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.
We're taught WHAT to do and HOW to do it when we first start this career, but I think teaching the WHY is taken for granted. Most employers likely assume we know the why when we start a career in law enforcement. With time, I think the WHY gets cloudy and it slowly turns into a bi weekly paycheck..
"I found this session truly enjoyable as it prompted me to pause and reflect on the fundamental purpose behind our work. It's easy to get bogged down in the daily grind of our jobs, often losing sight of the 'Why'. When our industry faces periods of uncertainty, it's crucial that we stay mindful of our underlying mission and remain focused on it."
The “why” has always been an important factor to me when learning but also teaching officers. I have always found it easier to get your message across if you start with the “why”. The good supervisors or actual leaders I have worked for in my career have almost always started with the why. This was a good module in explaining the “why” and how important it is to communicate it. I have never heard of the golden circle theory, but it makes sense.
"I've noticed that beginning with the 'Why' tends to simplify the explanation process. Typically, the 'How' and 'What' aspects become more evident once the underlying purpose is established. By starting with the 'Why', deputies tend to have fewer follow-up questions and a clearer understanding of the topic at hand."
The WHY definitely needs to be the first part of training, maybe even focused on during the initial interview for employment.
This module was a good reminder of the importance of “why” we in law enforcement go to work every day. If you lose the “why” you do anything, maybe you should rethink what you are doing. I especially liked the part of the module where Lt. Col. Scott talked about maintaining high standards. This is an important aspect of law enforcement in my opinion. With growth or change in leadership, those high standards can diminish quickly. Also, to keep those high standards the people in the organization have to know the “why” and they have to trust you.
Knowing the ‘Why” is essential to the long-term success of the agency's core value. In my experience, on all levels, knowing the “why” has been critical to the basic understanding of the job. When I was still working patrol and was a field training officer, I would always explain why we did every task that we did. In doing this, the trainees seemed to understand better the job they were performing versus just completing tasks because they were told to do so. Eventually, leading them to have a great understanding of all levels of the job and helped them to better under the agency’s mission as professional law enforcement officers.
I found the explanation of the Golden Circle insightful, particularly for our profession, because a lot of our objectives are carried out from the outside inward. Specifically, we tend to tell people what to do and how to do it without telling them why we want it done in the first place. It is a culturally focused topic that deserves more consideration in this field internally, but externally as well, especially where public conflict is concerned.
We must understand the cause to understand the mission; therefore, we must understand the "why" and ensure all others do. Those who can inspire give people a purpose. Those who lead do so with more than facts and figures; they do so because of the purpose. They help people to act for the good of the whole, not because they have to but because they want to. We should all learn to act, think, and be able to inspire. Knowing “Why” is essential for long-term success. For agencies who genuinely believe in their mission, vision, and core values, there is no better leader than one who uses the golden circle methodology.
The “Why” is and always has been a major selling point in any industry. This is something that we as leaders should strive for. Similar to the buy-in, once you let someone in on the why they assume some responsibility on the mission even if they are not fully on board. A group or team all working towards the same goal will always outwork a group or team when only one person knows the why. If everyone on the team has bought into the why they will also work as a cohesive unit. The airline that went from worst to first in the lecture was a perfect example of this.
Randy, I agree 100%. Everyone must know the "why" to perform the mission and understand the vision. Knowing the "why" is essential to long-term success. Although this has always been important, I believe it is even more so today based on our learnings from the last chapter. For agencies who genuinely believe in their mission, vision, and core values, there is no better leader than one who uses the golden circle methodology.
I agree that knowing the “why” is essential to long-term success and understanding the core mission. I have also experienced knowing the “why” even in every task that is performed is essential as well. Most of the men and women working the streets within our agency are Millennials, and for them, knowing why they are doing every task they are doing seems to motivate them to complete these tasks. Answering calls for service, completing reports, etc.
The golden circle is a concept I was not familiar with before this course, but it certainly makes sense. I particularly liked the example of Continental Airlines and the comeback that they made using this ideology. This is something that can be applied to public safety leadership at all levels and can serve as good inspiration for one's team.
Robert, this is my first time with the golden circle as well. I like the simplicity of it. Explaining the why will only help in any situation. Too often orders are issued that may or may not make sense. When the why is thrown in it may make something that was uncomfortable very comfortable for a younger officer to perform.
The examples of the effectiveness of "The Why," Continental Airlines, Starbucks, Harley Davison, Apple, Microsoft, and Walmart truly drove home the point. The why applies to the organization and the individual. During the lecture, I found myself self-reflecting quite a bit and realized that reaffirming my why is a morale booster. I truly want to make my community better, I want to protect the venerable, and I want to be fair with everyone. As a shift commander, I want my officers to share my "why." I am also pleased to realize that my current Chief has the same "why" that I do or that they are at least parallel to mine.
I particularly found the discussion about Continental Airlines an inspiration on how to treat employees and drive an organizational culture change. Gordon Bethune took over Continental when it was in near shambles. When he stepped into that role, he engaged with his workforce and inspired them to change the culture, giving them the “why.” One of his mottos was happy employees equal happy shareholders. I think the same is true in government service. If the shareholders (the constituents) have a positive experience, that may translate into more sales (voting for levies and tax increases). Now, this may be off base a bit, as I know very few people that enjoy more taxes, but the old adage in the nonprofit world is to tug at the heartstrings, and the pocketbooks open up. There also has to be actual value in the product but it sure makes it easier when your customer has a smile on their face from a positive personal interaction.
I agree. Using the examples of thriving companies and companies that turned it around by asking the "why" definitely helped with showing the importance of the concept. Even giving an example of leaders who use this concept helped explain it.
The golden circle is more of a golden target with the bullseye being "the why." As Scott stated, "Companies with a strong sense of why are able to inspire their employees. Those companies are more productive and innovative."
I think these lessons can also be applied to Law Enforcement and we as leaders need to look to inspire our employees to be productive and not just demand it.
Mitch, I like your analogy and I agree that this can serve as great inspiration and improve productivity.
I most liked and found most interesting was the "Golden Circle" model. the "Why" of the center of focus and looking from the inside out. I never in y years had been made aware of this concept but i will definitely be implanting it in my daily life activities.
The examples provided by Lt. Col. Scott were helpful in putting into the context of why the "why" is important. There was a few times in the videos I had to rewind the lesson so that I could accurately define the why - who- and what, as the words can flow very quickly past understanding as the difference can be minimal one moment but huge the next depending on the context. In the lesson when Sinek defined the that the Golden Circle is based not on psychology but on biology, I had my doubts at first as I attributed most of the why-what-and how to motivational thinking, when the ideas on the Neocortex and Limbic System were defined it locked in more and made sense as to the gut feeling and rational thought.
I enjoyed Lt. Col. Scott discussing the history of Continental Airlines and Mr. Bathoon. Mr. Bathoon had taken a failing airline and turned it around. He changed the airline's culture and made it about the employees and not the customers. Which in fact benefitted the customers in the end with a better product and service. He made the work environment more like a family, developing trust and loyalty. He had an open-door policy while at the same time getting the employees all working for the same result and direction. Teamwork!
I agree with you on this part of the module. It was very interesting and inspiring to hear the techniques that turned that company around.
A topic I found interesting was that of the major brands and their followings.
I have never been one to pay attention to marketing or sales, but I nonetheless found myself falling for the "Golden Circle" model repeatedly.
I had a variety of motorcycle brands over the years, and at one point, I felt the need to have a Harley Davidson. The other brands I had were major manufacturers, but there was something that I thought I was missing. I wanted to align myself with the Harley Davidson culture, which I was drawn to, so I caved in and bought one.
In the end, I was not impressed. I found the maintenance schedule and cost higher than others. The build quality was on par or, in some cases, sub-par to others. And while on that Harley, I would drive past a local coffee shop to go to Starbucks. The power of influence is crucial.
I think Daniel, you are correct in the why you joined in on Harley Davidson. The belief of why you wanted to belong to that brand based upon the information they put out there, about where it is built and how good it is, and that it is a true bikers bike, helped to install your gut feeling and emotional response to want to buy one. I did the same thing years ago, when the Xbox came out and they portrayed themselves as a gaming system that would be the future and HD-DVD would outperform Blu-ray. Well I backed the wrong horse at that time, but all the hype that was put out and all the focus of the technology that would revolutionize the future was not any different than PS4, it was in my mind my loyalty to the Microsoft brand and not wanting to jump ship to the ones who licensed DOS and Windows.....there is a morale there somewhere but I will leave that to others to comment on.
I was first introduced to Simon Sinek about four years ago during a period of introspection. His use of the “golden circle” for marketing is intriguing to say the least. As leaders, it is important for us to ensure we are holding ourselves accountable to the vision of our respective organizations and surrounding ourselves with like minded individuals. We do this by understanding our why and using effective communication to clearly define it for others. When we explain the reasoning behind our decisions we increase buy-in and acceptance. When buy-in occurs dedication to the success of the vision and mission is elevated.
Jarrett is the one who turned me onto Simon Sinek several years ago. His lessons are ones that every aspiring leader should take note of and put into practice. In addition, the "Golden Circle" is a model that can be used in various business and personal applications to enhance buy-in.
I really like this "Golden Circle" idea. I never thought about the why like this before. Very interesting. I will be implementing this idea in my daily activities.
Mr. Parker, I totally agree with you. The "Golden Circle" model open my mind to a better way of thinking and helps explain why some companies or places succeed and others fail. Taking the "Why" technique should be the standard for all if they are interested in success.
This is such an excellent tool for leaders to understand and utilize. We have to reiterate our why in everyday life at work. While teaching subordinates and promoting excellency with the department, we must ensure that everyone knows our why. We also have to understand their why and ensure it’s on the path for the agency to grow. My time in the Marines taught me what my why was. Knowing we could go to war to protect others was my first understanding of why. Young Marines didn’t understand why; they thought shooting guns and flying around in helicopters was cool. I had to teach them why we did things, not just how. This is still true in the police department and as a SWAT team commander.
Simon Sinek teaches us to focus on “The Why” of our organization so that we are able to inspire our organization by creating a group of followers to achieve a common goal because they want to not because they have to. Most of us who’ve entered the career of Law Enforcement and have stayed in it for the last 10 to 20 years got into the career because we love serving or we wouldn’t still be here. The biggest take away from the lecture for me will be how I will proceed with my questions during the next time I’m interviewing an applicant that wants to come to work for my agency. Letting the applicant know our agency’s purpose as well as determining their purpose will assist us on our applicant selection.
I agree that we should ask our applicants their "why." The best officers I have worked with usually have a passion or a "why" from a life experience. The officers most passionate about traffic enforcement frequently lost someone to a wreck. The officers most passionate about combating narcotics typically have someone close to them that suffers from addiction. Without a doubt, their "whys" drive them, and they are all outstanding officers.
Too often officers focus on What and perceive individual tasks as ends in themselves. Greater context is infrequently considered. I don’t recall ever leaving a call for service considering whether I acted in keeping with our agency’s mission statement. Age tends to broaden perspective. I have learned to consider what we do, how we do it, and why, mostly through addressing problems. This module provided a clearer understanding of where agencies’ leaders should place their focus.
You are on point. Our agencies need to center themselves on our why first and then the how and what. The more we focus and establish our why the more our communities and staff will support our mission.
Joseph Spadoni Jr.
Session #15
Learning about the Why, How, and What puts things into perspective when leading your team. This lecture helped me understand how important it is to sell what you believe to people and have them believe it too. By inspiring people to know the Why we do what we do will make people feel like they belong and draw them into the organization.
I agree with the necessity of selling Why. It is part of inspiring people, and can be a significant challenge.
Paul Smith
Session #15
This lesson focused more on the question of why. I feel that this has opened me up to figure what is the reason that motivates my subordinates. I feel that if we find out what motivates me and the organization, then I will be able to get the deputies to "buy in" to the shared visions that the organization has. In doing this the deputies will be motivated and have a shared vision with the organization.
I enjoyed this lecture on Why and agreed it's essential as leaders to explain the why. The why keep people focused on the fundamentals of the mission. The why gives a sense of direction when subordinates run into issues. They can analyze a situation or a problem to see if it fits into the why of the assignment. Law Enforcement, why in my opinion, should always involve officers' safety and the community's relationship with the agency.
I also feel that as a great leader we need to allow for the deputies to be more involved. I think that if we think, act, and communicate what the organizations why is, the deputies will be able to have a shared vision with the leaders of the department.
Paul, I agree. Communicating the why to officers will allow them to have the same vision and draw them further into the organization.
Jeremy Pitchford Session #015
I think when we explain the "Why?" to our subordinates that they are more effective. It is much more beneficial to explain why you want them to complete a task than to tell them, "because I said so."
I agree they understand better when we explain why and often have better results. The why helps with buy in from the employees.
A business model for success has strong correlation to public safety. When its put into perspective of WHY, it bring people with the same passion together to achieve goals.
This lesson made me realized how important the "Why" is in every aspect of our lives. We as leader must frequently remind ourselves of our "WHY" and share the agency's "WHY" with the younger generation. It assigns value to what we do.
Jeremy Pitchford Session #015
You're right Kecia. We need to pass on the "Why?" to the younger generation. I think the earlier they learn the "Why?" the more time they will have to develop the "How?" and the "What".
I agree that we should definitely focus on seeking employees that understand our "Why" and want to be a part of that. If they share our Department's purpose and belief, they may carry that into the public we serve. This may help develop a sense of trust and cooperation within our communities.
Exciting Module centered on what we as consumers or organizations want. We are inspired and inspire others by focusing on why instead of what. We dream of what we desire and encourage others to help us reach our goals. This is where delegation fits in leadership; leaders inspire people with similar values but different skillsets to produce a product or service they both want.
I know in my personal life I have always reacted more positively to something if I was provided with the why. Thinking back through all the jobs I have had over the years. Some of the best bosses I have had always strived to fill in that "why" piece. They didn't stop there, they filled it in with inspiration and motivation. Even if there was a directive made that I did not like, it was something easier to swallow and I continued to work just as hard as if I had fully embraced the directive in the first place.
The why, I have learned is utmost in the law enforcement profession. It is the getting out and doing the job and doing it for the right reasons. The why is to be the very best we can be at taking care of each other and the community in which we serve. The why for me is to make sure every day, I do the very best I can. Make sure the citizens of the city I live and work are safe. Make sure the people who work for me are taken care of. When the people who work for you see that you truly care about them, they will work that much hard. When the people who work for you see the why, the how is a lot easier.
It is always in everyone's best interest when officers do the job for the right reason, but to be balanced, we have and need people who have the skill set required for the job and more of a desire to be good at performing, more the desire to do the right thing the task as
The “why” is a concept I have understood better in recent years. As stated in the previous module on generations, Millenials often want to know the “why” when instructed to do something. Older supervisors often felt this questioning was disrespectful, but as we have learned, they want to understand “why” things are done a certain way. This module has opened my eyes even further to the “why.” In his book, Sinek has a section titled, “ If You Don’t Know the WHY, You Can’t Know The HOW.” The passage referred to Pacific Southwest Airlines, but the title resonated with me regarding how to better explain our procedures to new officers.
In the opening TED Talk by Simon Sinek, I liked his statement that leaders will choose to sacrifice so that their people may be safe and protected and so that their people may gain. In turn, our people will then sacrifice for us. This establishes the basis for trust. Later in the module, Lt. Colonel Scott made another statement that only when the “why” is clear and when people believe what you believe can a true loyal relationship develop. A bit later, he said there are only two ways to influence human behavior, you can manipulate it or you can inspire it. This type of leadership cannot be feigned or simply imitated. That is the reason why I believe the truly great leaders (the few) in history really stand out. Our profession would be so much greater and our impact on society would be so much more if our leaders aspired to be so genuine.
Start with the why: This module does a great job on separating what a visionary leader can do as opposed to a manager. I’ve always striven for “The Why” in my professional endeavors but could never put my finger on what “the why” meant until listening to Sinek and Scott. I’ve often felt alone in my thinking and “the why” as most colleagues have been focused on “the what and the how”. A little self-vindication that answers for the success that I’ve had over my career but I’m still learning as well.
My ongoing work is to keep my team members valued as most teammates want to focus on the “what and how”. I’ve seen this insidious thinking ruin many of good people, jading their perceptions and wrecking careers. This module gave me some ideas to consider and implement that will keep our “why” alive after my departure after all, they will protect me and my family when I’m gone.
