FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
CHIEF JOHN ZEBROWSKI SAYREVILLE PD
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | March 2022
My agency recently hosted Dr . Alice Atalanta who presented to police officers within Middlesex and Monmouth counties . She is most noted for her work with Special Operation Forces as she has co-authored a number of books with SOF officers detailing their training , management and leadership styles . Her presentation also included video testimonials from SOF officers who described in very relatable fashion several contemporary issues which resonated with those in attendance .
Chief among their concerns was the ability to maintain a shared sense of purpose within their Teams . The SOF officers saw how certain factors generated internally , as well as , from outside sources diluted morale and eroded the confidence of their operators in carrying out their mission . Mission success , or as they described it “ Optimum Performance ” requires an allegiance to the cause and an exceptional level of esprit de corps from each operator .
Understandably , any doubt within their ranks regarding the efficacy of their missions or the goals of the unit would raise concern . These SOF units work within rigid rules of engagement to ensure their “ NO FAIL ” mission is a complete success . The officers addressed their concerns by working with their immediate superiors to enhance accountability to all forms of dialogue by ensuring messages were being accurately received along with assurances that communication would flow from bottom up , as well as , top down .
A more subtle change , but one that paid significant dividends was the development of a unit ethos statement . Ethos , as originally used by Aristotle , refers to a person ’ s character or personality in balance with their actions . Today , it is more frequently used to express the beliefs , customs , values and practices of a group .
An ethos is created through the collaborative effort of its members to ensure there is accountability from the bottom up . The SOF operators described it as a soul searching opportunity to personally reconnect with their profession by defining their purpose , level of responsibility for each member within moral and ethical standards producing a refreshed understanding of what they stood for , why their mission was important and a recommitment to the unit .
The changes themselves were certainly not groundbreaking but for the fact they challenged and changed some longstanding norms within the military construct . Since we operate in a similarly rigid management structure , they are equally thought provoking and entirely applicable to some of the very issues we , as police executives , currently confront within our own agencies . Many of our own officers having raised doubts about the efficacy of their service , confidence in their abilities to carry out their responsibilities and whether there is a circle of trust when they carry out their mission .
In many ways , our officers view each call for service as a “ NO FAIL ” mission with little room for unintentional errors . Residual effects of COVID protocols , national unrest over policing practices and the perception of wholesale changes to existing policies have had a significant impact on our officers . Morale has suffered and managing our staff became more challenging .
I ’ m certainly not suggesting that ensuring lines of communications , which were obviously impacted by all of the above in what feels like rapid-fire succession , will immediately dissipate concerns or issues of trust . I do , however , think that it ’ s always good practice to ensure channels of communication are not impeded , blocked or distorted . Because if they are , your messages will fall prey to the “ noise ” in the hallways which unabated causes opportunities for misinformation leading to officer confusion .
Most if not all of us have both a standard Mission Statement and Code of Ethics built into our policy management system . These are important statements and represent the foundational character and quality of our individual agencies . In many of our buildings these statements are prominently displayed . But , how often do our officers read them and more importantly ; do they feel a connection to these statements ? In all likelihood , most if not all of your officers had no input when they were written .
Providing our officers with the opportunity to create an ethos , whether for the agency or specific units , allows for active participation and an opportunity to reestablish their commitment . It can be a unifying effort to de-clutter dialogue , engage in frank discussion and ultimately produce a statement that our officers feel is their own . After such a prolonged period of uncertainty it ’ s important they take stock in the mission and ownership in our responsibility to each other and our communities .
Many thanks to Dr . Atalanta and the SOF officers for sharing their experiences . It was a unique opportunity to gain perspective on solving issues that are common to our professions . These were valuable lessons to be applied as we continue to lead our agencies through these times of uncertainty .