to perform their job duties.
Training, support, and guidance is important in helping the people we lead understand what the agencies mission and vision are.
I believe that in my agency, the mission and vision statement is not memorized by most people. However, I think the track record of this agency shows that the mission and vision statement are instilled into each person in more than just words. It's instilled to them through the training we provide to them, the opportunities that this agency presents to them, and the leaders in this organization show it to them through leadership every day. I think it is more than just words printed on a banner, hanging in a hallway, we show it every day in the way we perform our duties.
I agree that most people do not know the mission and vision statement because of the length of the statement. I think that our department does a good job representing the department, due to the constant positive feedback that we get from the public.
I agree with you, Derek. I believe that the majority of our agency, from the supervisors on down, embodies our vision statement. I think this apparent just from our relationship with the public.
When a new employee arrives at our agency, part of the Training Division's responsibilities are to ensure the new employee understands the department core values, vision, and mission statements. We allow them to interpret what it means, then we explain it to them. This rolls into a policy and procedure presentation. Depending on their assignment, their FTO will go over the same material, but while it's in action.
When our vision and mission statements first came out everyone learned them and understood them. posters were made, framed and put up in every division. However, with time I believe many of our employees probably could not recite them although they are short. I need to do a better job at reminding everyone what our mission and vision statements are. I believe many of our deputies do follow the basic principles of the mission and vision statements daily but it can't hurt to remind them every now and then of the wording as a reminder.
This is something we need to focus on in our agency. I would be willing to bet more than half of our officers do not know or have not even read our mission statement. Having moved into a new building and a department wide meeting coming up, this will be addressed. I think we will hang the mission statement in the new lobby while we are all together and discuss it to make sure everyone knows it and understands it.
Everyone in the organization needs to understand the vision or mission statement in your definition and not interpreted in another way. I like the creating a connection part where you go to briefings and discuss one on one the statement defining it for them in your words. Providing clarity through proper training and understanding is key.
One on one or face to face meetings with small groups is definitely the way to go. electronic communication is so impersonal and lend to being misunderstood because your feelings and intentions can't be conveyed in the same manner as human communication does.
I agree it is important for me as a Commander of my agency leaders to look deep into my organization, the vision and mission and develop and system that will help me to determine what drives behaviors of my employees.
The vision and philosophy of my agency has not changed since I have been here for 22 years and I’m certain it is the same since 1992. Our credo or motto, if you will, is “We will do whatever it takes to properly serve the public;” usually shortened to “Whatever it Takes…” It’s a very open concept in that it does not corral you into only achieving a singular goal. This mission is on our webpage and in almost every office in our agency as a reminder that we are here to serve the public in any manner we can for the common good.
Our vision statement is 24 years old. While it is posted throughout our offices at this point no one pays it any homage. It was probably a flawed vision statement to begin with having the word perceive in every bullet point. Another thing that we need to work on is our one on one communication with every member of the department. Admin ride a longs have went by the way side.
Maybe by knowing that no one pays the vision statement homage is a starting point. Either it needs to change or the people need to be reminded of how important it is. The best possibility may be to have the department gather their ideas into a new mission statement that way there's buy-in from everyone and it's not just words on a wall.
With agencies blessed with a tenured sheriff as many of us have been, I believe it is a good practice to possibly revisit the mission and vision statement periodically, if not just each term. It could be beneficial to have department-wide "training" to review the understanding and clarify what is expected of our employees.
Having goals is important, but having articulable goals and the ability to create value for the individuals in the department isn't always an easy road. The leaders need to "read the room" and make sure that the message is understandable and that everyone "gets it".
Every agency must have a vision or mission statement displayed at their respective agencies. More importantly there must be clarity in the statement and it should be filtered from the top down. The statement should be read before every meeting or gathering of employees to insure they are reminded of the agency's vision and mission.
Having that vision statement is excellent, but the critical aspect is making sure each employee understands the statement and lives it. This is from the top down; it is hard to have rookie officers buy-in when the older officers do not.
