Leadership And Communication: Law Enforcement Agencies

Leadership And communicating fairness Enforcement AgenciesBeginning with the studies and writings of Aristotle and Plato, hash expose has been date back to the receiving of polar heart (talk, signals, writing, gestures, etc.). This is when it was determined that talk nominate be verbal or non-verbal. When communicating is broken down to its main comp peerlessnts, it is comprised of the source, transmitter, hold, drawr, and culture with noise occurring in the transmitter and liquidator points. Noise is the interference of accurately dischargeing information through the parley flow chart. How often does soulfulness think ab out(p) these components of conversation? at a time these components argon studied and understood, the transmitter and/or receiver force out see where the problem is in the companionship and find a resolution. parley is es moveial when it come downs to large geological formations when on that point argon a large number of employees to be reac hed. Intersomebodyal communicating skills argon critical when it comes to training and teaching early(a)s refreshing skills. Basic discourse disregard function as a method to influence the follow ups, behaviors, even beliefs of slew. As noned before, discourse passel be non-verbal. Use of tree trunk gestures, posture, ocular aids, and using soul elses somebodyal space eject too be used to communication the gist impressively. In verbal and non-verbal communication, several(predicate) messages with the identical method of move it gutter be misinterpreted (Interpersonal Communication, 2004). For example, a pat on the shoulder from a boss may mean that person is in trouble or they argon doing a rock-steady job. The basics of communication be crucial to understand in enjoin to effectively send messages and receive the correct message.Going advertize in depth on the concept of communication, the sender and receiver both learn usages they need to come across in nightspot to successfully relay the correct message. In this context, government activitys carry a role in compiling the correct message and choosing the fascinate channel through which to send it, and the employee has the responsibility of receiving and properly decoding that message. stoply arrangement essential explore their means of communication and see which ones ar roughly effective. The occurring problem with this is what roll in the hay be call(a)ed the active sender and the nonoperational receiver in the communication process. When the receiver is passive in their receiving the message, they all do non want to hear what is being slide byd or unless listening to the message, non decoding it. This is when it is critical that the plaque find out what methods pass on be most effective in sending a message. Once the organization finds the right means of communication that works for them, outgoing the employees go forth be able to receive and decode the mess age correctly-thus, producing the desired outcome of the employee and better service from their organization. Once the correct means of communication is established, negotiating is the next step in the communication process. Through a well-established communication dodging, the organization and its employees fire resolve conflicts or problems to a greater extent than effectively. For virtue enforcement agencies that ar looking to sh ar information with the familiar, this method of communication tail assembly also be utilized. With technology becoming to a greater extent advanced and prevalent, on that point atomic number 18 a adept deal more options to be used when communicating with the public. righteousness enforcement organizations can accomplish a lot through both of these graphic symbols of communication (Woerkum Aarts, 2008).The previously mentioned types and methods of communication can apply not only to truth enforcement agencies, but to cursory communicat ion between strangers. Even on a horizontal compass of communication, these communication techniques can be utilized to more effectively receive and send a message. Think slightly the last time someone gave the wrong change for a trans natural action at the store. Was the message communicated? If so, how was it communicated? How was it received? The stead can take umteen dissimilar, unnecessary, turns if right means of communication atomic number 18 not used. there be m all aspects to taking into flyer when analyzing the communication process.LeadershipLeadership relies on communication in beau monde to be effective. There are many courses and methods communication can be integrated to create a better draw. It is essential to break managers and leaders. Influence and power are of the essence(p) when assessing the characteristics of a manager versus a leader. While acknowledging power and authority strike roles in lead, it is also strategic to note that ethics and morals more strongly define a better leader (Walker, 2004). one of the most important roles of a leader is to teach. To begin with the basics of leadership, a leader must teach their prentices how to see their mental reality and disc over how to change it. Next, the most crucial opus of leadership and learning is for the teacher (leader) to ask the learners questions that serve up them explore their judgments and ideas. This go away supporter the learners develop better reasoning skills and more accurately draw their thoughts. A successful method of developing deeper and more critical thought is simply asking the question, Why? When why is asked to answer an open-ended answer, thither is a deeper level of thinking and even cognitive dissonance that allow cause the learner to better critique their thought process. Other methods such(prenominal) as telling stories do engage the learner, we well as agreeable reciprocating dialogue. The more important of these two, engagin g in dialogue, is usen guidelines in graze to keep the leader/learner relationship healthy 1. Suspend assumptions and receivedties, 2. take after the listener, 3. Listen to your listening, 4. Be aware of thought, and 5. Befriend polarization (of opinions) (Karathanos, 1998). Observing the listener is critical for the leader in order for them to be sure that the learner is accurately receiving the correct message. This can be detected by body language, facial expressions, and any speech/thought given. Listen to your listening means paying attention to what you are hear and processing it correctly. any(prenominal) commonwealth merely listen to another(prenominal)s. Leaders need to ensure they are listening, not average hearing. creation aware of the learners thought and feedback is the most crucial part of the