Life and work can be a constant barrier to our subordinate’s passion in their work, “the why”. For my part, communication is the key to inspire a higher purpose because in most cases we don’t see the outcome of our work. We don’t typically get the satisfaction of seeing a job completed from start to end like say a carpenter does. To combat that, we must constantly inspire our higher purpose.
I agree with you Gerald, Effective Communications is the key to being an effective leader and it’s essential to have in order to inspire your subordinates into the buy in of the agency’s purpose of “The Why”.
My agency, like all the others, struggle with finding the best people to come and fill the ranks. It seems that in Law Enforcement, we are always hiring. I am proud of the agency that I work for. I know that I can make more money by going to another agency, but I like the atmosphere and the "family" we have grown to become here. I work here because I like working here. I enjoy coming to work everyday. It is interesting talking about the WHY. I asked my Lt WHY we do what we do in investigations. I think we all have a notion of what we do and why we do it, but we never talk about it. It is not discussed. i want to change that. I want to come up with a WHY my unit, the property unit, does what it does. What is our purpose. If I can get my people on board, then hopefully we can get the division on board and hopefully the passion will spread. If it does not, then at least we will have the passion here in our unit.
I agree, Andrew that too often law enforcement agencies tend to compromise standards and expectations simply to fill a position and let's face it, there aren't that many quality men and women scrambling to fill our ranks. I, too have a really good agency that does not lower our standards. I took to heart Sinek's comment (over and over) that people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. He later said that if you hire people just because they do a job, they will work for your money, but if you hire people who believe what you believe, they will work for you with blood, sweat, and tears. I believe that if we in law enforcement would communicate more efficiently our "why", we might begin to attract only those quality men and women we need to fill our ranks, join our families and serve our citizens.
Most officers know HOW to do the job and WHAT is expected of them, but not everyone has clearly defined WHY they do the job. As Leaders we must effectively communicate the "why" to our subordinates.
I agree, we must communicate to our officers the why. We must make sure they understand the importance of why we do the job.
I agree, but as leaders, we must make sure they clearly understand the "WHY." This may be accomplished through effective communication techniques.
The "Why" in policing is very important to me. There are safer, higher paying jobs everywhere so to get the next generation on board and passionate , Why we are there must be clear.
I agree, the Why is definitely the concept that brings out the passion in everyone.
The module, an overview of the book Starting with the Why, by Simon Sinek, emphasizes the need to be able to inspire others around you. It is important to know the “why”, the reason behind what we do. I found this module very challenging as I digested the tenants of Sinek’s book and the overview Lt. Col. Scott gave to the listener. The challenge for me is to refocus on my “why”, and as a leader, I need to be able to explain the “why” to the officers in my charge. As Lt. Col. Scott stated, you need to know your “why”, especially in the face of all the incentives and signing bonuses that are out to lure new employees. When I look at these facts and the reality of our agency, it feels like it is almost impossible to be competitive with these other agencies. However, developing the “why” and being able to inspire that in others will be the first step that increases loyalty towards the department. When you are able to make it personal, people will more likely have an invested interest in the success of the organization.
In the world of Policing, it is getting harder by the day to get good applicants. I believe if we start using the Why we do what we do, it would greatly change the game. I read my departments application process after this module and its full of this is what we do and what can you offer us. This approach has to change.
I truly believe if we collectively as a profession starts with the "WHY" there will be a paradigm shift in how the public views the police. The public understands what we do and how we do it, but we fail to explain the why and in missing this opportunity the public is left to fill in the why for themselves.
I enjoyed the book and how it discusses the leaders who inspire or make you feel as if you belong. The followers of these inspirational leaders do it from a personal standpoint. They do it "not because they have to, but because they want to."
Learning Area #2 / Module #2 Discussion Post and Response
Captain Jeremy Harrison
Oklahoma City Police Department
National Command & Staff College, Session 16, 2021
Police departments typically do a great job explaining the “what” and “how” but really fail with the “why” (Sinek, 2009, 2:00). I am not sure if failing to address the “why” is due to oversight, not understanding its importance, or just believing everyone knows why we do the job (Sinek, 2009, 2:00). I do believe most officers know why we do the job but lose sight of the “why” at points in their career (Sinek, 2009, 2:00). Every time I hear how we are a light walking into dark places to fight evil, I am encouraged and proud of my profession. Unfortunately, I do not hear those types of comments very often and worse, I do not say them to my officers regularly.
Nearly every police department in the country is having difficulty finding and hiring quality candidates. Many people do not want to be police officers due to the negative politics surrounding the profession. However, if we changed our recruiting pitch and got bold with our messaging, it could potentially help. Boldness could mean we discuss in detail how police officers protect the citizens against those lurking in darkness with a desire for evil. We could also focus on how we mentor and protect the vulnerable, helping them to achieve success in this world. We do discuss those topics to some extent, but we do not always outline the gravity of our impact on the community. If we truly describe the “why” and the results of that why, I am confident more qualified candidates would desire to be part of what we are striving to do (Sinek, 2009, 2:00).
References
Sinek, S. (2009, September). How great leaders inspire action. Ted: Ideas worth spreading. Retrieved February 9, 2022 from
https://www.ted. com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en
I'm not sure if just changing our message would help with recruiting. People have been inundated with such a negative view of the profession thanks to the media and propagandists. Also, the possibility exists of life-altering legal action being taken against you for merely doing your job. There needs to be a societal change in the opinion on the importance of the police. I believe this is beginning to occur as more and more of the "soft on crime" cities are seeing massive crime waves sweep through their communities.
This lesson points out that we have to do a much better job of defining and then communicating our why from recruiting to daily operations. We all have our agency mission statement and values (nouns); however, we don’t stress and ensure that our why is clearly and constantly communicated, replicated, and used in all aspects daily operations.
YES!!!
One of the many good points of this lesson that caught my attention was the two ways to influence human behavior, manipulation, and inspiration. Today law enforcement agencies are in a battle of manipulations to attract the initial interest of applicants and then retain many officers, who are looking for the next higher paying job. It would be interesting to see the result of recruiting beginning with the why in a career filed so used to recruiting candidates beginning with the what.
I found this module interesting since my departement changed and updated our Mission Statement, Core Values and Vision Statement 2 years ago. Before that it had not been updated or changed in many years. Our new one follows the lessons of "the why" from this module. It is clearly stated and absolutely provides a clear filter for decision making for officers. It also clear defines our why to the community. Employees are also held accountable to how we do things to our values.
The why of a law enforcement officer is important to emphasize and remember over the course of an officer's career. As an officer begins their career, it seems "the why" they are joining law enforcement is clear. The challenge is to keep that vision and purpose clear throughout the course of the officers career. As leaders it is easy to get focused on numbers. How many citations, arrest, calls, etc. has each individual officer or division accounted for and lose focus of why those numbers are important. I believe emphasizing the why is far more likely to inspire a positive response from officers on a shift than requesting they increase their activity. Increasing activity alone is not the goal, should not be the focus, and is unlikely to inspire the desired response.
I agree. I also believe that we often lose sight of why we answered this calling and let the negatives impact our mindset, and suddenly, it's just a job. We must do a better job as leaders in keeping our people inspired to be a difference in the community and keep the fire burning.
It's interesting that policing is a career where it seems like our "why" would be crystal clear, and yet that isn't always the case. I suspect that many of us had a very strong sense of "why" when we first came to the job, but have strayed from it from time to time. It's easy for our why to become competition with our partners, or career goals like promotion or transfer. These are good goals, but if we aren't careful, this shift in "why" can build a competing value system that may work against our original (or better) "why." After all, it's a good thing that an officer wants to lead this shift in felons, for example. But what if that desire leads him to take shortcuts in his job, or press charges that he know he doesn't really have? In such a situation, his "why" has become confused and led him into trouble. This is why it's so important that we talk about our "why" often, and that we build it into our core values our mission statements, our processes and procedures, and our training.
Jeff,
I could not agree more with your post. This is a huge concern especially for those who lead our department. Police departments cannot operate well if those in leadership are more concerned with their next promotion than working as a team to move the department forward. If leaders withhold ideas and information from others, it hurts the police department and creates distrust. They “why” must be at the forefront, and we must work as a team to fulfill that “why”. I am not sure how we get there as human sin, selfishness, and greed will always be a competing factor. I am hopeful there is a pathway where the organization becomes the priority and promotions, positions, and pay becomes less of a consideration for those leading our department. I am so thankful to work around those who do care more about our “why” than about ourselves. However, we must be continually prayerful that those who care more about the “why” will be raised up to lead our police departments.
Jeremy
Jeff, I agree it’s important to constantly preach both to our subordinates and ourselves the "why" to battle all the outside forces working against us. This inspirational message will influence, the greatest tool we have as a leader. But I think just as importantly, anytime the leader of the organization speaks, there needs to be a dovetail into the "why". The leader needs to preach an inspirational and encouraging tone, something we don't see much of. When you come across a unicorn leader like this, cherish the time and learn.
It is obvious to me now that all millennials have read Simon Sinek's book, that is why they ask why so much. I'm joking of course, but the millennials are definitely on to something, because knowing why is very important to them. This book and lecture explains a lot of this. If we do not know why we are doing something or why it matters then how are we supposed to work to get that accomplished. Working without purpose is failure from the beginning. When I think back on the leaders that I have had they all had a strong why they did something and most of them definitely pushed that why out to us. Definitely an eye opening lecture.
Lieutenant Colonel Scott brings up excellent points as he summarized Sinek's book. Particularly, he noted that a "why" provides a clear filter for decision-making. When we can identify, believe in, and gain the buy-in of our entire organization for what our purpose is, we can use that purpose as a standard to measure with. We can use that purpose as a litmus test to ask ourselves, "are we honoring our purpose with this decision?" or "are we honoring our purpose with this action?" If the answer is yes, we are on the right path.
Yes! This is one of the reasons I've become a fan of core values statements, at the department and the unit level. Of course, they can become empty buzzwords if you're not careful. If we are able to connect them to our why, and we are able to build them into our culture, our values become a reminder of why we are doing what we are doing, end give us a way to judge how the effects of our actions, policies, and so on connect with our why.
This module was very informative. When you know your purpose, then you understand values. Values can be integral aspects of a person's life. Values are the rules that guide our decision-making and help us know why we do the type of work we do. "Knowing why is essential for lasting success." That is a powerful statement and so true. Why is what drives leaders and allows leaders to make prudent decisions? When you know why it sets the priority, establishes the organization's value, determines the timing, and influences decisions.
Good points Jared. If Leaders don't have that purpose, that "why", our decisions likely won't be based on what is best for our organization. Worse, we might base them on our own personal gain, and we start functioning based on our individual values and not the shared values of our organizations.
The WHY is like the soul of an organization. It's where you find the value and impact of the organization. The WHAT and HOW are functions of the WHY. To have success and longevity in Law Enforcement you better have a strong sense of the WHY.
I agree! If you do not understand why others won't understand the purpose. To be a law enforcement officer, you should know why you choose to do this line of work—the why is what motivates you to keep doing this type of work because it is fulfilling. When you know and understand why being underpaid has to be acceptable because you choose to do a job known to be underpaid. Great post!
I agree, I believe that most of us entered this profession due to a strong sense of why; however, it easy to lose sight of the why when you get caught up in the daily grind. Those who completely lose or forget their why are the officers who burn out, leave, or behave themselves out of their agencies.
I agree. If you don't have a sense of the why, then you are just going through the motions and have no true grasp of the totality of what is going on around you.
This module stressed the main focus a leader should have when motivating followers toward accomplishing the goal. Business models were used because it’s a perfect example of getting other people to make confident choices. Like is business, even the base patrol officer has to get other people to do things for the greater good. A patrol officer arriving at a scene becomes the leader by position but hopefully by actions and presence. An example is when an officer comes to a family dispute where no laws have been broken, but a family member who is causing the problem needs to be persuaded to leave. That officer’s best interest would be to begin with telling that person why they are going. No one likes to be told what to do by a person who just arrived into their life, and by breaking down why to the individual, they will be more accepting than if the officer arrives and just barked orders.
This module explained the “why”. You have to know the “why” of the agency as well as hire individuals with the same values. I like the theory of hiring based on attitude not skills since skills can be taught. I never thought about the hiring process this way. The Golden Circle was interesting. The fact of working on your “why” and then move on to the “how” and “what”. You have to work outwards when most work the opposite way.
This is a test!
Every law enforcement agency has a "Why" but sadly, for most, it has degraded itself to just a slogan on a website or decal on the side of a car. Many have become more concerned with statistics and the political climate than taking care of the officer. Sadly, this has led to officers who made an honest mistake, or maybe even acted in a manner consistent with the culture of their agency, being used as a political scapegoat. I feel that more often we see this happening within larger agencies, or agencies that have have experienced large growth, because of the split. Their "WHY" have become cloudy. It is a daunting task, but the chief or sheriff must keep their actions, and the action of their leadership, inline with their vision to ensure the fair treatment of the men and women of their organization to allow for the proper service they wish to provide.
I agree with you Dustin. I found this module interesting since my department recently looked at our antiquated mission statement that had not been changed in who knows. Our current chief saw the need to develop a new mission statement, core values and vision statement. The new one follows the lessons in this module by stating the why and then the how. The statement has been placed on departmental forms and our officers are held accountable for it in all aspects from follow up UOF investigations, pursuits ect.. It clear and concise. It's definitely a good filter for decision making.
The opening idea that great leaders inspire others to act in a deep and personal way for the good of the whole was profound in so many ways. What a better building block for trust then this vision of creating the why and then embodying it through purposeful action. In turn, inspiring others then to do the same and continue to grow the why into action and so on. When so many are going in the same direction loyalty would be the natural outcome. The simplicity of the concept was inspiring in itself. I had not thought of how simple of a process it could be; you simply have to get your talent focused on the same mission with movement forward. I think a key component would be structured check-ins to make sure they why does not get lost in the journey.
So often the “why” is left to others to interpret. Sharing the “why” is important in law enforcement both internally and externally. Externally, the community does not always understand why law enforcement agencies do what they do. We must explain the “why” to show transparency between the department and the community. Internally the “why” is equally important, as it would emphasize the core values and mission of the department and provide clear understanding within the department through open and honest communication. As indicated in the lecture, once we establish the “why”, we can inspire action instead of manipulating people to act.
Stephanie, I agree with you. Sharing the why internally and externally would be so beneficial to both the community and it's officers. It would provide the why and put them on more of a common understanding ground.
Stephanie - I think that the sharing the why externally is definitely as important as internally. When speaking with people in the community there is always the questions of why we do things the way we do, or why those things matter. If we could do a better job of explaining this to some people I think it would help their perspective of us tremendously.
I agree Stephanie. The "why" is what most of our citizen's don't understand. Answering the "why" would bring transparency and hopefully improve communications.
Thus far in this program, as it has focused on leader development, a lot has been discussed on how to treat your people. This module, focusing on the "why" shows a "how" to get your people on the same page as you. As a leader, knowing your own "why" will enable you to get those you lead behind you, and as the module talked about, ideally get their feelings involved to where they make their decisions based on the "why" of the agency.
I agree. It is important to understand the why of the agency and strive to complete tasks and make decisions based on the vision of the organization. I also agree that it is important to identify your why as a leader. Without believing in the organization's why and understanding your own why, it would be difficult to set the example or inspire anyone.
When I was first promoted to Sgt. this was one of the first books I was told to read. This book and module are perfect examples of how Leaders need to lead but how all employees of the organization should be acting. One thing that stood out was that Leaders don't have all the good ideas. They create the environment for good ideas to happen. This idea plays a vital role with the employees to feel empowered to make decisions or presenting their idea to the right people. I recently had a situation that dealt with the inside of a patrol vehicle trashed. I anticipated the employee to become argumentative however, after clearly stating WHY we needed to keep our vehicles clean, the employee stated they understood would clean the vehicle that day. I didn't know this at the time, but I learned in this module that because I clearly stated the WHY, I set the expectation with that employee. The most impactful thing I learned was the golden circle. Instead of explaining something from what-how-why, I should explain things from why-how-what. When Simon uses Apple as an example, it showed how important it is to explain the WHY of the organization.
I thoroughly enjoyed this lesson and learned a lot from Mr. Sinek. I really liked how it was explained that true leaders inspire their employees to greatness. True leaders choose to inspire not to manipulate. A leader needs to establish a clear vision and purpose that employees can focus on and achieve. Employees are at their best when they are surrounded by people that believe in the same vision.
Simon Sinek makes this module seem like the easiest thing to do. But we have to focus in inspire others.