The statement is the easy part, the buy in has always been the challenge. Its all about building value for individuals, because not everyone likes the same carrots.
I agree that many vision or mission statements are written to sound good but lack actual application in the agency. The deliberations and wording are more about hot topic buzz words than the actual function of the agency. The mission statement is then put on a wall or stuffed in a policy manual but lacks the actual translation to the employees. Training is focused on technical and tactical skills and less on how to live up to the mission statement of the agency. I especially believe in the advise to get out and have personal contact with those who are doing the work. Too often e get so caught up in the administration we lose sight of the actual function. I feel this module is important in reminding leaders to communicate wtih their employees face-to-face and not behind a keyboard or with fancy words that lack in clarity and focus.
I agree on the need for us to get out of our office and spend time actively listening to the troops. All to often our communication is electronic and or superficial.
In learning area 3, module 12, understanding that making a vision statement impacts the opportunities and relationships within the department. It aligns the employees and gives them goals to work toward. A vision statement is something that we all as commanders have to implement within our department.
In this lesson it focused on loss of or lack of clarity. It is important for clarity to exist both up and down for goals to be achieved.
I agree clarity needs to be across the board, so there are no questions.
Without clarity there is ambiguity. With ambiguity, the vision appears untruthful
Having a vision or vision statement is important within any law enforcement agency. This module helped me understand the need for clarity within the vision. Ensuring that it is understood from the top down and the bottom up. I thought about this and my own agency. I asked myself if I could really explain what our vision is and if my understanding of it aligned with the true purpose of the vision. I think I could better serve as a leader within my organization if I ensure a proper understanding.
I can honestly say that I know my agency's vision statement. We constantly recite and work towards it. Our staff does a good job of getting it out to our subordinates and giving them clarity on what the vision means.
I to wrote about the need for buy in, as I put it, reflecting the need for all to be on board, to have a true agency-wide embrace. As you mentioned, this would exactly need to be the top down, just as well as the so-called bottom up. And, like you, we will be better leaders if we are able to easily understand and explain our own agency's vision statement to any that may inquire.
This module made me think more about clarity when it came to our agencies vision and mission statement. It was always clear to me but made me rethink if I am making it clear to the people I lead.
A vision statement shouldn’t be over complicated or placated with fancy words. It should be understood by all and communicated often so that it is retained. Just being posted on a wall doesn’t mean it will even be read. Leaders need to relay this in team meetings every now and then to remind subordinates and junior leaders what the department intent is. I have done this before but am certainly guilty of not doing it as often as I should. Make sure you as a leader understands it before you challenge your subordinates to know and understand it.
I also believe that a vision should not be over complicated with fancy words. Often times the message gets lost in translation when you use this approach. Leaders at every level must be able to clearly articulate what the vision is and each officers role within the confines of the overall objective. These must come from every leader including at the top.
I agree with your point that mission statements are often lost on a wall as decor instead of shared with employees as clear statements. I plan to revisit my own mission statement and review it periodically with my staff.
Here is another module that sparked a recent conversation with my unit. Our unit commander recently asked for input into a Mission Statement. This was interesting because those that provided feedback provided identical thoughts but in different words. The commander took our information and simplified our objectives that made it clear for others to understand. With this said, I was proud to know that a majority of the team was already clear to our purpose, but having additional clarity is reassuring for the future (succession plan).
Mission or Vision statements are common place in most organizations. However, very few within an organization can recite them. The key is to align all members of the organization in the same direction to accomplish that Mission or Vision.
You are correct. I find it hard myself to recite my own agencies vision or mission statement. Even though I work under the same principles in it.
This session was interesting because it is assumed that organizational members to include myself, are aware and work towards the agency and division mission. After listening to the lecture, I am confident that the information presented during this lecture will enable me to seek out clarity when there is a possible misunderstanding and to communicate that information forward to prevent misdirection in working towards objectives
While it is important for an organization to have a vision and mission statement, if the people in the organization do not understand it or know it, there is a breakdown in how the organization operates. Some of this failure can be attributed to the lack of personal communication and dependence on technology.
