The Georgia Police Chief Fall 2021 | Page 27

Sinek explains five essential practices that make up the infinite mindset . They are :

We work in a field where having a Just Cause can be achieved quite easily if we put our minds to it . Instead of having some long-drawn mission statement , our organizations are better served by having a highly focused mission statement that describes what we are about . A mission statement that every employee knows is of great value .

Sinek uses many examples from the business world to illustrate his points . Apple , Victorinox , and The Container Store are just a few examples of businesses playing the infinite game . While Microsoft , Garmin , Ford , and Wells Fargo were examples of companies playing the finite game .

Considerable space was used to describe how the new Chief of Police of the Castle Rock Police Department , Jack Cauley , transformed the department into a department playing the infinite game .

Chief Cauley found the department full of employees who felt undervalued and ignored . Too much emphasis was being placed on the number of citations written or arrests made as the only performance metric .

As a result , Chief Cauley created a “ Circle of Safety ” where employees feel psychologically safe to be vulnerable around their colleagues . He also began solving problems in a “ oneby-one policing ” system where one problem solved led to another .

A statement by the author sums up this idea . “ If an officer feels inspired to go to work every day , feels trusted and trusting when they are there , and has a safe and healthy place to express their feelings , the odds are pretty high that members of the public who interact with that officer will benefit too .”

The above statement is talking about Procedural Justice . To provide services to our community that is procedurally just , we first have to treat our employees justly .

Lastly , Sinek spent time discussing a condition known as Ethical Fading . Ethical Fading happens when there is a culture that allows people to act in unethical ways to advance their own interests , often at the expense of others , while believing their moral principles have not been compromised . Ethical fading starts with minor transgressions , and if not checked , grows uncontrollably .

The Infinite Game offers excellent examples of how law enforcement leaders can have an infinite game mindset and operate our departments with long-term success in mind .

Chief Billy Grogan has over 38 years of law enforcement experience and has served the last 13 years as the Chief of Police . Previously , Chief Grogan served as Deputy Chief in Marietta Police . He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy , Georgia Command College , and the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange ( GILEE ). He holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University .