Johnathan, I agree with you. Suppose a Leader can show his passion for his "why," then he will be able to inspire others. True leaders don't need to manipulate others because they will have the desire to want to reach the agency's goals or mission. When everyone unites to accomplish the same goal, this will produce a better culture. By creating a better culture within the agency, the community will also notice a difference.
The lecture provided brings to light the reason why we do the things that we do. We all know the “what” or the “how” but never really concentrate on the “why” aspect of why we do things daily. The presentation by Sinek reminded me that the “why” is the core of why we do the things we do and if everyone is on the same page, success will be the reward. He was exactly right when he described how people don’t buy “what” you do they buy “why” you do it. In law enforcement we certainly should always know the “why” because this will be the direct result of great leadership and followership. If we can constantly maintain our “why” then this will inspire people to follow and create the same trust in others as we have created in them.
I see all to often the “why” being forgotten in this profession. With the attitudes from the public and from within our own ranks. It is easy to forget why one answered the calling to get into this job. To have a career in this line of work, you have to understand your own why. It is something we each have to remind ourselves and our people of every day. I remember the call that brought back my focus on why about 20 years ago. I worked in an inner- city environment and had begun to hate the organization and the citizens I was forced to deal with every day, never being happy with the service provided. Then a call from a 6-year-old boy changed it all. Nothing major from an adult perspective was occurring, but he had a problem and only knew to call 911. After helping the kid, I received the biggest smile ever and my attitude has been changed sense that day. I had to remember that service was my first mission.
We must continually direct our attention back to that mission even when we feel it is a thankless job. Being reminded of that mission will bring inspired people to the front and I believe the pay check seekers will realize this isn’t for them. We have a saying on my squad that we would rather work shorthanded, than with people that don’t belong.
Well said Curtis. Your statement is so true. I have been there and felt negatively toward the job in the past also. Sometimes we do need a reminder on why we choose this profession. People looking to get into this profession needs to ask themselves "why" before even applying.
Our Sheriff about 5 years ago started sharing what the agencies 5 year plan would be. He would lay out what he wanted personnel wise along with growth and division wise. This in turn got the entire agency on the same page regarding the Mission and Vision of the command. He has since stuck to his 5 year plan and just about logged a 100 percent return on what he shared 5 years ago. This is important because as a leader we can share a vison or mission but without the proper follow through and realization of set goals you can destroy an agency. Forming a cohesive and strong team environment is essential to not only retain your people but to also attract new candidates for service.
The presentation definitely outlined how some organizations thrive in obtaining long-term success and how others fail. It is vital that the leader establishes a vision and purpose that employees can relate to. Secondly, it is the role of the leader to guarantee the employees understand how they contribute to the overall organizational growth. It is a significant part of ensuring they hear the leaders’ “WHY” loud and clear. The leader has to create an environment in which the employees feel the organization cares for them. Lastly, the most important quality is how the leader must motivate others making each day better than the last one.
Joey,
I couldn't agree more. I feel as if this module focused more so on the product we deliver to the customer/public and it did address that good leaders having and expressing the "why" inspires people, but from the leader development aspect, it cannot be stressed enough that those you lead MUST understand your "why" and, ideally will be on the same page, or if not, see that the organization is not for them and find an organization where the leader's "why" also fits their own.
The final quote in this module is my favorite, " What if we as law enforcement professionals truly embrace our why and spend everyday striving to fulfill our organizational vision, and make each new day better than the previous one for all of our customers." We must all remember why we do this job and become the "how type" to create the system to inspire others we hire and serve in our communities to fulfill our mission.
The final quote is quit poignant in regards to it really bears out that our true why is "service". The way we serve our communities and each other is a direct reflection on the supervision we are currently receiving.
Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle can be directly applied to a Public Safety’s Mission Statement, Values, and Core Values. The Golden Circle is made up of three rings. The outside ring is the What. The What is what an organization does on a daily basis. The middle ring is the How. For an organization this would be how they chose to accomplish and prioritize the tasks they want to accomplish under the What. The inside circle is the Why. The Why describes why an organization chooses to do something-why the organization exists in the first place. In a successful organization the Why drives how an organization thinks of itself and the message they are trying to convey to the public. Strong organizations have a good sense of their Why and the culture of the organization reflects the Why in almost everything they do.
The problem with my agency and I suspect the same is true with a lot of agencies is that most employees don't understand the Why. I feel leaders in my organization, myself included, need to do a better job in making sure others know the Why in order to have a more solid foundation.
Donald, you make a valid point. It is the culture that establishes an organization’s set of strong values and beliefs. It is the role of the leader to create an environment where great ideas can happen.
I've always enjoyed Simon Sinek's TED talks. This book and module really hammered home to me that it is very easy to say WHAT we do and HOW we do business because those are easiest to answer. It reinforced to me that clearly articulating WHY we do what we do is what we need to be most focused on for long term success. We must not forget WHY we are in this profession and as leaders in our agency we must continually challenge the WHY to make sure we don't stray off course and so we always improve.
I also feel the "why" needs to be shared amongst all. It needs to be reinforced department wide to remind us all of the "why". Then we are ensure to pass the why onto the newer generations as they start in their career in law enforcement.
I agree, over the many years of my profession I have had to remind myself of the WHY a few times. There have been many more times I have had to remind a few of my colleagues of the WHY. I have also had the privilege on many occasions to explain the WHY to the public.
As I watched this lecture I was reminded of when my agency created the 3-5 year Strategic Plan. This was in 2019 and the agency hired an outside professional to come in to assist us in creating the plan. The very first day she tasked us with figuring out who we were as an agency. This harped a lot on why we do what we do as law enforcement. This was actually a very difficult thing to answer. We tossed around a lot of whys and were able to use our why to create the how we do things and the what we do. This was a very beneficial way of starting the planning process and we were able to create our Mission Statement, Values, and Vision.
This lesson taught me about knowing your WHY and making that part the most important to focus on in your agency. Just please honest and inform the people on what the job is about.
Shawn,
I agree that this can be the most important thing to focus on, especially in law enforcement. It is also a good thing to ask your officers from time to time, and have them really think hard about why they do what they do.
Shawn, I agree. The Why keeps us all grounded and not fixated on the everyday frustrations of the job.
This was a very inspiring module on learning the "Why." I especially liked the part about Shackleford's advertisement for courageous men for a dangerous journey that he could not guarantee safe return from. Building the right team with like minded individuals, while empowering them with the WHY... WHY we do this job.
Just as he said, a guide to amplify what we do right. Good ideas are intended to be beneficial. I am sure many of us have made decisions or implemented action where there could have been more emphasis on the” Why”. From this lesson I see the value in changing our vision from nouns to verbs and how it gives clarity to handle situations with accountability. This is one item I'll speak about with my group so that we can improve as a whole. Another well received lesson…..from the BEST instructor yet!!! (Remember this when grading my essay. Lol.)
I totally agree with Chris even the part of best instructor. I never understand that if you focused on your why it makes a difference in your outcome.
I believe that in Law Enforcement, it's easy to forget our purpose or why? For this reason, it's important to revisit our "why" constantly. This should be done as a department and our personal and original reason why we chose law enforcement. Simon Sinek, gave us an excellent message on how we are biologically built to respond to the "Why." Our purpose provides us with the drive to succeed.
Jose,
I agree that the “why” is easy to forget sometimes because we are always concentrating on the what or the how. It is something we should keep in check and not lose control of otherwise; we may fall short of our true goal of public service. Our purpose is something that drives us to succeed but without knowing why we are going the direction we are; we may lose sense of why we were suppose to do it in the first place.
Start with why 9is certainly a concept many organizations fasil at conveying to their employees. People just show up to work every day and do their job so they can get a pay check. When we teach someone why we do what we do, we receive a better return in the end. Why gives someone meaning and understanding. They can begin to take pride in the what.
This module puts things in perspective. When you think about it, why do you participate in something; if you don't know "why" you're doing it. Knowing the "why" is similar to knowing the purpose of something. Why support something if you do not have a reason. Why believe if there isn't a cause. Your "why" should be your motivation and drive to your cause and beliefs. If individuals know your "why" it puts substance behind your "know."
Watching this module it has definitely helped better explain some things, for example how some successful organizations and leaders survive and stay in around for years while other organizations fail so quickly. The “Why” is so important to survive and continue building a better organization. Leaders in law enforcement agencies must communicate the why to their subordinates. Failing to do so can bring negativity. During training and during the academy it is imperative that the leaders stress what our “Why” is. By doing so it will inspire them to continue to focus on the agencies “Why”.
Darryl, I like incorporating the "WHY" into trainings and academies. Specifically with academies, you are sending that clear message to the newest people who are joining your agency. Great point!
People don't buy what you do, but why you do it. This brings on a new way of thinking for myself. The goal is to sell yourself and your agency to the community that we serve. We have to sell them on why we do this job, why do we have passion so that they will have the highest level of confidence in our departments when we respond to them and how we handle that incident.
Kevin, I agree and believe that with the proper leadership, we can restore the confidence in our profession.
I agree with you Kevin. Many times our WHY is what the public really wants to hear, but we tend on focus on communicating the HOW and What, thus leading to a feeling of mistrust. Transparency must be paramount in everything we do if we want to build trust and confidence.
Start With Why, How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action is a great book and the module sums it up well. The ability to lead and inspire is what all leaders aspire to. Communication as always is key for this endeavor. It reminded me of instances where I was inspired by simply being given a little extra explanation so I could understand where the motivation for a change was. I have found that given the extra information it is much easier to get a larger buy in from my team. If I tell my team to go do something a different way than normal and don’t explain why then they will do it while I am watching. But the moment I’m not around they will go back to whatever way they are most comfortable with. When I couple the instructions with the reason why they give better and more long lasting results.
Scott, W. (2017). Start with why. Module 2, Weeks 3 & 4. National Command and Staff College.
Sinek, S. (2011). Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Penguin Group.
What is our why is what I was thinking about when I finished watching the presentations. I know clearly what we do. I know how we do it. As an organization why do we do what we do? Do we have that why written down somewhere? Do we convey it to the employees? How can we attract like-minded individuals if our why is left unanswered or ambiguous? I think my organization needs to better spread the why, so we can better attract people who get our why.
I really thought about the process of having a culture of why. It is definitely a shift in thinking when hiring new officers for the department to fit them within the culture that they have. For the past several hiring processes, our chief has used the phrase "hire for character, train for skill." In other words, hire the person for who they are and we can then train them to be an officer. If someone is an officer somewhere else, we will not hire them on that basis alone if their character doesn't match what we are looking for. We can't train someone to have good character. The lesson talked about running job postings by listing the attributes you are looking for in a candidate versus a listing of qualifications. What a shock that would be to the traditional job posting! The culture must be something that is shared by everyone within the organization. While it may take a more significant investment in a new hire to provide them with all the needed skills and qualifications, it will likely pay off in the long run as the employee will stay with your organization as they fit well within the culture.
This is awesome. If every agency would adopt this kind of hiring process we would have fewer legitimate police wrongdoing reports. If we can hire the people that match our values, we can have a department like no other. Hire the character and train the officer, that should be the goal of every department. We recently had an academy recruit that resigned because he realized that he could not see himself doing the job. He was hired based on his qualifications but he did not have the character to do the job.
In today's world of law enforcement, officers are often asking themselves why they are still doing the job. As a leader, it is essential to dig deep when things get hard and remember your "why." You also need to speak and mentor your officers and find out their "why" as well. Find out what your officers are good at and inspire and motivate them to be successful.
Derek,
That is a good take away from the module. It is one of the first things I try to ask when meeting new team members. I want to know why they decided to join law enforcement and why they join our agency specifically. Often I get a specific answer to the first question but the second is usually a matter of we hired them first. So to reach and try to retain those that came to us out of chance I try to explain our why. I tell them the benefits we have in comparison to other agencies but also tell them why we are the only agency around that does these things. We are reinventing the wheel where I work but we do make work fun and take what could be a very hostile and unrewarding profession into a second family for most employees.
Derek - I agree that the law enforcement today is different from 20 years ago. there have been many changes and many co-workers ask that of themselves: "Remind me again, why am I doing this again?". It is simple for me; I remind them all the time that you have passion for this job and there are few individuals that are capable, competent enough or have the will to protect and serve.
Agree. It is also essential for us to revisit this question. Especially the longer we do this profession. It's necessary to keep ourselves motivated and surround ourselves with positive people who can help us push forward.
Very good point which I can relate to Derick. The events of last year clouded my vision and I just couldn’t see why anyone would want to do this in the future. I’m looking with my perspective. What provided hope to me was when a future son-in-law told me he was entering our field and told me his “Why”. That brought me back to our Mission, Vision and Core values, or the Why, how, and what.
I have watched this video several times of Simon Sinek and it never gets old. I believe especially in law enforcement we need to re-visit our respective department's "why" and decide who we are as a profession and how we are going to do it. We are very good at the what of our jobs; but we need to ensure our purpose is virtuous and focused on the heart set and mindset of our officers and our leaders. Our administrators to our newest officers need a clear vision of who we are as an agency in order to best serve our communities.
Jay, that is so true about revisiting our departments “why”. We need to always make sure that everybody has a clear vision of the ‘why”. If we lose that vision then we are not properly serving our community.
Jay I must agree. We all need to ensure we understand and remember why in order ensure we pass that on to others. too many times leaders get caught up in what we do or how we do it, the why is lost. Additionally, the why may help with generational gaps as discussed in the previous module.
As leaders we must sell our why to the ones that work under as by inspiring them so he or she can see the positive in the work we do. once they see what a difference we make in the community they will want to do the same thing. We must do this with the public in a whole to make them want to be an officer. show them that the positive work we do can lift others up.
Buck, I agree as leaders we must motivate and inspire individuals and the people who work with us. How can we inspire or lead if we do not know "why" we do what we do. If we don't believe how can we expect them to believe. If we don't have a "why"; than where is the purpose. If there isn't a purpose, where is the substance.
The golden circle is the big take away from this section for me. I, in the past have made it a point to ask new deputies that I have trained "why" did they decide to be a deputy or choose to enter this job. Most if not all of them have had the same answer in the end. They mostly want to have a positive impact on someone's life. This is knowing the why. I then ask them to think about how they can do that. I did not know that I was already practicing the golden circle. Hearing this was an eye opener.
"Its not what you do, its why you do it" (Sinek, 2009) So true in our profession. Its one thing to procedurally know how to do the job; but to know why you do it; and to do it selflessly year in and year out...that's powerful.
Jay Callaghan
Session #013
That really is a powerful statement. We all do different jobs within law enforcement, but we also know "Why" we do it too especially in these uncertain times in our profession.
I think Sinek's explanation of the Golden circle and how it applies to biology was very interesting. I feel its also very accurate to say it's easy to define the Why and What we do as police officers, but it's harder to define the Why we do things. It's also harder to define the why when we look to our vision of policing. I think the biggest "why" answer that has come as of recently is the development of community oriented policing. Sure, we have been and continue to be effective using traditional policing styles but, community oriented policing dives deep in the why. It's hard to believe that we can fight crime by getting to know he citizens, getting out in the community, and preventing it. We need to continue to look towards the next "why" and find it's answer for modern policing.
Tony- Yes, I concur. As LEO's, we have spent much of our career deconstructing issues such as domestics, homicides, frauds, etc. to get to the "why"...isn't it interesting that during this same time frame many of us have neglected the "why" when it comes to our mission. I really got quite a bit out of this module. It really has given me a fresh perspective on finding solutions to issues and allowing more participation from less tenured commanders. Actually, its allowed for some mentoring for all of us!
Best and stay safe!
Ken
The question rings in almost every day. Why do we do what we do; as leaders, as police officers, as professionals and as public servants? After some time to reflect on this topic it is clear that our roles in law enforcement, just as individuals, are dependent upon the courses of action we take. In essence, we are what we eat. This might sound somewhat simplistic, but at the end of the day it seems to resonate. A person's diet impacts their health, their appearance and their reputation. So, too, does the profession of law enforcement. The profession feeds its members leadership development. Poor leadership development results in a less-responsive, less flexible workforce. Great leadership training fed to the masses dictates success, flexibility, preparedness and an ample supply for synergy (Thibault, Lynch & McBride, 2004).
Answering why we do what we do dictates the how and what. If we, as police professionals, are motivated by a sense of honor, duty and service to our citizenry, then the how and what become just tools of the why. We seek to serve and provide credible leadership to our colleagues so that the public may be the recipients of fairness and professionalism from its law enforcement apparatus. That is our end game, and it is as clear as it is simple.