I concur. Employees will work hard but won’t produce the desired results without understand the organizational intent. It should be relayed personally as it is something special to be retained rather than just technology. Technology is created to make things more efficient and easier to live and work from day to day. Sometimes is can be a social impairment though making us lazy and impersonal.
I agree the mission and vision statement is important and should be understood by all employees in the organization.
The Lack of personal communication is because in most organizations communication goes up but never come back down.
While it is important for every Agency to have a vision statement, it is more important to communicate what it is and ensure personnel are performing their duties in a way that supports it.
As was pointed out in this module, the key is communication.
Communication should not be something that hinders an Agency, but it often does. Anyone else have this issue? It drives me insane on a regular basis.
This module gave some great suggestions on how to ensure values/missions/goals are clear and understood. I agree that an agency needs to have a culture that embraces connection.
Every agency has a vision statement, but how many employees know what that statement is? For agencies to accomplish their mission/vision, employees have to know the meaning of the statement. Employees need clarity of what that mission/vision means and what is asked of them. Leaders need to provide that clarity to their employees and, to ensure the mission/vision is understood, need to have conversations from both the top-down and bottom-up.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I've been with the Sheriff's Office since 2010 and had no idea what our vision statement was until I began this course and asked about it.
How can personnel work toward a goal they are unaware of?
I am with you. we have the vision and mission statements hanging on the walls at office. How many people stop to read them. I did not until this module.
I agree, I feel like I should be asking my staff if they know our vision statement and ask them how they interpret it. I can't help if I don't understand their thought process of it.
Vision and mission statements are very important in every organization. They need to have clarity and everyone should understand them. Leaders have to communicated the vision and mission "both up and down" in an organization. When these statements mean different things to people, it decreases alignment. We also must realize that technology is great, but we cannot get away from face to face contact.
I am guilty of communicating a lot by text and email. It is something that I have been working on. I was getting more face-to-face with employees, but since working from home it's back to electronic communication.
I think as most do every agency has a vision statement hanging on their wall, but do their employees really know the meaning. It is never communicated over time through out the agency at any point other than when people are initially hired.
Laurie, this is so true. Everyone should know our mission and vision statements.
If you recall, during the first phases of leadership, the vision and mission statements were gone over. But you are right, except for during leadership training, when someone is hired (I was never told the vision statement when I was hired), and on the revolving messages on the televisions around the department, it is never verbally communicated.
Laurie,
I agree with your comment. I believe most of us take it for granted and never give it much thought. If leaders are to hold their organization to the statement of the agency, then it’s there responsibility to make sure that they have an understanding of it.
This is the vision of our police agency, the members of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office are dedicated to providing the highest quality law enforcement service to enhance community safety, protect life and property while reducing crime. We pledge individually and collectively to develop a partnership with the entire community, striving to resolve problems and improve the quality of life that is unique to our parish. This sounds and reads great, but what most incredible part is that our officers believe in this vision, and every day they come to work with the intention to uphold this vision.
I agree that our officers for the most part believe in the vision and mission statement here at our agency. No, most cannot read it verbatim from memory, but I think it is instilled in them through how we do things here, the "St. Charles Way" as I like to call it.
It seems like with every new Chief, we have to reinvent out vision statement. In all my years, I have only had one Chief that truly embodied his vision/mission statement. It was straight to the point, easy to understand, and it was aligned with the department's overarching goals. But where this Chief excelled, he found ways to reiterate the vision/mission statement in E-mails, one on ones, and state of the department messages. Pretty soon everyone was restating the vision/mission statement in their Atta boys and evaluations of officers. My big take away is keep the vision/mission statement simple, but meaningful. That way individuals can understand it and get behind it.
You are right, as a Chief, I felt it necessary to update the vision and mission statement in my agency. Now that I think about it, it wasn't that the vision and mission needed to be updated, it just needed to be communicated to everyone to be understood.