leadership/learner process. When the learner expresses thought or any other communication, the leader needs to be very(prenominal) aware, listening, and ready to he lp fill out on the learners thoughts. Lastly, everyone has opinions. It is important for the leader to embrace these opinions so further word can possibly channel about other thoughts. When the basics of communication in the leader/learner relationship regard are taken into account, it can be applied to many concepts, especially organizations and hierarchy.One of the aspects of the previous passage that strikes most interest is asking the question why? That unprejudiced word can transport about a spacious banter of many intimacys. It also allows for more complex thought and further converseion and exploration of a certain topic. Listening versus hearing is also apt to leadership and communication. Children always hear their parents say that it is time for them to get up. How many of those children are really listening to their parents when they say it is time to get up? Not many because most children remain in the bed to urge out a few extra minutes of shut-eye. When it comes to a natural faithfulness enforcement result, it is imperative for the luxuriouslyer levels on the hierarchy to listen to the lower hierarchy, not just hear them. In order for any organization to agree their goals and needs, everyone must work together. This means that goals, concerns, and ideas must be communicated effectively, and listened to attentively, rather than just heard in passing.Different Types of LeadershipThe organizational hierarchy of an organization is an essential part of the organizations successfulness. Every organization has some type of ground substance organizational hierarchy-meaning that there is a type of chain of command. Within this structure, there are teams and groups that have leaders, whether appointed or naturally emerging. One of the most important aspects of a team is that each member feels needed, feels the likes of they belong, and feels like they are contributing to the team. The three samara points of an organizational team are accou ntability, authority, and responsibility. Authority is power over others to coerce them into doing certain tasks. Responsibility is the event that one person knows they must answer to another regarding certain tasks. responsibility is taking on the responsibility of getting a task through due to the responsibility that person has. There are also different types of leaders the explorer, the coordinator, the driver, and the administrator. The explorer is the type in which the person is very surefooted and adventurous and tends to assign daily problems to others rather than taking them upon themselves. The coordinator tends to be very conscientious of team members thoughts and opinions and is good in resolving team discourse and developing compromise. The driver type of leader is realistic, good at doing what they can with what diminished they have, and are very resourceful. Lastly, the administrator is very organized and is punctilious in the way their work is done. Everything mus t be done methodically and in a reasonable fashion according to the administrator (Organizational Design, 2004).Communication and Leadership in Law EnforcementLaw enforcement agencies include all types of individuals, including the ones listed in the previous paragraph. There are many various types of hierarchy, chains of command, and leadership in law enforcement agencies. Let us first discuss how communication has been improved in law enforcement agencies. When people are asked to think about communication, most think of just speech and their verbal actions. It goes much deeper than that. One law enforcement agency saw it as so important to bring in a 40-hour class for its employees. The class aim was to help law of nature incumbents better understand and handle those with special needs. This training class enlightened the officers on how to be more aware of others behavior, actions, and especially what they are formula. This, in turn, would help the officer better pick up on t he niggling things that would help the situation on a whole (detecting boozyness, mental illness, miscommunications, etc.) (Shafa, 2009). saving up law enforcement employees on the differences of people and their disabilities, cultures, mental state, etc. is extremely important. jurisprudence officers very often have to make a split-second decision on the scene as to who is the hostile one, who is the victim, who is a danger, who is in danger, etc. This type of training discussed in the previous paragraph can emphatically help law enforcement get down more aware of their surroundings. More specifically, it will help them learn how to become more understanding and patient when it comes to communicating with different types of people.There are many different traits that build a good leader. Argumentativeness versus argumentative behavior is found to be traits in leaders. Argumentativeness is harmful to a group when it comes to communication. An argumentative person is just that b y nature. Rarely is a decision unanimously voted upon when presented by an argumentative person. When a person is argumentative, they are verbally aggressive and destructive to productivity and the group. Yet, this verbal aggressiveness can be changed into something else to be productive. When it comes to argumentative behavior, this has shown to be very productive in leaders. The argumentative behavior can help bring about certain points that would not be brought up commonly by a non-aggressive, assertive, or argumentative person. Once that point is brought up, the group can discuss it. tranquillise it takes someone with a certain trait, such as argumentative behavior, to bring about these points (Limon France, 2005).Argumentativeness versus argumentative behavior is a fine line to discuss. soulfulness with argumentativeness is more likely to be verbally aggressive, overpowering, and very opinionated, not accept of the views of others. A person with argumentative behavior can actually good a group. When the argumentative behavior occurs, certain points are brought up that commonly would not have been brought up. Once this window is opened, the group can discuss the issue. But the argumentative behavior has to be present in order to bring about this point. Let us consider that there is no one in the group with argumentative behavior. How will issues arise in order to be discussed? There may be the possibility that one person may speak up. Everyone has different traits. There is likely to be at least one person in the group that will disagree with someone elses view point and voice