References
Thibault, E.A., Lynch, L.M., McBride, R.B. (2004) Proactive police management, sixth edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ.
This module really hit home for me. Having been selected for a leadership position in a fairly larger department for my area, it was extremely important to establish a "why". I understood early on that not having a reason why for doing what you're doing, you will exhaust and burn yourself out quickly. It's important to express WHY you do something, WHY you change something, WHY you want things done a certain way. Staff will better understand when you have a "WHY".
Zachary- I completely agree with the importance of the "why"- it is the essence of our vision as law enforcement professionals. It dictates who we are as the police, where we are going as a police department and where we seek to serve as a profession.
Best and stay safe-
Ken
I completely agree. It's important to maintain the vision of "why" so that we don't simply become copies of our predecessors and get left behind. We must continue to evolve as a police agency to make sure that the services we are providing are what our communities truly need.
This module was very informative. My favorite part of this lecture was when the instructor spoke about understanding the why. It made me think why do I work where I work, and why do I enjoy my work. I agree that knowing why is essential for lasting success and it is an important need for humans. A why is a belief and how is the actions you take to realize your belief. Our desire to feel wanted and to belong is powerful. If an employee doesn't feel wanted by an organization they will not go above and beyond. Starting with why is what inspires us to act. I think knowing why is also a great way to motivate people.
Knowing why is a perfect way to motivate people. When someone knows why they are more willing to go the extra mile, stay late, or not give up. Knowing why is as was covered what makes a person loyal to the cause or company. Just like the story of the stone masons, the one that knew the why was willing to keep working even though they project may not be completed in his life time, knowing the why motivated him to keep going.
I saw this module as being very module as being very inspirational and yet elementary as well. I don't mean that as a put down by no means. It was the example of police recruitment that jumped out at me. They will mention salary, benefits perks but never the why. Never really inspiring applicants with a deeper purpose other than financial gain. And today with a police shortage, departments are trying to compete with each other and I have never seen one yet that said or did anything that was inspiring. After viewing this module I walked away thinking what a simple concept.
Very important module for law enforcement. Failing to have a why, in this career, will often leave you with burnout, and unable to last until retirement. Also, with the increasing problem many departments are having hiring qualified candidates, often leaves us settling for warm bodies, and not insuring those joining us have the same why our department stands for and promotes.
True. I believe we all need a reminder of why we are doing this. Also, hiring qualified personnel that does not share the same beliefs and values as our agencies is definitely getting to be a problem.
When I teach de-escalation techniques, one of the critical points I discuss is explaining why we are acting. People want to know why. Why do I need to leave? Why do I need to give you my license? Why.....? It makes perfect sense, then, organizations should also explain the why to the employees and customers. If we are incapable of knowing why we work, why we strive for success, why we have a code of ethics, it is not as easy to succeed or stay in this field. What we do is of constant debate in our society. Wouldn't it be great if people would stop and discuss why we remain in such a contentious career?
I think in today's times more than ever it's vital we identify the "why" that drives us to serve in this profession. I like how Sinek broke down what can be a complex issue into simple explanation and diagram with "The Golden Circle." When facing burnout or frustration reviewing the "why" can really bring things back into focus. Also his refence to Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" is a great read that I can't recommend enough.
I agree with you Robert! I think at times we must remind ourselves of our why.
Robert,
I could not agree more. Having a why to better help drive us to reach our goals is very important in this career. Being able to bring back your "WHY" when times are tough will alleviate the stress and burn out from the stresses of the job. Overall, the module was great in explaining the process and better understanding a "WHY" and the importance.
When listening to Lt. Col. Scott and Simon Sinek speak on companies such as Apple, It makes me stop and truly analyze how magnificent the culture they have created is. The Apple employees and Apple customers have 100% bought in to the product. Imagine how great out Agencies could be, if we could get the same level of support from employees and the communities we serve?
I think you're absolutely right. We almost need to start taking a "sales" approach and market ourselves and our mission statement to out customers - the community.
Scott, I agree that if we can work on getting the word out "why" this is such a great place to work and "why" our area is such safe place to live we can get everyone to work with us.
It is important for leaders to have a clear understanding of their "why". Understanding our why gives us direction and can serve as a great filter for decision making. I really liked the idea presented that we should be hiring people that share our agencies "why" . It is important to hire people who are motivated and share similar values as the organization. Skills can be trained, but drive and motivation to serve others is much more difficult to develop.
The section is very beneficial to all people in a command staff position. So often we are evaluating our results through crime stats, citation numbers, budget savings. All of these are results. I think that we have all lost since of what our "why" is when was the last time any of us read over our departments mission statement and made that a priority over results. I know i haven't in many years. I think that if we start focusing on the "why" like other successful companies the results that we agonize over will get better.
What I took out of this module and book was that an organization should hire to their "why" and train to their "what". For law enforcement our "what" consists of things like responding to 911 calls, patrolling, investigating crimes, interviewing, etc... It is fairly easy to train these tasks or services. If we focus on hiring, developing, and promoting individuals who represent our "Why", then we are in a better place when it comes to serving the community as a whole. This concept is very similar to Erik Therwanger's idea of hiring to culture.
It is certainly critical that a good leader identifies "why" they do what they do. During my carer I have been fortunate enough to have served under leaders that were so good, they identified the "why", without using words. Good leaders tell you the "why", great leaders don't have to say it. Great leaders are so purpose driven and conduct themselves so well that the "why" radiates from them. I believe that another way to describe this is a leader that is passionate about the why. When this is the case, it is projected and unquestionable.
I believe the most important piece of the "why" puzzle starts at the top and should resonate down through the entire department. The chief administrator should send a clear message often (of his or her why) and embody the message in everything that they do. The rank and file should follow suit and be held accountable when their “why” has become fuzzy. If the “why” has been lost and corrective actions cannot be made, separation may be the only remaining choice. We should remind one another of our “why” as we improve on being the best public servants that we can be.
It would be great to see and hear our purposes, visions, and strategies explained by upper management more often. It seems much of the messages sent focus on what and how. How do you drive? What do you do at X-type of call? When why is asked, it seems to come in the form of, "Why the hell did you do that?" I think many of the questions asked of the subordinates would dissipate if the passion was exuded from the top. As Welling Scott said in the lecture, the CEO should "ooze" of the why to inspire others. They should certainly ooze a lot more.
Agreed indeed. Like it was described with police recruitment; they describe salary, benefits but never the purpose or why.
This module is one of the most important, in my opinion, for law enforcement. To successfully serve the public, we need to know why we are doing it. It's easy to teach someone how to be a cop from arresting people safely, dealing with a disturbance or handling a neighbor dispute. However, if we don't know why we are doing it, we are ultimately a reactionary service with no purpose other than putting out little fires all day, when we understand "why" we do things with a purpose and win the hearts of the community. When people in the community are engaged and believe in the WHY they are passionate to work with law enforcement to make a safer community.
Excellent point! The "why" is the whole point of why we exist as a agency in the first place. Its easy to get wrapped up in the day to day logistics of running an organization. Dealing with budgets, complaints, and policies can sometimes cloud our vision of our "why". We must remember our why and clearly communicate it with those in and outside of the agency. If we inspire others to be a part of something good and bigger than themselves, they will likely be more motivated to stay and contribute to moving the agency forward in the future.
Seems simple enough that when I "start with why" I indeed have and know a purpose for what I do. Answering the question of why may be more difficult than answering what or how. WHY would need us to really soul search. Answering that question of why is more important than the what or how. There is a reason WHY is the bull's-eye, if you will, or the golden circle. Why should be in the center of everyone's profession, I agree that "why" gives us a sense of purpose. Once we can fully understand why we do something, then we will fully understand our purpose. Understanding and knowing our purpose will be beneficial to us as individuals and those around us.
As I went through this module, I found it interesting how difficult it can be to give a true answer to "why". It is a very important concept that we in law enforcement need to be able to answer, however many have not given a lot of thought to. The concept of outlining your organization's purpose, cause and belief very closely matches how most agencies formulate their mission statements. I feel that those organizations who spend time selling their "why" tend to be those organizations that people compete to join and stick with until retirement.
The lesson forces one to realize the adage of “what do we do good, or what do we do” was an incorrect mechanism for a new leader to establish their command. New leaders often used this to get people on board with a vision or change of direction. This instruction program, combined with other learning opportunities by embracing the question: “Why do we do what we do?” is the best approach to getting after inspiring our personnel to tackle the task of instituting positive change. To inspire, one must embrace, or at a minimum, understand the golden circle theory of organizational growth. One must honestly believe in the inside-out reflection of our purpose by using the limbic brain to see ourselves through our behavior, gut feelings, and leading with the heart and soul; when people believe in the ‘why,’ one develops a sense of unity. We all understand our ‘what’ and ‘how’ to do the job.
The ‘why’ is where we struggle to meet society’s changing views on our profession, recruit, and, more importantly, retain character traits. We know many when asked, “why do you come to work?” the answer will be for a paycheck. Until it is about being part of something bigger, living the values of Sir Robert Peel and the agency’s vision, no one will be inspired to challenge the status quo, be loyal, and buy into not what we do but why we do it.
Simon Sinek and "Start with Why" keeps coming up in conversations with our deputy chief and every training I have attended since 2010. The concept of the 'Safe' zone where people go for protection from the dangers and distractions of the outside world is a simple explanation of civilization. The Golden Circle is a wonderful visual explanation defining struggle to succeed and the pathway to success. Starting from the inner circle of 'Why' we want to accomplish something, surrounding ourselves with people who know how to do that something, and then explaining to the customers what it is we do creates a culture with people who just want to be their best version so they can support the person to their left and right.
Sinek’s take on “trusting the art before the science” is interesting. Too often people may over think a situation or problem. Sinek’s take is spot on here, where your “gut thinking” is faster and often produces a high quality decision. Rational decisions may take longer in certain circumstances and this “over-thinking” may hinder confidence. Great leaders trusting their gut is a show of this confidence, and in turn, will bring trust among those they lead.
This was my first time reading and examining the book by Simon Sinek 'Start with why". I have always felt some of what was discussed were true, however, never quite able to put it to words as effectively. The part about great leaders inspire and success comes from the "Golden Circle". It all starts with why. The inspiration and passion that ignites us towards something greater than ourselves. I like how it is also pointed out that the why inspires the how which creates the processes necessary to accomplish our goals. In law enforcement I think it is incredibly important to seek out new officers that believe what we believe and teach them the skills they need to know. Being able to integrate and instill the why into each team member only increases both opportunities for short term success; but, also success of the organization in the future.
Timothy, I agree that we must instill into the new members those values of why. We have found our FTO program does a great job at instilling into new Deputies our vision of why. Some new hires that come from other agencies realize they have joined an organization that thinks different after the program. These people are the future of the agency and only through them will it succeed.
The "Golden Circle" is very important to understand all of the aspects of it. The How and the What are basically the majority of our office. There are vey few in my agency involved in the inner circle the "Why". I believe this comes from the lack of information that is given to our front line staff. The bad part about it is that they are just going through the motions, and are here just for the paycheck and not showing any ownership in the agency. This is a large task that I am more than willing to change, but also realize that this change will not happen overnight. There is alot to work on.
Troy, we have a young woman in our department who when she was asked why she chose the department, her answer was clear and concise "this is where I live and I want to serve my town". She looked in military service, she even tried leaving town with a boyfriend neither worked out because she was very sure about her 'why'. Like most young officers there are setbacks and disappointments but every time she needs a pep talk I remind her of her answer and she rebounds with enthusiasm. I don't think she has ever heard of the golden circle but she operates from there and it is fun to watch.
I couldn't agree more. I think for many public safety agencies, we have focused far too much on the "what" and the "how"; both of which are critically important, but neither of which will be truly effective until we understand our "why".
Well said. In today`s culture and political landscape the "WHY" is more important then ever before. It`s out duty to break down the barriers and explain this WHY to our employees as well as the community.
It's amazing something so simple can be so impactful. For most people, instructions on what they are expected to do is the norm. I remember being asked on day one in basic training why I was there. Everyone had a variety of answers for the end product (college fund, their father did, GI Bill, etc..). To this day I remember my drill sergeant looking around so disappointed and asking if there was anyone there who just wanted to serve their country and protect those who couldn't protect themselves. I had several reasons for joining, but that day I had a new first reason. With minimal effort he gave us all the why and you could hear a pin drop for the few seconds they allowed the silence to carry.
Within the last few years we made it a standard in our pre-employment interviews to ask, "Why do you want to be a BCSO Deputy." That question has weeded out more than a few that were only there for a secure job and check, We also let them know our expectations, but will plan to add why we do what we do. On a side note, several years back when I first saw the book, I thought it was written as a guide for working with millennials since most will ask "why" about every single thing that was slightly outside of the norm. Once again, I was wrong.
"Leadership is a choice, not a rank!" - Simon Sinek
When I heard that, I shouted "amen" like I was in church on Sunday. I've been a big fan of Simon Sinek and read most of his stuff and watched gobs of his videos. That line struck a chord with me. Too often in my career, I've watched as people in supervisory roles do not fulfill the most crucial function, which is to lead. Yes, we have to manage and supervise, but we cannot do that effectively if we do not lead. When I've had to work for supervisors who managed but did not lead, I became frustrated. My morale would suffer. However, when I've worked for a supervisor who was a leader, I would go the extra mile to support that person. My goal each day is to be a leader first and a supervisor second. Hopefully, by doing this I can inspire those that I lead. If I've done my job right, my deputies will learn from this and when they get promoted, they will strive to be leaders first and supervisors second.
I agree completely. I immediately took note of the "Leadership is a choice, not a rank" by Simon Sinek. It truly is important that everyone understands this within an organization. You are not somehow magically anointed with super powers because you are given a title or rank. Excellent points.
Jed, you took the words out of my mouth. I think the quote, “Leadership is a choice, not a rank” could be painted on every training room, patrol office, or wherever to get the message out there. Officers do not have to wait to get promoted to become leaders. And as a good leader, planting those leadership seeds among your guys is crucial. This will only help them become leaders themselves, building confidence and trust among the group.
Simons take on how to look at an organization clearly shows why organizations continue moving forward or become static. We have all been burned out at some point, either from working double after double or having a supervisor that is wearing us down slowly. When Simon relates it back to the "why" in his description of the golden circle it brings everything back into perspective and provides a path forward to break us out of our slump. As leaders I believe that constantly providing that clear vision and direction, maintaining the focus on the "why" will allow any agency to become great.
I found it interesting to think about whether or not I could really believe in my organization to stand up and tell everyone that they are better that all others. I liked the Apple employee’s example and the fact that those employees truly believe they have the best products. I really believe that there are so many employees in the world that are working at a place just because it gives them money, and not because they really believe in their company. To me, they know what their why is. They know why they are working for Apple and that’s because they think those products are best and they want to help that. They feel like they have a good purpose at that company and feel like they are contributing to something positive.
Hello Kari if you believe and embrace it other will. I am embracing this concept. I have been assigned as the property and equipment sergeant and my Chief has trusted me with improving our institution. I began by putting positive messages in our briefing room, report writing room to make our people believe they are great.
A lot to think about when Simon Sinek says, "if we get the environment right, we all have the capacity to do remarkable things." I think that is where most organizations fail. Administration's in either public or private sectors know that they have problems within but fail to react and fix them most likely thinking they will eventually fix themselves or that these problems do not effect the organization that much. As other students have commented on leaders they have worked for, we all have had the leaders who lead by rank but really do not lead with their heart and look out for those to the right and left of them. One of my current supervisors has a quote on his desk that reads, "Lead, follow or get the hell out of my way." Every time I read that while standing in his office I chuckle to myself and now I see where it directly fits into this module.
I found it fascinating that the biological comparison of the cross section of the brain melds with the golden circle theory. The decision making biology and the three rings of the golden circle illustrate exactly why it is so important to have a balanced golden circle. The ability to inspire employees and the success of certain individuals that understand this became very clear.
The Golden Circle is such an interesting and simple concept. It is thought provoking. In Law enforcement we start with the why. Why is always bigger than ourselves. As an agency I don’t think we worry about the why because we know, in at least our new staff, that the why is there. We rest easy, knowing or assuming, these people are in it for the right reasons. They have the dignity, integrity, the motivation of becoming great officers. I think over time, for some, we forget the why. As a leader I feel my why has gotten more important but this isn’t the case for some. We get tired, burned out and focus less on the why and want to make it through the how to get to the what. In my experience, once the why is explained we get buy in.