This was a good lecture, having a clear understanding of the mission statement, vision and goals are crucial for all employees
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Having a clear vision or mission statement is very important for any organization. It should align with the leaders values and philosophy. The entire department must also understand the vision statement
Agreed, being able to have all your employees understand what the mission and values of your department goes along way towards accomplishing those goals. The ability to move up and down (ladder) and left to right (horizontal) allows people to be on same page. Having common interest and goals empowers your department.
Digging deep to determine what drives behavior is an essential part of this module. Often, departments develop their mission statement then hope that everyone falls in line. However, this module suggests that we determine what motivates people then develop a mission statement that aligns this motivation with the work that must be performed. In doing so, there is less need to push people to buy-in to the vision statement because it is already aligned with their motivation. The key, however, is leadership taking the time to get to know their subordinates personally. A superficial examination of their subordinate's motivation would result in a vision statement that doesn't resonate well with the employees.
Good points Kyle. I know I need to do a better job not only getting to know my subordinates, but making sure my subordinates are doing the same with their people.
Mission statements are important and should provide clarity on what our jobs are and our vision. I believe it is incumbent upon us as leaders to educate other employees about our mission statements. I have it hanging in my, so employees can see and read it.
I agree Lance, it does no good to have a mission statement, vision and goals if everyone is not clear about what they are and how to reach them.
You are correct and not only do you have it hanging on your wall but you also follow it as an example to your subordinates. That is impressive,
you are correct hanging it on the wall reminds the employee of the expectations
I agree, but mission statements near to be clear and concise so everyone understands what it truly supposed to mean.
Ambiguity in the workplace is an area of interest to me. Clarifying tasks at hand and obtaining input is important. A lack of productivity seems to be due in part to lack of clarity. Conversation with individuals in a group + one-one-one meetings would help eliminate this problem.
I agree with you, i clear mission should be stated and explained to subordinates in order for them to reach the goals set by the supervisor.
In our organization our mission and vision statement are created as one. The mission statement is ambiguous and says how we should complete our mission and in what manner. However, each supervisor needs to add clarity, feedback and generate value on this statement. By adding value this drives commitment and credibility so feedback from supervisors on mission statements and vision is very important. It is our job as supervisors to ensure we communicate these statements for clarity from all levels of supervision.
I learned in this module that for a vision to be understood, there has to be clarity and focus on that vision. The information has to be passed down the line and understood along the way in order for the vision to be carried out as a whole. The lack of this clarity and focus will only have the vision as a bunch of words that no one gets.
I agree Jason, its all in the delivery and making sure people understand the vision and not interpret the way they want. Establishing or creating a connection with everyone will definitely help in making sure the correct interpretation gets delivered.
I agree and I believe it is sometimes hard to communicate because some agencies try to put too much into their mission statements and makes it confusing.
This topic of understanding the vision and mission for our department was discussed internally last week. We have created a specific vision and mission statement for our office collaboratively, to ensure everyone has buy-in. It must be completely known and understood for us to be successful. Our strategic plan is another component I believe needs work and better explained to the patrol officers. Not truly understanding why they are doing what they do everyday is a big problem. Definitely has lost the momentum as it roles down to rank and file.
Having a mission or vision statement is pretty common and every organization is supposed to have one. But just because your organization has one does not mean everyone understand what it means. How often does anyone explain to the employees what the vision was behind creating the mission statement.
In our agency, not very often. It seems to be just some words that they memorize for a promotional exam. The delivery to rank and file doesn't occur often or at all.
I agree Mike, it seems like the mission statement doesn't mean anything if the agency doesn't follow it.
To add to that, if the statement isn't explained and understood down the rank and file, the statement will have no meaning. If the top makes the statement and doesn't explain it to someone that just got hired, the new hire can't be expected to live that statement for what it's meaning is.
