The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | September 2023
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pational expertise . The hierarchical nature and policy-driven aspect of these organizations is one factor ; however , Baker points out how “ team members must possess specific knowledge , skills and attitudes ( KSAs ) to work effectively together .”[ 4 ] This includes our ability to monitor each other ’ s performance , while understanding the tasks and responsibilities of our coworkers . Weir refers to this as “ the ABCs of teamwork ” the attitudes , behaviors , and cognitive states that collectively influence whether a team achieves its goals .”[ 3 ]
Consider how a career in public safety naturally evolves as personnel gain more experience and serve different roles within the organization . I reflect on my early years as a young officer and how my personal experiences , training and exposure to different teams shaped my development into a first-line leader and ultimately a commander . As I moved up the chain , I quickly learned to leverage the strengths of our team to accomplish he mission . If I identified someone who lacked experience or exposure , I incorporated a variety of career development activities to help them gain confidence , while enhancing their individual KSAs .
4 . Clearly assigned roles and responsibilities It ’ s no surprise that human performance in the workplace depends on clearly defined expectations . Supervisors carry a huge burden when it comes to ensuring the people under their charge know what ’ s expected of them . Haas and Mortenson ’ s research identified four critical elements of team success :[ 2 ]
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Compelling direction : Any team must have clearly defined goals and objectives , which allows all members to contribute toward a successful outcome . Your organization must provide sufficient information about expectations and planning initiatives to all team members . Strong Structure : In public safety , we often take structure for granted since our organizations are hierarchical ; however , this structural component is useless without the right mixture of team members who possess a balance of knowledge , skills and abilities coupled with clearly defined roles .
Supportive context : It ’ s important for organizations to maintain some type of reward system that reinforces positive performance . This also includes accessibility to the appropriate resources for completing the job , in addition to provision of adequate training .
Shared mindset : Haas and Mortenson noted how “ us versus them ” thinking and incomplete information are two corrosive problems that routinely plague organizations and prevent teams from working effectively .[ 2 ] By fostering both a common identity and understanding among team members , organizational leadership can avoid these problems and have everyone working toward the same goal . Being on the same page is important , especially in public safety , where it ’ s easy to focus on problems or issues that impact a single shift or section within diverse organizations .
It ’ s impossible for team members to clearly understand their organizational roles and responsibilities without adequate feedback . Baker and colleagues noted how “ immediate feedback is also a characteristic of effective team performance .”[ 4 ] It ’ s incumbent not only on agency leadership , but on other team members to monitor both individual and colleague performance and to provide relevant feedback in a timely manner . Khawam ’ s research echoed this notion and identified how “ teamwork also provides social support , encourage [ s ] cooperation , and make [ s ] jobs more interesting and challenging .”[ 6 ]
Finally , let ’ s not forget about the importance of understanding roles and responsibilities from a continuity standpoint . Continuity of operations is essential in public safety . Whether driven by staffing shortages , a pandemic or a natural disaster , public safety team members must be able to perform and fill in the gaps regardless of the austere conditions faced . The better team members understand their roles and the roles of their colleagues , the better equipped the organization is to handle any type of challenge .
MAKING A TEAM SUCCESSFUL My experiences in both public safety and the military made me quickly realize that success isn ’ t based on the actions of a single person . Making a positive impact or accomplishing organizational goals is based on the combined efforts of an entire ream . Tarricone and Luca analyzed team performance and identified six key attributes of successful teams in their 2002 case study .[ 7 ] Their findings shouldn ’ t come as a surprise , since these are also essential traits commonly found in most public safety organizations .
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Commitment to learn success and shared goals : We take this for granted since working in public safety means team members are committed to the success found in a team environment , coupled with a desire to attain shared goals for the sake of completing the mission .
Interdependence : As the researches pointed out . “ teamwork [ is ] a cooperative process that allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results .”[ 7 ] Considering that public safety features extraordinary people who are selfless in their desire to assist others , the results of a combined effort equate to nothing short of amazing performance outcomes .
Interpersonal skills : Public safety professionals understand the importance of interpersonal communication and the benefits these skills have on everything from de-escalating a threat to provision of a calming effect during some type or traumatic situation . Safe to say , those working in public safety are typically the calm after the storm . Open communication and positive feedback : This involves not only actively listening to the concerns and needs of the team and agency leadership , but also valuing different opinions and contributions . Appropriate composition : We ’ ve already discussed the importance of team members knowing what ’ s expected of them , but it ’ s equally important to staff the appropriate people in the appropriate places within the organization as determined by each person ’ s requisite KSAs . We ’ re not looking for clones here — it ’ s important to diversify team composition so difference perspectives and attributes can be leveraged for complex situations .
Commitment to processes , leadership and accountability : In public safety , this is certainly nothing new because taking on the job is a testament to our personal commitment to something greater than ourselves . Leadership and accountability through effective policy management is an equally important part of the equation and can make or break any team .
Although teamwork is a natural element of public safety , it ’ s easy for leaders to become complacent and fail to pay sufficient attention to team dynamics and appropriate feedback necessary to drive optimum performance . As leaders , it ’ s not our responsibility to ensure our personnel frequently work outside of their comfort levels and constantly challenge themselves .
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