I have never read this book before but I will say it was a great read. Mr. Sinek was spot on with finding your "Why." As leaders we should always lead by example. Leadership is tested when there is difficult times you go through and how you stay in the fight with your personnel. You have to have the heart for people and the patience in order to be a good leader. You as a leader should have the ability to inspire and motivate people. In Law Enforcement there are many people who think they are leaders but you can tell by how they are received and respected if they truly or leaders. A leader want say anything they just do and people follow. My career in law enforcement has put me in the position to have great mentors and leaders to look up too. You have to always have values and a mission, that will turn into your "Why."
I agree with you completely - true leaders immerge during difficult times. Sometimes those who aren't formal leaders step to the plate when needed most; even when those who were suppose to lead fail.
Sinek does a great job of simplifying a complicated task and focusing on inspiration. For law enforcement the inspiration or the “why” is easy. Most people come to this career knowing they want to help people, save people, improve the world, and be part of something bigger than themselves. For police officers I believe the biggest struggle is creating leaders that motivate the officer’s “why.,” and pushing for more great ideas related to reducing crime, protecting people, engaging the community and most important, following through. This presentation made me think about how our department advertises related to hiring officers. Being a medium sized city, we have an HR that posts a Patrol Officer Job Description on the city’s website. While practical it could be worded with energy including values and Morales. The military does a great job of this. Sinek makes you think about inspiration and how we as leaders need to do more of it.
Well put! I should have called you to help with the essay. He did bring something we tend to over or overlook back to its simplest form. It also made me think about the way we recruit, as well as the way our mission and vision statement are written. Might be time to go back to the drawing board.
MISSION STATEMENT
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. That definitely answers how and what, maybe not why. An interesting concept that the author speaks about. I truly struggle with this one, not just now but when I went through ICLD as well. Maybe that is why very few companies/agencies can articulate what their why is?
I guess simplistically, we all got into this profession to help people, to make our communities better? Is that a why or is that the outcome of how and what? What if we said, like the Apple analogy, we produce great officers who are well trained, educated, and are full of integrity, we are here to make a difference in the community, wanna join us? Then why is our belief, the how is our action, and our what is the results? If we inspire people, then maybe we have our finger on our why?
Lastly, the golden circle makes perfect sense when he's talking it out, maybe that's why he commands so much money to sit in on his talks? We need to communicate from the inside of the circle outward. The Why to the what. I will be kicking this idea around in my head for a while no doubt.
Really like your thoughts and comments and tying things into your departments mission statement. These days we all are recruiting hard and "fighting for the same people" to come join our departments. Maybe to attract more potential applicants we need to listen to and subscribe to Apple's way of thinking and change up our "sales pitch". Nice job Andy
The Golden Circle makes perfect sense. By explaining the "WHY" will hopefully give some of the guys/gals a sense of ownership that they have been missing for quite sometime.
The concept of Why is very interesting. We all know our why when we joined law enforcement and each agency has their why in writing as a mission statement, in their values, or slogan. But just knowing the why isn't enough. I think we need to continue to live out the why, internalize it, and not just leave it on a sheet of paper. We all know our why, but why are there officers that do not exhibit it in every contact they have with the public or have the negative attitude or any of the other negative traits we see? They know the why, but they do not see how they fit into the why and this is where leadership needs to show that the why is not just something on paper, but it should be the way we live our lives. It is about inspiration.
But is there a why in our mission statements or is it the more the outcome or the what? This a confusing topic no doubt. I think you're onto something but I think it's a bit deeper hence he says very few find it. Maybe it's a riddle meant to drive us nuts?
I agree with you Bou. We should live out the why. It would be a complete waste of your life, to work day after day and not believe in the why deep inside you. To truly live your best life, you must believe in what you are doing and in those you are supporting. No greatness will ever be achieved with a lie living inside your heart. There is no room for hypocrites in our line of work.
The agency Mission Statement is our WHY. I think finding better ways to communicate to our current and potential employees its importance and relevance would create that "buy in" we are looking for in our people.
I agree that the mission statement is our why. But why do some officers not exhibit it? I am sure that you may have one of those officers that is burned out and has a negative attitude about everything. What happened to their why? I think they lack inspiration and that many times comes from leadership, or lack of. Many of these same officers feel the system is to political and too much bureaucracy. This is probably due to some leadership experience along the way.
Sometimes you can have the right leadership, but if the person doesn't have it in him or her to show that they are inspired then there is nothing you can do. They have to do some soul searching to find their "Why."
Absolutely. I think that is exactly why officers burn out is because of lack of leadership. People focus on what they want to hear and if they never hear the why from their leaders than there is nothing to inspire them. What the leader has created is an environment of manipulation where there is no trust or loyalty.
What is your mission statement, William?
MISSION STATEMENT
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office is Committed to Providing Public Service (WHAT) that is (HOW) to All Members of the Community through Leadership, Experience, and Compassion (HOW). I think mine is missing the WHY.
While I agree that the WHY is contained within most mission statements, I feel most agencies lose sight of the mission statement and it becomes an outdated or antiquated vision at some point. Most agencies would do well to revisit their statement on a somewhat regular basis and engage their employees to discuss and adjust the mission statement from time to time. That way focus isn't lost on a statement that was created years before many employees were even hired.
I completely agree that mission statements eventually get outdated. I have no idea how old our agencies is, but I often feel how they are worded shows instantly that they are outdated. Things and missions change, and those statements should be setting the tone and attitude of the department. If they are kept the same for years and years, they lose value. They should be looked at every so many years. Sometimes the way they are displayed in the department alone can give them new and exciting meaning to employees.
I think this book was a great read, and is yet another way of saying how important knowing your mission is to law enforcement. In public safety especially, I think there is no issue with understanding "what" we do. Every officer is taught in FTO the "what" and "how" of the job. Daily reinforcement of "why" we do what we do is often lacking. The concept of looking at everything from the inside of the "golden circle" to the outside is an excellent way of looking at work challenges in a different way. We often focus on what the steps are to solve a problem, and wonder if our action plans are right. I think starting with the "why" and working toward the "how" and "what" will provide the clarity to know that the steps you are taking are rooted in the mission of the agency.
I agree. The steps are easy if we are simply looking for a solution. What this book has made me realize is the steps taken may change in the course of solving a problem if we focus on the "Why".
The golden circle concept was very intriguing to me. With the current amount of new staff that we have in our organization I am curious to know how many of them know the "why" with our organization.
I agree, I guess the Mission Statement is suppose to be the WHY. But how do we communicate that so that we hire people who agree with its principles?
I'm guessing very few. How many people, including ourselves, can recite the mission statement? Or the vision of the office? I think as Simon indicated, we need to understand our WHY and promote it constantly so we don't run into the manipulation that he spoke about. I'm not sure our mission statements fully answer the WHY, at least mine doesn't.
Law enforcement organizations need to hire people that believe in our mission statement. If they truly believe in our mission statement they will work for the community and not just a paycheck. The leaders within our organization will inspire officers and not just try to get people to only follow them because of their rank status. Our company is our law enforcement culture.
I agree with getting people to believe in the agency's mission statement. I think leaders can focus more effort on communicating the mission and its importance. The mission should be reflected in communications from all levels of supervision in the agency on a weekly basis.
Its is extremely important to hire people who believe in the mission statement, but I think over time, thousands of calls, and dealing with tough situations that "why" starts to get blurry for many officers. I believe we need to find more leaders who can constantly push the message of a mission statement and create inspiration. Sinek's vision is a great start!
Andy,
Well put. The loss of vision with the mission becoming blurry comes down to a leadership or command failure. When we promote personnel, they need to have a true understanding of the organizational mission and how to convey that message clearly and effectively to all the personnel they are tasked with leading
Start with why, an interesting concept and read. After I read this book I spent time reflecting on the different places I have worked over the years. What I found is that at all times how much I enjoyed my work or felt appreciated deeply impacted how much I achieved or how well the business did. There was no impact related to money or benefits, it was always about the people, the culture and how much happiness the workplace brought to my life. As leaders we need to make sure that we focus on that culture and purpose, that we cement our why and share it often with everyone. Putting a little more heart and soul into our chosen professions should not be a challenge but an opportunity to make our lives better.
Fantastic module to help re-focus on the "why." It's easy to say what I'm doing and how I do it. Whether it be putting together a power point and instructing a tactic. When I focus on the what and the how I tend to get bogged down and uninterested in what I'm doing. Not only that, if I were to lose focus on the why it could translate to lack of implementation of some of the skills, concepts, and tactics covered during training, and it just becomes something that has to be done to check a box. If I focus on the why and explain that in curriculum I develop, the training will likely be seen as beneficial and accepted.
Law enforcement does really well explaining what we do, for example - protect and serve, as well as how we do those things, for example - post orders, policies, procedures. Law enforcement however doesn't do very good at answering the why. This often, especially recently, leads to the public making assumptions for themselves. Often those assumptions are misguided and raise problems law enforcement must then deal with. It takes good leadership to make sure we focus on, and explain the why behind what we do and how we are doing it.
This module brought me back to the age old question that is on (and should be on) every interview panel for law enforcement…”why do you want to work for _____?” and/or “why did you choose law enforcement as a career?” More than likely almost every answer should have contained the word “help”, or some form thereof. As an officers time in law enforcement moves on we can sometimes loose sight of the “why” and focus more on the “how” or “what”. It’s important that we remind ourselves more often of the “why”, sometimes remember or “why” is how we keep pushing on during difficult times.
This was a good reminder Ryan. When new Officers start with RPD that's one of the first questions I ask, why did you choose this profession? I definitely think after seeing this module it's something that I need to work into annual training as well. I believe every Officer became a cop because they wanted to give back to their community and make it a better place and serve and protect the public. Helping Officers to refocus on the why will help make the changes we're going through accepted.
One must also consider as time changes, lives, situations, and our position in the profession changes. With this, the 'why' can change without a conscious inward look. Too often, many lose their purpose and passion for being part of the organization or profession. A true professional should continually assess this, and as stated in part 4, "you can find your purpose three ways; when you are in a close, loving relationship, through service, or suffering" (Wellington, 2017).
Wellington, S. (2017). Start with why. Learning Area 2, Module 2. National Command and Staff College.
I found this module to very interesting specifically the concept of "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it". I find in our career that I am answering this question a lot, people are frequently asking why in today's culture, I am still in this career. My answer goes back to starting with my why. I am here to help those who can not help themselves and to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
In this module, I’ve learned that people must have a common purpose in order to enjoy their job. A good salary or prestige are not enough. Belonging to something bigger than ourselves motivates us to perform at a higher level and satisfies our need to have a personal connection to others. Our profession, by definition, is public service, which in itself is a noble cause. I don’t think that anyone could dispute that we all belong to something bigger than ourselves either. But having a common purpose and belonging to the same group is not enough. Only an inspirational leader, one who can communicate the why and translate their vison into a relatable purpose, can motivate people to unify under the same cause and embrace the same values. Good leadership makes everything else fall into place.
In law enforcement, we are really good at the “how” and the “what”. I would say as a whole, we are not so good at the “why”. The “why” takes some forethought and planning. It also takes engaged leadership that is not only willing to create the mission statement and core values, but also to walk the talk.
Good point Chad, I agree that its important that we not loose sight of our “why”? I like the added statement about everyone getting on board with the “why”? I think that greatly increases our influence when everyone believes in “why”.
This was another good module. Understanding the "why" has never been more important that in the environment surrounding law enforcement today. Incorporating the understanding of a departments why into the hiring process is very valuable. Being part of some recent hiring processes, seeing how the "why" has been incorporated into the process has been interesting and enlighten at the same time. Specifically targeting and hiring those who get the department "why" saves a lot of effort upfront on convincing them the importance of the why.
In this module I also appreciated the importance in ingraining the "why" into the culture of the department so when leaders change you don't lose the drive for the "why" just because you have lost the person. The "why" carries on in the culture.
This is the first time I hear about the "Golden Circle" and its parts WHY, HOW and WHAT. It was fascinating to hear Mr. Sinek explain the golden circle by using the Apple company as an example. Due to the demands of the public safety profession, the WHAT and HOW essentially work better due to their practicality. We often leave out the WHY. It seems like the WHY would take more time explain it. It definitely does but the benefits are long lasting. If we start with the why when giving direction, feedback or constructive criticism, we can get the buy-in from people. This applies to the members of the public and our personnel. When we take the time to explain the why, and articulate the reason for the action, we communicate a belief. Nowadays the public needs more than WHAT and HOW from public safety professionals. The WHY is necessary!
I really enjoyed when Sinek said that we need to represent our jobs/departments etcetera as "our brand" when doing business and carrying out our duties. This module made me reflect on my own "why" for my current position as a first line supervisor. I quickly realized that I have been thinking from the outside in rather than inside out when communicating. It is important as leaders to believe in our own "why" to better serve our community and the men and women of our departments. This would emphasize a culture of service and professionalism if done correctly. It starts at all levels and we must maintain the why and be good role models of our core values to be credible leaders. I truly believe when we start with the why we influence behavior by the form of inspiration.
I found this to be an interesting lecture, not really talking about anything new, but giving a definition to the thought process. The culture of the department starts with the newest members of the department and continues through to the highest rank within the department. When a hiring process begins, it is critical that the culture of the department is included within the hiring process. It is not just about filling a spot, but rather about finding the right person to build the culture within the department. This continues to speak to the importance of every member understanding and living the departments “why”. This value needs to be stressed from ever member and every step of the hiring process, the new employee onboarding, the field training, through annual reviews.
I like the concept of finding the right individual to build the culture. How true! People always talk about making the new hire fit in to what’s already there when we should really focus on hiring an individual who would embrace what we want our culture to be. You are absolutely correct that a good understanding the why has to be at the root of everything we do.
This lecture certainly reinforced the importance of knowing and practicing the mission of the Department/Office. If the entire team strives to achieve the mission, performing better than the previous day, I am certain that our community members will continue to support their law enforcement, even in times of disparity and mistrust that we are currently observing. We have to be better, working towards the why, to continue to earn their trust, and in turn, they will earn ours.
I agree. Striving for continual improvement and striving to perform better than the previous day can only lead to positive things for our profession.
I found this presentation fascinating. I frequently explain the why for accomplishing a specific task because it helps to build consensus and buy-in but I never thought of it as the overarching concept of the organization. When Sinek discussed the "Golden Circle" (Why, How and What), something clicked for me. Here, Sinek discussed how traditional organizations approached their communications from What, how and typically did not include why. I think of my department as being rather progressive, with stated CORE values and a strong mission statement. I thought our messaging is better than most. that said, the example Sinek gave, immediately made me realize we are not communicating our "Why" in the right way. The next concept I found interesting was the tendency for organizations to list their values as nouns and that nouns are things that you cannot really hold people accountable for or things you can incentivize. This was a powerful statement. Because most agencies state their CORE Values but are they doing it as verbs like Sinek suggests? This made me want to question my own department's stated values to ensure people know how to act. Lastly, I thought the concept of driving the "why" by hiring people who think like you and succession was interesting. As Sinek put it, "great companies don't hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them. Several years ago, my agency changed the way it interviewed applicants. Our first round of interviews addresses the skills piece. The second round of interviews, typically done by the command staff, addresses values, cultural diversity, cooperation etc. These are the things our department values. As a result I think the quality of new hires has significantly improved. Succession is all about the ways organizations ensure their way is maintained in the future. Sometimes I think that many traditional organizations do not necessarily approach the hiring of a new chief in this manner because they are looking to shake up the status quo. This makes me ask if the "why" of the organization is known in those types of agencies?
I would like to believe that most people in Law Enforcement are in this career because they are service-minded. There are times when I feel as though the “why” is already implied by what we do every day. However, these are changing times in this field and with each new Chief or Sheriff coming in, they really need to define the why for their respective agencies, not just their mission. Being a great leader isn’t just about understanding your own why; it’s also about understanding others’ why. I think to develop inspiration that lasts, not only do you need people that follow willingly because they believe what you believe, but you must also believe in others that they are capable of making it happen. We need to believe in those we lead, but also believe in our peers so we build a strong team capable of achieving continuity of operations while also improving them.
Good observation. That is a great reason for the department mission and vision statements. While we assume we are all cops for the right reasons, others may not have that same assumption.
Hello. I have the same belief. We all entered this noble profession to serve others. In respect to what you feel about the "why" being implied on what we do everyday, I have been there. I have failed to define and communicate the why and have seen leaders do the same thing. Very true on what you said that being a great leader is not only about understanding your own why but understanding the why of others. I couldn't agree more. If we believe in others we build trust and achieve a sense of cooperation. If we believe in our people we work hard to help them improve. Great point! I will use more emotional intelligence to be more away of the whys of other people before my own.