Mike,
I agree. Also, who was responsible for creating the mission statement that we have posted all over the walls within our agency? It is another opportunity of input and buy-in that was missed.
Mike, I agree we never explain to subordinates what our mission statement is. We as leaders should educate our employees about it at least during training.
You are right Mike. It needs to be communicated often and not just at initial hire.
I would agree that it is not often explained or talked about specifically. However, we have a committee comprised of employees that review, assess and make suggestions for revision to the sheriff for our vision, mission and core values. This module reminds me that its time to have another meeting and address somethings I failed to follow through on.
Organizations must have a Vision Statement that is in alignment with their core values and mission. A vision statement must be one that is intentional in order to allow employees the opportunity to understand it and the ability to apply their technical and tactical expertise appropriately to advance to organizational vision. It is incumbent upon the leadership to frequently and continually communicate the vision from the top down and encourage communication from the bottom up to ensure clarity has been achieved. With new employees joining our organizations it remains important to ensure their understanding of our agency vision and culture. Leadership must be consistently work to connect with others, as this is a powerful tool for creating bonds and encouraging a culture of connection.
It has been stated several times in the post that we need to align our mission and vision statements with our personnel so that they understand the meaning. It should be a requirement during new employee orientation that the mission and vision statements are photocopied into their brain and that they have no question regarding the meaning. I know that this isn’t done at many organizations, and mission and vision statements are just wall hangers. I mission and vision statement was created 24 years ago when our Sheriff was elected. It is posted everywhere in the agency, but only a few can inform you what it reads by memory.
Drauzin Kinler,
Most agencies I have seen usually have the same mission and vision statement in one. They say the same thing that there mission is to protect the public in a courteous and professional manner …etc. How we interpret those statements and ensure every officer/deputy has the tools to complete this is dependent on supervisors to add clarity to this statement. It needs to be clarified from the top down. So yes, I agree most have become wall hangers and we as supervisors need to focus on giving it a purposeful meaning.
Dan
Drauzin, I agree that our recruits understand the meaning of our vision statement. This is usually a wall hanger, but to strive as a department, we must inscribe in their head, because the older generations are can only partially remember the mission statement.
While technology aids us in so many ways, it simply cannot replace the effectiveness and value of face-to-face communication. This is especially true when the subject matter leaves a lot of room for personal interpretation and requires feedback as to whether a shared understanding has been attained, such as in the case of reviewing and discussing vision statements, mission statements, values, and expectations. Emails may work fine when it comes to sharing step-by-step or technical information but are woefully inadequate on subjects that relate to the direction and path of the agency and its employees.
I have been victim of misinterpretation through the use of technology. Although it is easier to send an email or a text, rarely is face to face communication interpreted incorrectly.
Yes! Technology has helped us tremendously, but misinterpretation of meaning through text and email is a real problem. Certain things to be conveyed can only be done properly face to face.
I think being successful in making vision statements is a lack of clarity. We must build clarity in the mission. I can see how technology actually hurts us in this world of email and text messages. Frequent face to face interaction is needed to make sure everyone is on the same page.
When leaders try to instill a vision for the organization, the vision must be aligned with organizational priorities. The vision must also be clearly communicated to the organization. If the vision is not aligned with organizational priorities, the employees may be confused and may not understand what is expected of them. There must be an intentional process of aligning the organizational priorities with the vision and the employees must understand their role in accomplishing the vision. It is important that leaders are on the same page and deliver the message in the same manner at every level. Supervisors should also understand the value of face to face interactions with their staff, especially when delivering expectations and helping to align them with the vision and organizational priorities.
Frank
The challenge to have our Vision, Mission, and Values become a part of the organizational DNA is something that leaders struggle with because they often mean something a little different to each employee. This module give some good ideas on how we can make them just words on the wall into the hearts and minds of our employees. Clarity and simplicity is the starting point to getting everyone to understand our Vision, Mission and Values. More importantly, the continues discussion about why they are important, how they must be congruent with your personal values needs to be topics of discussion during roll call, squad meetings, etc. Our actions and words must be consistent too. If we talk about values, but demonstrate a lack of integrity than our actions are not in alignment and credibility has been compromised. We mus model the way, lead by example, and display the human side of why our Code of Ethics, Vision, Mission, and Values make law enforcement the noblest profession. The foundation of trust, honest, character, and compassion keep us in alignment with our department values, which creates a positive culture.
