STAFF DEVELOPMENT professional and progressive , had a strong organizational culture . Still , the chief had a desire to further the discussion on leadership and continue improvements . Organized book discussions were used to facilitate interactions across different levels and parts of the department to strengthen the foundation of leadership they were trying to build in the organization .
When implementing these programs , agencies have utilized mandatory and voluntary participation models . Departments that implemented mandatory participation have found employees resented being forced to attend . As a result , they found the voluntary participation tends to work better . If agencies do mandate participation , it is recommended it be limited to command staff .
Eventually , the issue of compensating participants always comes up . Participation in the program is voluntary and benefits individuals and the agency alike . While agencies try to have staff attend while they are on-duty , scheduling does not allow for that to always occur . Some departments pay overtime for off-duty officers to attend , other departments are required to flex the time off during their regular schedule .
When starting the program , agencies have found it useful to host a meeting to discuss what they hope to accomplish and what the staff are seeking to learn . Books being reviewed do not have to be based on law enforcement operations . There is a lot of value to gaining different perspectives by utilizing books on a variety of topics . It is also important to remember the audience . Implementing the program does not have to be an all or nothing approach . Because some officers are resistant to or do not enjoy reading , leaders should not be afraid to be creative and use alternative approaches by starting with smaller books , articles , or podcasts or allowing staff to use kindle or audio books . Most departments choose to purchase the books to be reviewed . There are a number of sources for books to be purchased at a reduced cost including amazon . com and thriftbooks . com .
Agencies typically cover two to three books a year . Discussions are generally held once per month for about one to two hours . Meetings are scheduled weeks in advance to allow participants to better plan their schedules . Unfortunately , everyone will not be able to attend every meeting . Court , training , vacations , and family demands often interfere with persons ’ ability to participate . Agencies have utilized a variety of approaches to lead the discussions . One approach is to assign different participants the responsibility of facilitating the discussions . In other instances , the police chief or command staff lead the conversations . About a week prior to the meeting , the group leader posts questions on an internet-based discussion board . Beginning with this virtual discussion provides more time for in-depth thought regarding issues .
As the meeting begins , the facilitator ( s ) asks participants their general impressions and thoughts about the sections being covered . As time goes on , individuals respond more openly with their thoughts and how they related to the ideas . Others may focus on specific segments they found enlightening .
In time , participants gain confidence in the process and begin to share their concerns and fears of how they often do not follow what they know may be a better way to address an issue . To continue facilitating the conversation , leaders sometimes follow up on comments by describing similar experiences or instances when they failed to get the outcome they expected . These types of interactions are important for leaders at all levels to recognize they will fail from time to time or not receive the desired results this is how individuals learn .
Starting with previously shared questions fosters engaging conversations . Participants have time to think about the issue and articulate their thoughts , opinions , and questions . This prevents the facilitator from having to drag out responses . It also allows participants to learn from each other . When one person describes how they
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