Everything starts with why. Everything led back to why, to purpose. It was laid out beautifully by Simon Sinek when he explained the Golden Circle. Operate with a sense of why and that will always be more impactful then the what. Influence people through inspiration rather than manipulation. Manipulation is the easier of the two and often done the most. It's important to recognize the difference and avoid the easy way. I enjoyed the example of Continental Airlines and how that was turned around. A lot of good takeaways from that; put your employees first, talk about changes in terms of how it benefited the employees, institute and open door policy, communicate, etc...
This was a very informative module, as Sinek identified the Golden Circle and the importance of, "Why." Sinek stated, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." If we all could articulate why we do something, and instill the same purpose, cause, and belief with everyone we surround ourselves with, we could inspire others to believe that we are all in it together. Sinek stated that we are always competing against someone else. I think if we focused on competing with ourselves to become better each and every day and stop comparing ourselves to others, it would allow ourselves to identify our own, "why," which will then inspire others to focus on their own set of expectations. Show up each and every day to be better than the day before.
I like the discussion of the two ways to influence human behavior; manipulate or inspire. Particularly, the idea that no form of manipulation breeds loyalty. It was interesting to see the follow up was the discussion of there being leaders (hold a position of power or authority) and those who lead (ones that inspire). It is easy to look back and see the difference in those I have worked for and with, and who fits into which category. Of course we would all like to believe we are the type that inspires, but I have worked for and alongside those that depend on the power of their position to accomplish their following. The deciding factor is that there is no real trust in those relationships, and it makes for a difficult go of it for both sides. If we are the ones who are in leadership positions, we should use trust to build up those under us. I found this module very interesting for the discussion on succession planning, as this is an important topic in my organization right now. But the right now also decides the next 5-10 years, so we must be clear of our path and our ability to share that with the next generation.
Start with the why. I believe this is extremely important. Often times I have started with the why when I want to implement a new Idea or direction. I have noticed that if I don't start with the why I have a harder time getting buy in from my staff. When I have started with the why I have had better luck because they understand the importance of the implementation and get a sense of what we are trying to accomplish.
I also like the concept of belonging and that the need to belong is one of those basic constants that all of us need. I think of my time on SWAT, and the sense of belonging and how through knowing the why and the sense of belonging we were motivated to do the best that we could. Motivation was high and there was no complaining or letting the commander down. Since all of us knew the why of why we existed and that all of us felt a sense of belonging we were able to maintain growth and loyalty to maintain success.
I agree, starting with the why definitely encourages buy in. People may not necessarily agree with the decision made but if you give them the why it gives them more insight. As long as the decision is solid and you have good reason for that decision people are more likely to understand how you came to that decision. Much more than if we just make a decision and push it out without explaining the why.
Start with why
The why has always been a part of the questions that I ask when I sit a new employee down to get to know their background, and the reason they chose this career. This practice gives an inside view as to where these individual goals are aimed towards. Also, it gives supervisors a guide as to what we can do to help our subordinates reach their goals.
Fantastic module, a lot of great nuggets here. In the capture your flag interview, Simon Sinek was asked, "When are you at your best?" Simon replied, "I'm at my best when I'm around people who believe what I believe." What a powerful statement. In this profession, everyone has a different level of passion for the job. For some, it's a paycheck, and for others, it is truly a calling. Personally speaking, whenever I work alongside passionate, driven, like-minded individuals all working towards achieving a common goal, it doesn't get any better. I agree with Simon; this is when I'm at my best.
Marlon Shuff
Marlon,
I whole heartedly agree with you. It is easy to go out and work and excel when we are around people who believe the same things we believe. When we all work for the common goal and have the same ideas in mind we can accomplish our mission.
I also think it's easier to excel if everyone we worked with had the same set of beliefs and values. If we all had a clear sense of why, we would all develop the same set of expectations which everyone would benefit from.
I totally agree with you in that it doesn't get any better than when you are fortunate enough to work with passionate, driven, like minded individuals for a common goal. Not only the feeling of belonging, but also the teamwork, the sharing and the celebrating of goals reached. When you get to work as a team and share in reaching or surpassing goals, that "buy in" makes the success' that much sweeter. And I fully believe that is what fosters continued passion for reaching higher and accomplishing more. This profession doesn't and can't offer what private sector jobs can in terms of bonus' and special compensation, but what it does offer is a sense of accomplishment in service that lasts longer than any monetary prize can. Shared vision ('Why') is what makes that happen.
I couldn't agree more. The type of relationship or workplace culture that you describe makes each day a reward. I've worked in this environment before and looked forward to going to work, having fun but accomplishing the mission. Working as a team with like minded individuals that all agree on the why is an awesome experience!
I couldn't agree more. Working alongside those individuals that have a genuine passion for the job is contagious. This brings out the best in me on a day to day basis. It can be easy at times to get bogged down by those with no passion for the job.
I see there’s already agreement with your response and I’ll reiterate…I couldn’t agree more. I think this is why mentors are so very important. And not just agency assigned mentors. I encourage those around me to seek out a mentor they truly admire. The most difficult part of landing a mentor is asking them. More often than not, they are humbled and are more than willing to help out. We wouldn’t be asking others to be our mentor if we didn’t believe in what they do!
In a perfect world, this is the ideal. I think in law enforcement, it tends to be a bit more difficult to get the majority of your team with a like mindset. I certainly think it is a good goal to strive towards because it certainly would make life easier. I like that Sinek "Stacks the deck" when it comes to engagements. He doesn't go places where he wasn't their first choice.
I agree Chad. It is difficult to lump law enforcement into the same box as a business that doesn't deal in split second life and death situations. I appreciate Sinek's approach to "sell" to the customers. This type of selling for police officers deals with using active listening skills to hopefully prevent using force.
This module “Start With Why” is very interesting and I am a leader in the corrections division of my agency. Not only am I part of law enforcement but a big part of developing young officers that one aspire to be a patrol officer. It is extremely important to communicate with all officers, especially young impressionable officers that strive to achieve their goals.
I read “Start With Why” a few years ago and it assisted me while revamping our field training officer program within corrections. Being very transparent, communicating the why and how clearly to young officers, and delivering it with charisma helped build stronger officers. Over the span of my nineteen year career, as an agency we finally have established an understanding with the recruits that moving along in their career starts with a foundation in corrections, but their future and opportunities are limitless. I love sharing my “Why” with new officers and defining the mission within our agency.
I agree, the rigid leadership style of "do it, because I said so," isn't effective in our line of work. I beleive that whenever someone has "skin in the game" they have earned the right to know the what, why, and how.
I agree with Jessica, I love to share my "why" as well. For me, it starts with the hiring process and the second round (Command Team Interview). If you hire people that have the same values as your organization you have already started off on the right foot. The next opportunity I have to explain "why" is at my initial interview with new staff. I am always sure to include their FTI because I want the new officer to hear my thoughts and values and I want the FTI to know what was said as a form of reinforcement throughout the remainder of field training. I make it a point to send emails thanking staff who have exemplified our CORE values. This stresses that their actions are appreciated and should be the norm not the exception. I also find ways to work CORE values into discussions during roll calls as well.
I think the most interesting point to the "why" is just that. We spend so much time talking about being transparent. Many of us even pride ourselves and our leadership style with doing so. But the why is the missing component. We can tell everyone what we are thinking, and even layout the direction we are heading, but if we don't do a good enough job explaining the why we will never truly achieve full buy in. Moreover, we will miss the opportunity to really develop great leaders.
This module stressed the "why" instead of the "how." I opened my eyes about that and I realized I believe in the why but was not able to verbalize my beliefs. This has helped me organize my thought sand be able to explain it better.
So well said. When dealing with special events and details I often hear lower ranking officers complaining because they don't have the information and are left out of the informational loop which then leads to feelings of not being trusted and not trusting those in authority. If we tell them the why, and express our passion for each event, with the support structure already in place the trust in leadership would grow and the morale would pick up.
It's extremely interesting that we as Law Enforcement often don't take the time to learn why because we are so busy trying to move onto the next call and "Fix," the problem because there is always more to do. I like the concept of the Golden Circle. Looking from the inside to the out. Asking why before questioning the how and what. I find that in law enforcement many officers loose their passion and motivation as they ascend in their careers and this has a negative effect on their subordinates.
When we were young, questioning "why" seemed to be widely discouraged. We are told not to ask or question things, only ask how to do them and what results we should be getting. Allowing everyone to know why we are doing something gives that critical buy-in that we so desperately need. We can not, in one sense, ask them to be a part of the "why," then get upset if asked. Mission statements alone can not be the sole source of this information. Everyone in the department should know why we are doing what we are doing, how we plan on doing it, and what are the expected results expected. Sadly, this information still seems to remain with those in the upper management and is slow to matriculate out to those doing the work.
So well said. When dealing with special events and details I often hear lower ranking officers complaining because they don't have the information and are left out of the informational loop which then leads to feelings of not being trusted and not trusting those in authority. If we tell them the why, and express our passion for each event, with the support structure already in place the trust in leadership would grow and the morale would pick up.
As an older road Lieutenant I question my personal why every time we in law enforcement have a week like this past week. Every agency should have a mission statement which if properly thought out should contain the vision, values, and why of the agency. We should remind ourselves of the "why" of the organization frequently and make sure our personal "why" coincides. During these tough times, our "why" becomes very important. It will help sustain and guild us through all this.
I find this module very interesting because it explains how once successful businesses fail. After losing sight of their "why" it's easy to see how those businesses falter.
The "WHY" has to be in the forefront when you are deciding who you are hiring. You can not hire just to hire people. I had a problem deputy years back and it got so bad that i asked why are you here. His answer floored me. He said he was here because we were the only people hiring. You can imaging the productivity we got from him.
It happens far too often, Danny. It's very sad that people start a career in law enforcement just so they can earn a paycheck. Far too many people that are hired treat it like a job, and not a career.
I really like the concept of the Golden Circle. Over the years it seems our roles have always focused more on WHAT we do, or WHAT we know. After watching this training module, it’s clear that WHY we do it, is far more significant than what we do or how we do it.
I agree it sets a meaning to the purpose. It answers all the the what's and how's. I find it to be helpful to both the supervisors and the subordinates.
This lecture reminded me of the importance of hiring people who believe in what you believe in. I have witnessed the results of hiring people that work just for a paycheck. If we hire people that don't believe in our "why" then it will negatively affect the culture. I think that it is vital for leaders to have a clear why. This lecture has encouraged me to examine my department's why and make sure that it is clear for my followers. How can I expect my personnel to reach higher standards and be held accountable if the why is not clear?
In our line of work, I find it can be difficult to sift out who believes in our mission. There seems to always be standard replies by applicants who say things like they want to help their community or make a difference. Very few ever ask how we plan to do those things and how they can help make them a reality.
I particularly like the TED Talk video with Simon Sinek talking about the Golden Circle. He makes a comment “If you hire people just because they can do a job they will work for your money, but if you hire people who believe what you believe they will work for you in blood, sweat, and tears”. This statement makes me reflect on how we, as an agency, try to recruit and retain employees. Our job announcements give a job description, benefits, and physical requirements but we neglect to state our shared purpose, beliefs, and values; we fail to state our why.
Additionally, when we disseminate new policies to procedures to employees we generally tell them how to do something and what to do but most times we don’t articulate why we want them to do them. Many times we have a really good reason to enact a new policy which provides some direct or indirect benefit for our employees but we fail to effectively communicate that purpose to them. It is seen many times as way to add another task to their overwhelming lists of things to do and not as benefiting them as an individual. In our failure to clearly state our why we risk losing the trust and credibility of those who make us successful as an agency, our employees.
Well said Cheryl! I agree with you. It important for our agency to address the why. When we do we will see better results from both new hires and established employees.
This is a good statement. The coastal cities are having difficulty hiring good officers and retaining our employees. I believe we are not explaining the why of how and what we want to be done. Supervisors have gotten to the point where they expect them just to understand it. We must continue reiterating our way to keep people aligned on the agency's goals.
Most, especially in military and law enforcement, are so one-track minded to get to the WHAT and HOW, that most of have lost the WHY we first chose our profession. The WHY for me was always to help the comnunity and protect the underdog who couldn't defence themselvess. Over the years, we become disgruntled, angry, and frustrated at the same people who were WHY we started. It was refreshing to see the Golden Circle concept, to make me realize a different way of thinking about WHY I beleive I am here.
So true! especially with what is currently going on across our country. The why can certainly get lost in the confusion. But true leaders should remind those under our command of the why, after we remind ourselves.
This lecture was very enlightening to me. To be a great leader is to inspire your team. Using manipulation can influence behavior and some of this behavior can be positive. As a leader, you must know the "why" and work with your team to fulfill the what and the how.
In our business, why is always questioned. People have a general idea of law enforcement operations, policies, etc. What the general public lacks in understanding is the law. The law can be one example of our why. So, in that case, when the police are contacted to any particular member of the public's home, and it requires legal action (arrest). The public will question the why. If we simply satisfy the public's question of why, then the impression left on that member of the public will likely be in the agency's favor down the line. Answering why will hopefully improve the public's trust in us in a time where we could use it.
I believe most public safety professionals get into their profession because of why. Those select people want to help their community and make it a better place, the long term goal. After a while, I think that some people begin to lose theirs why. People get into a routine and deal with similar things day in and out without seeing a difference they are making in the community. If people keep their way and continue to strive for why, eventually, they will help someone who will have an impact on their life because of the experience and help you gave them.
I agree people that start their career with the why. As they progress they forget the why.
This lecture by Mr. Sinek and LT Col Wellington are one that strikes a chord with me personally. We take for granted some time in our profession ad other professions in general the ability to impact people directly. The "Why" is how we are attracted to this profession, to help people and service in general. When we join an agency, albeit one that may be a large city or a small rural community, they have their unique missions. Any one person working as a leader has the vision to hire and direct people who have a common mission for their agency. The people who all make it happen are committed to serving their community.
I believe that we as law enforcement officers can change the overall perception of policing and use the "golden circle", by starting with "why" in some of our daily activities. Most people understand what the police are there for and they know how we are going to get the outcome we are trying to achieve. Perhaps if we start with "why" in explaining why we are trying to achieve whatever the goal is, we may get better results, more compliance, and less hostile resistance. I have gone on multiple scenes that were hostile and once explaining why we were doing what we were doing, progress was quickly made.
I agree I have been on multiple scenes with hostile people, and as soon as I explain the process and "why," their actions would begin to change. After defining "why," they would calm down and process. The times have changed, and "why" is an essential part of our culture now.
That is exactly correct. Matching the public's anger with anger of our own and then leaving never solved any of our problems.
That is a great example of how to put this in perspective! Many times, even in the office setting, citizens come in frustrated with a sense of skepticism and distrust. In explaining our purpose, such as: I want to help you but I need you to please calm down and provide me with certain information in order for me to fully understand the situation and to be able to help you to the best of my ability.
I completely agree! Its human nature to ask questions and want to know "why" things are happening? I constantly tell our deputies to take a few moments to explain why they are taking a specific action up front, in an effort to avoid confusion or misunderstandings.
The Golden Circle is an interesting concept that can answer quite a few questions. For years, we asked job seekers why they wanted to be a police officers. That question has shifted to, why do you want to work here. Many interviewers do not really want an answer, but want to see what the recruit comes up with. If we want to match the candidate to the job, we need to place an emphasis on that question. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about us?
We should ask ourselves, why do we want to work here? For most of my career, I never worried about the why, because it was self-evident. That was because, for the most part, I had great leaders and supervisors, but as related in lecture, did they leave us enough to carry on that why or do we have to evaluate. Personally, I have primarily been a how guy. I believe in the mission and figure out the way to accomplish it.
I agree, I conduct new hire interviews and we ask why do you want this position. Most answer to help people or to make a difference. After watching this module it reminded me to dig further into the question we direct to the applicant. If the applicant is hired, as a leader I need to follow through with ensuring the officers are making that difference they wanted. Keeping the officer motivated and reminded of the "why" strengthens the bond.
This module was very enlightening for me. My wife and I have discussed our personal and professional "Why's" numerous times. My "Why" has changed as my career has progressed in such a way that keeps me pushing forward. The Golden Circle theory gave me a better understanding of how to make my "Why" better understood by others and also to help me to become a better leader if others cannot trust and know our "Why" we cannot lead them correctly.
You made an interesting point that your “why” has changed throughout your career. This also has changed for me as well. I believe that as we continue to grow in our profession that our “why” will take on various forms, which will fuel our drive to push forward.