As you explained, while clarity and simplicity are important to creating a shared understanding, the continuous discussion of vision, mission, and values is critical. Even a somewhat complex and ambiguous vision or mission would likely provide some value if we committed to discussing it regularly. While it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking 'we just discussed that' or 'my employees will probably revolt if I mention one more time', we must not allow ourselves to do so. Finally, I also strongly agree with your point that we MUST walk the talk. Failure to do so results in our becoming low credibility leaders, and leads to us failing those that depend on us to do better.
Having an organizational "vision" statement is important, however what is more important is having the employees understand it and act on it. Too many times agencies hang it on the wall without making sure that the employees follow it. When the "vision" statement is "acting on" that is when an agency will "succeed".
Monte, you are right. I would add that how we get our employees to make our vision, mission, and values as part of their personal DNA is equally important. Brian
Very well said Monte. An agency with a "Vision Statement" without aligning it with organizational priorities or establishing a culture of understanding on each employee's role in the vision is sure to find challenges. Success can be achieved when a vision is clearly communicated and each employee knows their role in the success of the vision, while supervisors reinforce these expectations.
Frank
i think new recruits may be taught the mission statement. Beyond that I doubt I could walk the main station and find an employee that could tell me about it without having it in front of them. Each employee should at least know what the goals of the department are.
Well said Joey, Each employee should know the vision statement, and more importantly, understand it.
Without fulling understanding the agency's vision statement, and using it daily throughout everyone's duties simply makes the vision statement a thing hanging on the wall in the lobby of our agencies.
I would say the same about my department Joey. I think that a "paraphrased" version could be repeated from time to time in shift meetings etc. Perhaps this would serve as a reminder. As far a reciting goes, I believe a person can recite something and still not put it into effect.
Monte, the mission and vision statement at one point, was important enough to create. It is incumbent that we, as leaders, teach the meaning of them to all new employees. We forgot what is truly important and neglect to communicate the essential information of all, the reason why we exist.
Monte, I agree that it is more important for agencies to ensure the vision statement is understood, rather than just displaying it like a trophy on the wall just to show you have a vision statement.
I agree, because the vision statement is symbolic and represents the department as a whole. It speaks about what vision the department is reaching toward and what's set in place.
I agree. Any agency can have a mission/ vision statement, but it does no good if its not promoted or reinforced by leadership.
That is when credible leadership takes place and we become involved with our officers. We intentionally meet and communicate how “we” as a whole “act” out our vision and mission. Creating clarity if it is needed to better understand.
My agency is completely guilty of having a vision statement that is hanging on the wall and no one reads it or really thinks about it after they are hired or promoted in their agency. There really is meaning behind it that a lot of people that I work with overlook and simply just forget about. Our administrators have recently been bringing it to everyone's attention at different trainings and reminding them what it even says. That way people can look at it and start thinking about how it applies to them or what they are doing to live up to it.
Kari, It is the same way at my agency. We definitely need to start reminding everyone what the vision statement is and what it really means.
I agree it goes hand in hand, there must be a vision statement and employees must have clarity and understanding of it. It is our responsibility as leaders to communicate effectively the expectations of our agency's vision.
Monte, this is a powerful and accurate statement. Employees are introduced to the Mission statement during the orientation phase, but how many have a proper understanding?
I think that employees should be brought in and given the chance to have input on updating an agencies vision statement. As time goes on, it becomes imperative to update your vision statement to show the team where they plan on going.
I agree that having employees understand the vision statement of an agency is important. I believe following and aligning the employees with the vision statement will lead to success.