Very good session about success of organizations. I like how this pertains to the motivation of employees and how they react when they understand the goals and values of the organization. Also the inspiration the "why" creator can give to the "hows" in their presence. Just as private companies can thrive on this, we can use the same principles in government agencies to be great servants to the public.
This lecture helped me to realize an organization that starts with why it will help an organization develop an ethical culture and hire individuals who can keep the organization moving forward. Also, understanding the why will help leaders to recruit individuals using the exact reason for the organization's purpose, and just the benefits and perks.
The Golden CIrcle concept presented in this module was thought provoking. It made me think of the deputies I supervise on a daily basis and wonder if any of them actually know the "why" of our agency. We as front-line supervisors need to take on the secondary level of the circle and be the "how" to clearly pass the vision of our respective agencies, in order to keep the surrounding employees all on the same mission. I believe as stated in the lecture that stating the "why" initially upon hiring it will help with keeping like minded individuals working together and producing a better product (what) for our communities.
I agree this Concept will help hire individuals for the vision of the agency, and develop great workers.
That is also something that I am trying to figure out. When I was younger I had leaders that inspired and I worried about the how and what. Communicating the why today may be more problematic.
I especially like the aspect of hiring like minded. I had not viewed hiring from this standpoint. We will be implementing this technique immediately and will change our help wanted ads. If everyone knows the why, it will be conveyed to every citizen and will greatly improve community relations.
I agree that if we clarify our "Why' better when we are actively searching for new employees, it will allow us to hire the correct personal for the jobs we have. Instead of hiring someone who meets the basic criteria, if we hire someone who meets criteria but also has the same vales and goals it will make us more successful.
I agree with this, who ever would have thought that putting the why in your ads that it could benefit your organization by who applies.
This module made me think about having a clear vision which I can clearly articulate to the people under my command. My vision needs to not only be one I possess, but the goal of the agency as a whole. The motto of our agency is “We will do whatever it takes to properly serve the public” which is very open-ended and allows for much interpretation. It also says to me any and all ideas which make a positive impact on the health and well-being of our community are the foundation for the agency. This why is key to developing the how I can assist my fellow deputies in making the parish safer for everyone. As long as I go about it with a good sense that I am actually doing the right thing. One of my supervisors used to tell me I needed to be a mirror, a mirror of my supervisor, and of his, all the way up to the Sheriff. He said in only that manner change we all share the same vision he has to improving the life of the citizens.
Beck, you make a great point of insuring that the same vision is being shared. We must all focus on a common vision/goal/values to provide consistent quality to the citizens.
I agree, this module definitely puts the vision in perspective and helps me be able to articulate the WHY to the people I work with.
Starting with "why" is an amazing idea. It is amazing how when you change the order of how or "why" you do things, it changes the entire outcome. I really liked how this module explained if you put the right fit of people around you that believe in the same things that you believe in, it will lead to success.
It did amaze me also that just changing the flow from inward to outward of the golden circle made the biggest difference in the success or failure of various outcomes. Definitely agree that having the right fit of people working together towards common goals seems to lead to a better what for our communities.
I agree with putting the right people around you and it will lead to success. In my department i have a lot of rookies and i could use this module to help me surround them with knowledge and leadership to be successful.
Another excellent and thought provoking module. I've been aware of Mr. Sinek through TED talks on Youtube, and initially it caused me to think about the Golden Circle on a personal life basis. Ever since I have started this course, i initially approached it from the outside/in. (What am I getting myself into, How will i get all this work accomplished and the Why, because i want to achieve what others have before me). This module gave me a lot to sleep on and think about. My "Why" will be changing to I want to do this for me, and to become a better leader in my agency. Also wanting to pass this ones that will listen.
I remember years ago when we (my department) seemed to lose their why and just started hiring people to have people. The quality of people and the product we started putting out went down quite a bit. Luckily, our leaders eventually realized this and got back to the why and our quality of people we are putting out know has noticeably increased.
My department has gone through this in the recent past years. Our Sheriff started sending our leaders to this school and it was like a light switch. Instead of just hiring bodies to fill positions we started getting quality individuals, which is not easy in today's law enforcement world. It really made a noticeable difference.
As Simon Sinek introduced in his Golden Circle demonstration, we would be best equipped to move our personal and professional lives forward by asking or reevaluating why we are doing what we are doing. I love the quote from Simon during one of the interviews shown in the module "You can find your purpose one of three ways: through a close loving relationship, service or suffering.". This has inspired me to discover the why I do things and what I truly wish to accomplish when my time is done and past. This kind of higher living appeals to the inner self of wanting to do more and wanting to do what is right.
great comment. I really like the idea of coming to work everyday not to do better than the other guy, but to do better than what you did the day before. Just think of how much better things would be if every employee had this philosophy.
I believe once fully adopting the Golden Circle process, responsibilities in our personal and professional lives wont feel like chores, a box to check anymore. We will actually want to accomplish objectives and push our selves for greater things.
The "why" is sometimes hard to define in a service type industry such as ours, sure we have a mission statement and an oath but what do those really mean? If you were to ask a random selection of department members what those documents mean and what the department "why" is, I would imagine you'd receive a variety of interpretations. It takes a truly charismatic and motivated leader to interpret the "why" to the department in a way that will produce buy-in and uniformity.
During a recent leadership seminar, we had to create our “why” for our department and our self. I created the “Why,” but did not look at it the same way of this lecture. I did not realize how much the “Why played the important run as at the how what.”
Another interesting factor in this lecture was how individual companies failed because they did not sell them why, nor did their employees believe in it. I never realized how much of a difference this could play in a company.
One of the best quotes that I heard in this lecture was said by Lt. Col. Wellington, “Great Leaders and Great Organizations are good and seeing what most of us can not see.” I do think leaders envision things that we can not see as team members, or the lense looks different on the bigger picture.
The learning in Module 2, "Start with why", learning about the Golden circle really relates to an organization once you define your why. I learned that you have to know your purpose to why you lead and what do you believe. This module was a really good module, because knowing your "why" is a very huge purpose in leading to accomplish your mission and core values.
The concept of starting with WHY was an important insight for me. To often I may focus on the WHAT my organization does and HOW it does it. But by focusing on the WHY, I feel like my organization could better articulate its purpose and meaning. Am I as a leader and my organization as a whole able to communicate the WHY in terms of our purpose and values. I need to ensure that as a leader I am effectively communicating my beliefs and the beliefs of my organization. I thoroughly enjoyed the point that was made about using the WHY in the hiring process. We should be hiring those individuals who believe as we do and not just hiring people based on needs. If the WHY ins't there, then how can we properly inspire those individuals.
I totally agree with you, especially when it comes to the hiring process. We need to hire more that know their Why, to Why they applied for the position from beginning. Because when those people are hired over the ones just because we need them, the department could have a different outlook and purpose.
I agree with you on your points. Must agencies have a mission statement but how many of those mission statements include the why. The why should be part of pre-employment interviews as well as on-boarding.
It was interesting to learn about working from the inside out. Every organization needs to define why to be successful. If employees believe in “Why”, they will go and tell the outside world. The golden circle is a good reminder of how we should run our own organizations. I thought it was a brilliant idea when the CEO of Continental Airlines issued separate checks to all employees for meeting departure and arrival goals. The separate checks made the employees feel they were receiving something for meeting the company’s goal. It also gave the employees a since of accomplishment. We in law enforcement can do a much better job in selling the “Why” of our organizations.
I think that before we sell the "why" of our organization, we need to know the personal "why" of our mission, values and goals. I will be much better prepared to explain to someone else why I have aligned with an organization that meets these needs and aims for me if I know exactly for myself the "why". Perhaps this is something we should all ponder and articulate first?
The department Head must have a clearly defined why. This will define the values of the organization and set the expectations for every employee. The why should inspire the employees to be the best they can be. This will cause better employee buy in and create a culture of service. This module touched on hiring employees who believe in what you do. Law enforcement can do a better job in recruiting service minded individuals over those seeking the flash of the badge.
Having the "why" defined is important, but the ability to foster buy-in and uniformity in the department is, in my opinion, more difficult than defining "why".
Employees individually should search their why (purpose). I agree with you, Major Fortenberry on department heads being inspiration. I feel that once an individual is inspired by their command that individual should stay focused on their own path of greatness both for their department and for themselves.
The concept of the Golden Circle was very interesting. Making an emotional connection to inspire people instead of relying on manipulation makes a lot of sense. I have seen the aftermath of managers who had administrative authority and chose to manipulate their subordinates or simply dictate from fear. Moral and loyalty were quickly eroded. Just as is stated in the presentation the "team" no longer felt safe as they no longer felt they belonged.
The synopsis of Continental Airlines was well placed and illustrated the concept of inspiring individuals. When the right leader makes the team feel like they belong and they can do their job without fear great things can be accomplished. I also feel that the example of the $65 bonus per month shows how thinking outside the box can have great results. Where most people would see an unnecessary expenditure, the true realization was a reduction in loss. The overall was a net gain when consideration is given to what the lack of productivity costs.
I always believed that if you show your co-workers and subordinates that you care about them, they will usually return the trust and respect. Loyalty is earned and is a two way street.
Start with the Why made so much sense to me. I never heard of this approach before completing this module. When it’s compared to successful businesses, it is easy to see how the concept works. In law enforcement, we all know why we chose this career; however, when it comes to recruiting young police officers, we sell them on the glitz and glamour of what we do. Each leader is responsible for their personal WHY but, at the same time, promoting the Agencies WHY. Moving forward, I will use this concept to search for like-minded people when conducting an oral board for new hires to my section.
Well said John,
As law enforcement professionals we usually know why we chose this profession, but sometimes its hard to communicate that to new hires. With today's struggles in hiring and retention with law enforcement. Its easy to focus on the glitz and glamour of what officers do, but is the message of WHY we do this job getting lost. Law Enforcement should look at the example of Apple Inc and use the Golden Circle concept more.
I agree with Lt. Col. Scott that passion and optimism are two essentials for success and survival within a profession. I think this is especially true within the law enforcement community because we have a sense of knowing our “why.” I continue to agree that for us to inspire others and ourselves that we must generate and or maintain a charisma within the “work” environment we serve, which can present different challenges and or obstacles for our members.
I would also add that we must continually reevaluate our "why". Our "why" can change over the course of a career. This module has encouraged me to constantly ask myself "why" do I do this job? Why do I want to lead Deputies? Maybe, in doing this I will be able to keep my passion for this job and those that I lead.
This was the first time I had heard of the "Golden Circle". I agree with you about reevaluating our "why" over time. The first thing I ask myself now is "why". Why am I doing what I do? What is the purpose? I also ask officers the same questions so they will think about the "why".
The “why” in law enforcement is relative to a chiefs or sheriffs vision for their department and their mission that serves the public. If every law enforcement officer embraced the “why”, there would be unified success within the department. As a result of this, pay and benefits would increase. Every leader below them should have their own “why” to support their superior and lead their subordinates. Rallying around a common goal and believing in it ultimately leads to success. It’s hard to put tangible things (money, healthcare plan, 401K) that take care of us and our families aside just to promote a belief. But when we all support a common belief, then the measure of success is profound.
I agree with your comment of chiefs and sheriffs being the visionaries for the respective agencies. Without them having clear goals for us to achieve everything would be disjointed.
This was a fascinating module. I had never heard of Sinek’s concept, the Golden Circle, before today. Communicating an organizations goal by stressing their “why” is a common trait of extremely successful businesses and leaders. His explanation of the reasons why they were successful is based on human physiology with the neocortex and limbic systems. This made a lot of sense. Communicate your organizations “why” first. Secondly, communicate the “how.” Lastly, communicate your organizations “what.” This was a thought process I had never considered before today. Make sure your “why” is known and clearly communicated.
This was also the first time I have heard of the Golden Circle and I agree, it was fascinating. Linking the communication and higher thoughts to the Neocortex and the more primitive Limbic system with emotions is not a foriegn concept to me, but to hear it used to explain the Why as well as our order of thinking now make so much more sense.
I never heard of the Golden circle either. Obviously several business are using this concept to be successful. It is also obvious the ones who are not promoting the "why" are failing businesses.
Having a clear vision of why is very important when it comes to recruitment and retention. Finding qualified personnel is getting harder in today's society. The why is a great tool in getting those quality people to find you.
I agree with the recruiting aspect of your comment. It is similar to the ad Capt Shackleton posted to get likeminded people to accompany them on ship Endurance, for their Antarctic voyage. In law enforcement, we must hire like-minded individuals if we want to be successful.
“I am a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPAC) evaluator and am testing the system”
The module and the book opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. In many ways, I was already thinking with why, but in some, I was not. I now understand the importance of focusing on the why, always. I also identified they why's and how's of my division as I was learning. We have some why's, but not enough, in my opinion.
It is our job as leaders to get others to embrace the why.
This module help explain how successful organizations and leaders survive. They have a clear vision of their WHY. As leaders in law enforcement we need to clearly communicate the WHY to our subordinates. Most new recruits get excited after graduating the Academy. Stating “Now I can arrest people.” I have to stress to them that is the WHAT we do, not the WHY we do it.
Yes it is not enough to simple tell an employee to read the policy manual that has the mission statement included. We post ours in every squad room, recite it at every meeting, and reinforce it at every opportunity.
I learned many things in this module. Simon Sinek explained that organizations need to find their why, which is their purpose. He explained his Golden Circle. Companies need to focus more on why and not their what and how. If organizations can influence others into believing in their product. Sinek, said, "People don't buy what you do they buy why you do it." This allow organizations to hire people who believe in your beliefs. We should influence through aspiration and not manipulation. Lt. Colonel Wellington Scott also provided different examples of companies finding their why, such as, Continental Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Very well said! Agencies can most certainly help an officer to understand their why.
Simon Sinek has a great mind. I think his Golden Circle Theory makes sense. I recognized my employees who are Why types and How types as I listened to their characteristics. The book is a great read and puts many things in to perspective.
This module definitely explained how some organizations succeed and stay around for years to come where other organizations fail. Starting with the “why” a company does what it does sets the tone and can inspire the employees within, which will affect the bottom line a company has. In law enforcement, we are all passionate about what we do. An agency that has a clearly defined “why” will attract better employees and help continue to inspire those employees to focus on “why” we do what we do.
I agree. I have always had a firm sense of my why, as I know you have as well.
We need to lead others to theirs.
Inspiration in your staff is very important. It is the more outspoken believers in your organization that help with explaining your why and recruiting qualified personnel.
The module had some great examples. I too believe that if every LEO rallied around a common belief, the success for that agency would be over the top. It’s unfortunate that most people are interested in LEO for the security aspect. As leaders we are to support out superiors belief and promote that to our subordinates. With the success come the benefits.
This is a good read. It really interested me when he spoke about successions. Most organizations today do replacements. Sinek talks about how it’s important to have a succession plan in place so that you can have someone with the same values and beliefs, more importantly, the same “why” take over and continue to have a successful business.
Agreed, too many people and agencies have issues sometimes retaining their talent. There may be a lack of "why" which is shown to their best workers and they don't buy in to the vision of the organization. People want to belong as Wellington said, they want something to work for. Being able to retain and instill the mission of your organization and keep the agency staffed with talent and hard workers will benefit any agency.
Simon Sinek’s theory of the Golden Circle in his “Start With Why” video clip was very interesting. He used the statement, “People don’t buy what we do, people buy why you do it,” this statement stood out to me. What he said is accurate, especially within the law enforcement career field. An average citizen in search of a job is most likely not going to apply at a local police department just because of what we do in law enforcement. However, that same person would be more motivated to apply for a job with an agency because they believe in the “why” of what we do.
I enjoyed reviewing this module, and had never put much thought in the "why". This module gave me a better understanding of the importance of know my departments "why". I also realized that I need to step back from the how process and dedicate more time the departments "why".
This is true. I recently found my Why and it's a great thing.
This is true, as a leader we must instill the WHY we choose this career into our personnel. Most of them focus on the WHAT side of law enforcement.
Start with why is an interesting concept. It make sense . When you determine why you stat you a business or why you chose a profession then the how you do it and the what you do it for will come easy.
I think we often get pigeonholed and miss the why. Thinking back, its always about the what and how.
The topic of Why is interesting and a new direction to pursue for all leaders. The why is important to help employees belong, have a sense of purpose and feel successful. The why employee is the future of any organization.
I couldn't agree more, the Why has to be the start of everything we do. If we make sure all the members of our department understand the Why, it makes it easier for all employees to accomplish the How, and the reason for the What.
This module’s topic associated with “Start with Why” was very informative. It is important that we explain the Why’s of our organization to or employees. In law enforcement is much more that writing reports and taking people to jail for violating the law. The question is explaining the Why to ensure they are on board for the actions and the results associated with the How’s and What’s. I found the philosophy of the Golden Circle quite interesting and how companies have utilized the Limbic portion of our brains to trigger our emotions to purchase items. As stated in the lecture, when people understand the why they are drawn to achieving success.
Ray I also enjoyed this module and was affected by similar points as you. Stressing our “why” to those young recruits is exactly correct. They inherently know the “what.” We normally teach them the “how.” Focusing on communicating and thinking from the inside of the circle out will make us better leaders and better organizations.
This module was the first time I have heard of the "why." During the lecture, I had to jump up and draw out the Golden Circle on my white board. It was fun trying to determine the "why," "how," and "what" for my agency as I viewed it. I've always felt like a visionary, so this exercise was right in my wheel house. Within the next year, we will be hiring a new chief of police. For the in-house candidates, I'm going to have a conversation and see if they can tell me their "why." I guarantee both will look at me and ask, "What do you mean, "my why?" This will give me the perfect opportunity to share with them what I learned in this module.
I agree. The Golden Circle concept is a simple when it is explained it becomes clear how useful it can be.
I agree it will be comical when your coworkers and the new chief of police, give you that deer in the headlights look. After you explain the meaning behind the Golden Circle and the “why,” I wouldn’t be surprised if your new chief utilizes the concept.
This lecture was informative as to the importance of "why". Informing your employees of the why, helps to communicate to them the mission of the agency. The mission statement should contain the "why" so that all employees understand the goals of the agency. Leaders must effectively communicate the "why" to those under their command.
I agree it is important that an agency's mission statement explain their why. It gives clarity and direction to the employees. As leaders it is essential to know the direction you are heading as well as where you have come from.
I agree. The why can also help to continue to inspire employees to be better officers and be better at serving the public. The why can also help encourage teamwork being that people generally want to be around others who share the same or similar beliefs and values.
This was a great lesson in helping understand the Golden Circle and the “why”. It makes sense to understanding an agency’s Why from the inside out. It is interesting to hear when tenured police officers were asked “Why they are police officers”. Answers as to why ranged from they like the benefits to liking the toys to “because that’s what I always wanted to be” but couldn’t answer why. As an agency if we understand our “Why” and purpose it will help officers understand their why is bigger than ourselves. In order to accomplish this we must be able to communicate. Communicating our purpose to foster a sense of belonging and inspire people to take action both in our agencies and communities will help in highlighting our mission and vision creating support and acceptance.
Magda,
I agree, a strong vision of "Why" by the leader of your agency will definitley help officers understand their why. And with Millennial officers, this is key for them.
Magda,
You are so correct, as leaders we have to first understand our organizations Why and be able to explain it to others. Like many other organizations we can struggle training to fill open positions with individuals who we think have the skills; however, we have to ensure they understand our Why and embrace our mission and pertains to our Why.
Very well said! Agencies can most certainly help an officer to understand their why.
This module was great for inspiring a new perspective and understanding the importance of "why." Understanding and communicating the "why" is how an organization recruits the right people and is successful in carrying out it's mission. Without knowing and understanding the why, we cannot clearly communicate or articulate our mission, which then cripples out ability to achieve goals. The examples provided of successes like Apple, the Wright Brothers and Southwest showcased the need for thinking differently from the inside out and starting with the "why."
I agree, Nancy, that the examples really put things into perspective with this module. Because of their approach, people will continue to buy model after model of Apple products, for example, no matter the cost. They (We) buy the new model even when our old one still works just fine. Their success is also absent of manipulation tactics.
I love hearing people talk about the why. In law enforcement, we often forget about the why, because of the continuous monotonous of the job. In your department's mission statement, it should contain your agency's why.
This lecture reminded me why i decided to be a law enforcement member and why i enjoy my job and the difference i make every day in the community i serve.
I have always believed in the why, just never been taught about it. I do know that it very important in our lives and as supervisors. I agree with Sinek about as a leader your followers are like your children, in the way you need to lead them and protect them. I like
what he was talking about providing a place of safety. Great lecture.
We do often believe in the why and we definitely think about the why more than we realize, but this module helped to organize and understand it better.
This module stressed the “why” factor in leadership instead of the “what.” After listening to this lecture it gave me a clearer understanding of why the “why” is so important. If you have given the why to your team and they have all bought in on the why, then your ability to lead and the production will increase. Having like-minded individuals focusing on the same goal makes everything easier.
I agree with you. A clear mission and purpose is important in any agency. Al employees and supervisors must be on the same page.
In our department, our WHY is our mission statement. This gives our officers an understanding of what is expected of them from a departamental why. As the leader of an police department, there are going to be decisions that need to be made, that only they know the "why" to; however, the answer falls well within the mission statement. I too have had to change my why. My why when I started as an officer differed than what it is today. Having a why, I feel, keeps you motivated and gives you a goal to obtain. Without having a why does not give anyone any real purpose and as a leader, this can really hurt a police department.
I agree with you Henry. Our mission statement has the how as well, and is a compass for the people in our department.
listening to Simon Sinek speak about his Why made sense in several levels. He mentioned that you need to find the right environment to grow in. For to often people start out looking for work and when they find a job and have been there for a few years, they start to look for holidays, events to take time off. I have also been a true believer that the leader of an organization is the person who has to set the tone in the department. People will follow your lead and will deliver the message you want to send.
I enjoyed listening to Simon Sinek lectures and do believe that leadership is a choice and not a rank. Anyone can be a leader.
After reading the book Start with Why, I definitely viewed things a bit different. It was evident that many of the newer officers within my department did not understand the Why. It is almost robotic as they come everyday to work and fall into a routine. A refocus on the department's vision, mission, values and goals, from a why perspective, is crucial.
Jarod, I agree with you, like your agency many new officers in our agency couldn't answer why they became police officers and don't know the why of our agency. They are robotic, fall into a routine and check the boxes daily. As leaders of our agencies I believe it is our responsibility to ensure we are re-direct them and help them understand the Why of our agencies. By doing so, they may develop a sense of belonging and give them a deeper meaning of what they do.
Jarod, I was thinking about what you wrote and I can't say with certainty that I ever knew what my Agency's Mission Statement was until after having been with the department for several years. Looking back, I wonder how we functioned and were successful without trying to get each of our team members working towards the same goal, maybe we weren't as successful as I thought.
Jarod, I agree with you about new officers. I think at my agency we need to do a better job of stating our "why". Our mission, vision, and core values are at the beginning of our policy manual, but that is the only time people see it. We need to be better at communicating the "why" to those officer.
In reviewing this module, it was interesting to learn about the Golden Circle and then apply it to our organization. In doing this, I found that our Mission statement did include "WHY", however it was at the end of the Mission statement. After rearranging the wording, it definitely changed the message. The revised version will be presented to our Sheriff as a suggestion to consider changing. I also took the time to search a few different agencies on-line and review their Mission and Vision statement. It revealed that most have "WHY" included in their Mission statement but it as well was at the end of the statement. Surprisingly, there were numerous agencies that did not have "WHY" included at all.
You are right Captain, changing a few words and getting to the "why" in the beginning as suggested by the book, really changes the perspective. I will be interested to see if we make the changes as suggested by you.
I agree with you both as well, and as Derek mentioned, I am curious to see if we make the change
I think the reason "why" we do certain things in this line of work are portrayed and conveyed properly. I think we need to inform our deputies why something is done instead of just telling them how it needs to be done.
Jack, I agree that when given the reason why we do certain things in this line of work we get a better employee. I feel that instead of just barking orders our employees be more likely to do a better job if they understand why.
Throughout the years off and on I was tasked with processing new applicants for my agency. I could see the difference when there was a downturn in the private sector and the motivation was people seeking only a paycheck and people truly drawn to a life of service. More often than not, it was only a matter of time before those in it for the wrong reasons fell by the wayside.
We do through this quite often in our agency. I believe that if we utilized some of these techniques described by Sinek, we could enjoy quality employees that would be in this profession for the long term.
I agree with you if a person enters into a career for the wrongs reasons they will at some point fall by the wayside.
As law enforcement on patrol it’s too easy to confuse the “why” with what we gauge results. Some on patrol feel that they need to get so many stops, tickets, or drug arrest. I try to keep each deputy focused on the bigger picture of their job. Reminding them every day of what is on the side of their patrol vehicle that the Sheriff implemented…. “Courteous, Responsive, and Professional”. Reminding them that we need to be visual to the community and practice those words on the side of the vehicle as a standard when each call for service is answered or initiated. Our customer is the citizens who we need to serve and make sure they see the “why”.
Dan, I agree we often forget about the Why. Agencies are too concern with comstat and other statistical data. Especially agencies where the chief is not elected. Just my opinion.
You hit the nail on the head. Statistics have too much importance placed on them. That's all the newer officers here and that becomes their why.
Dan, you are correct the why in policing is very important. I officers think policing is about writing tickets and drug arrest only they will lose the big picture to community policing. The why in police work is about making connections with the community so that it will be supportive during trying times.
I agree with you. I say probably 120 times a week that we are a data driven organization. we analyze numbers and results to gauge our success and efficiency. Our chief's favorite line is "crime is down" every week in staff meetings numbers are thrown at us showing this. Not once have we every discussed our mission statement and the "why" of our department. I believe if we shift the mindset it will help
Dan,
I agree with your concept but wonder if patrol officers are confusing the "why" with productivity statistics, or if the organization is creating the confusion with their use of productivity statistics? My agency does use productivity statistics however there is not a set number of anything required or desired. They are used more from the overall approach in that are you using your time wisely over multiple facets of your job description. In other words, are you doing something? I think it would be a good discussion to have with how to make sure we have productive employees but also make sure the "why" isn't buried behind the statistics.
This is a great discussion and a great book by Simon Sinek. This was my first read for this book and I found it particularly applicable to our jobs in law enforcement. I believe we as leaders, not only in our organizations but in our communities, are responsible for standing up for what is good. When I began my career in law enforcement as a Police Cadet at another agency, I was a misguided 19-year-old. I was attending a 4-year university, but I had no direction. I had an undeclared major and I was skeptical about a career in law enforcement. The more I interacted with police officers, and observed first hand their sense of purpose, camaraderie and common goals, I found MY Why. I was inspired to make a difference through a career serving others. As discussed in the book, most in law enforcement know HOW to do the job and WHAT is expected of them, but not everyone has clearly defined WHY they do the job. I was lucky enough to have a mentor as a young man, who helped show me the WHY, and all the rest fell into place for me. The academy, field training, any obstacle that came my way was broken down because of the WHY. Though 16 years later, the WHY is still the same, I'd be remiss if I don't admit at times in my career, I lost sight of it. Through faith, mentors and strong leadership within my agency, I have been reminded of MY WHY. The Chino Police Department's Mission Statement clearly gives purpose to the organization's WHY and our 7 Core Values and Vision Statement define our HOW.
Frank
The heart of our Mission, Vision, and Values go to our "WHY!" As law enforcement leaders, we have a responsibility to reinforce our organization's Why- on a daily basis. Our job is complicated and we need to reinforce the positive aspect of police work. we must rely on our supervisors, peers, professional staff, and our rank and file to help reinforce a culture that inspires our people so they never forget our purpose. This is easier said than done. But we can create that atmosphere where all our employees feel a sense of duty, honor, and respect. These virtues need to be reinforced both inside and outside the organization in order for us to develop and maintain trust and support from the communities we serve. As it was mentioned during this module: Those who lead us, Inspire us! Keeping inspiring, motivating, and developing your people.
I agree Brian, it is important to remind and reinforce the WHY on a daily basis. Have you ever lost sight of your personal WHY in your career? I find that this career can challenge you so much that you lose sight of the WHY and it can become fuzzy. With strong leaders, faith and mentors, you can refocus and rediscover your WHY.
Frank
I think we all loose sight of the "why" at times. Reading this book is a good reminder that we, as leaders, need to shape the next generation of police officers who know why they came on the job. Totally agree with having faith and mentorship as a crucial component for success.
I agree with your statement Frank regarding reminding and reinforcing the Why on a daily basis. There is a lot that those of us in the public sector could learn from the successes and failure of those the private sector. At the end of the day, the Why should be what drives us all to get up and go to work.
Well said Brian, as leaders we must lead by example and know exactly “WHY” we do our job as law enforcement. Never to lose focus and making sure those above and below us stay inspired. In a environment that is changing very much with society it would be easy to lose focus. I agree we need to stay grounded and focused.
I agree with this point, the why is what we do and who we are. We must also continue to inspire and motivate the youth.
When we leave the 'why' out of the discussion, we leave a gap in the minds of those that we spoke with, and that gap feeds curiosity. Human nature wants to fill the gap, and in the absence of real information, the human mind will either lose interest and motivation, or it will create a 'why' to fill that gap. Unfortunately, most of the time, these theories are simply incorrect and worse yet, they can be very unsupportive of our efforts to build a cohesive team and professional culture. For this reason, it is critical that we always provide our teams with the 'why'.
Chris, you make a very good point. Unfortunately, I have experienced the feeling of not knowing what a superior really wanted me to achieve, which resulted in anxiety. As we know, part of being a good leader is knowing how and what to communicate. Failing to identify the "why", can cause a subordinate to feel like they must guess what it is that they are tasked with. In many cases subordinates that are left to create the "why" themselves, choose incorrectly creating the appearance of failure.
I was very interested in the discussion of the Golden Circle. The reasons given were right on target going with the why first instead of the norm which is explaining what the company does. It does make sense that stating the why first will vastly improve your leadership.
Monte, I agree. Simply rearranging the wording in our Mission statement completely changed the message. As we previously learned, Effective Communication is key to being successful.
I agree sometime the mission will be accepted better if we change words. Also how the mission is delivered adds to the plus side of things. The why is the best part I thinking in every business. The why can be the reason a good status goes from good to great.
Sharing your purpose, or "why", as a law enforcement agency makes sense. So often, people fill this in on their own, often with negative assumptions such as we are there to ruin their day with a citation, take their family members to jail, or harass people. Communicating our purpose, both internally and externally, then holding our employees accountable to that purpose, would emphasize our mission and values. If we fall short, we can admit our mistakes (which builds credibility) and re-emphasize our intention to live up to our "why". This would ultimately create buy-in and support from the community, especially as they see examples of this actually occurring, which we can provide via press releases and social media. Without communicating our purpose, the positive interactions people have with law enforcement are often see as the exception rather than the norm. But tying these positive experiences to our purpose/mission/values, we can reinforce that this is who we are as a department and who we will continue to strive to be.
I agree that in today's world we need the positive reinforcements with the community. It takes the community to buy in to our department for it to be successful.
Kyle, your point hits the nail on the head, especially when you consider how limited many people's understanding of the law enforcement profession is. We counter this at our agency by holding public meetings to share information on any new programs that we want to roll out that we believe may be a cause for concern for our citizens. These meetings are aimed squarely at being transparent and educating our citizens, and we have found that as long as our plans are well thought out and our reasons for them are righteous, we are able to win the hearts and minds of our citizens, even when they originally came to the meeting deeply concerned or in absolute opposition to our plan.
Kyle, your points are well taken. Communication is the key both inside and outside the organization. Credibility, trust, and support from our people and the community come from effective and honest communication.
We should try to leave each person/situation better than we found them. We need to keep sight of why we were drawn to this work. It should be because we are drawn to a life of service.
Kyle,
I agree with your purpose of "why." It is important that the community we serve understands our values (our why) and observe tangible examples that we live up to our "why." It is also important that our employees understand the organization's "why" in order to carry out the mission and values in their service to the community.
I agree that we should definitely focus on seeking employees that understand our "Why" and want to be a part of that. If they share our Department's purpose and belief, they may carry that into the public we serve. This may help develop a sense of trust and cooperation.
Yes! I agree with you completely. We need to get better of communicating our why with the public through our actions and words. By doing so we not only ingrain it in our own culture but make it evident to all in a clear and concise way. For once, social media might have a positive influence if we used it to get the word out on our why in action.
Kyle, I agree. Just like in business, law enforcement has to sell their why to the public. The public needs reassurance that their wellbeing and the greater good are being serviced. I wish the media shared our view and would spend more time supporting law enforcement. I think the media would be a tool for helping the public to know Law Enforcement's role and the ultimate goal of public safety.