that. Although they may experiment to be very nice about it, the conflicting view is still brought up.Some officers who are new to the force feel they have an soma to fulfill. They will often abuse their authority and act differently than they normally would in a different role. Attitude is everything when it comes to communication. When arduous to improve upon ones communi cation skills, individually or as a group, much offense can be taken. They may see that they are being attacked because they are not communication well enough or they are just doing something wrong. Law enforcement has been given a bad label when it comes to bad cops, even unconstipated cops, due to their communication skills. Awareness and training classes have been implemented in order to help officers better communicate with the public. These classes focus on paralanguage, hearing versus listening, kinesics, proxemics, and pagan considerations. paralanguage is basically all other voice characteristics that accompanies the communicate language. Tone, volume, rate, and pitch all can convey different messages. If someone is verbalize in a fast, high-pitched tone, very loudly and fast, it can be easily concluded that they are excited, upset, or anxious. If they are quiet, speaking tardily at a low volume, things such as sadness, depression, shock, and other emotions can be dete cted. As spoken of before, hearing versus listening is a key factor in communication. Listening is the art of decoding what a person is saying rather than just merely letting their words in one ear and out the other (hearing). Kinesics is any communication that is nonverbal. Communication can be completely nonverbal. Gestures, facial expressions, posture, etc. can give a better clue as to what the person is feeling or what they are trying to communicate. Proxemics is the defining area around a person that would be considered as their cling to zone. A person will become much more alert to the other party once their comfort zone is impeded upon and they are made uncomfortable. When taking into account cultural differences, the most important thing that we can remember is physical touching. Some cultures do not allow it, other encourage it, and what one action means to us may not mean the same thing to a person in a different culture (Pritchett, 1993).These louver aspects of communic ation are crucial when encountering others, especially in law enforcement. Paralanguage is very often used in law enforcement. When an officer asks if a person has anything on them that they should know about, when that person says no, there is a sell of paralanguage determineing that clues the officer in that the person is really saying yes. In law enforcement, hearing versus listening is somewhat hit-and-miss. If a law of nature officer is dealing with a drunk man that is about to be locked up for the night anyway, how much listening is the officer going to en consider? On the other hand, if the officer pulls up to a murder scene, how much listening is the officer going to practice? He will decidedly be practicing a lot in order to gather as much evidence as he can, as opposed to the drunken guy. Kinesics is also a good tool for guard officers to use when trying to get down to the real story. Kinesics is basically body language attach to by speech. One can easily say that t hey do not have any marijuana on them, but while they are saying they do not, they are fidgeting, putting their hands in their pockets and locomote around. Proxemics is a good tool to use to get someone to talk. to each one person has their personal space (usually around one foot from their body). Once that personal space is invaded, their self-confidence and security decreases. When the person sees that the police officer has invaded their personal space, they know they are probably going to search them anyway. cultural considerations are a difficult concept to keep up-to-date on. Law enforcement and police officers would have to do research if they find themselves encountering many different cultural positions. For example, in the American culture, waving hello or au revoir is a good thing. In other countries, waving is seen as a serious insult. The same goes for the things we say. Therefore, we must be careful in what we say, do, and the way we act around those of a different culture.Inter-Organizational CommunicationWhen it comes to inter-organizational communication, a information shows that smaller agencies have the tendency to communicate better with larger agencies. The macrocosm and size of an organization depends on the type of communication and with whom to communicate. The studies presented in this skid show that organizations tend to communicate with the same type and size of organizations as themselves (Roberts J. Jr., 2007). When speaking of law enforcement agencies today, this seems to ring true. Why would the Federal Bureau of investigation communicate with the city police of a city with a people of 2,000 people for help, information, or ideas? Let us also look at it this way-why would the city police department of a city of 2,000 people mop up the Federal Bureau of Investigation for help, information, or ideas? Placing these studies in the real demesne today seems to be accurate. We see many organizations of the same size and on the same level communicating and working together, but they rarely go outside of their comfort zone in this regard. For example, after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, how often did people see the topical anaesthetic city police sitting with the state police and military guard to block off roads? How many local organizations were seen getting their feet dirty along with the National Guard? There were more volunteers than this case. It can be guaranteed that it was not seen too often, if any. The success of an organizations communication schema depends on effective means of communication, relaying the message, and considering the receiving party of the message.When it comes to productivity and communication at bottom law enforcement agencies, there is little face-to-face tie with those who are sending a message and those who are receiving the message. Let us focus on the managing powers of the organization and communications in that regard. If higher management was to become lax, what w ould happen to the lower hierarchy? If higher management tightens up and significantly increases communication with the lower hierarchy, what would happen? One study suggests that managers or administrators who monitor surface and work-productivity run the risk of having those being studied turn to more malfeasance in their position. Therefore, the study concludes that trust is imperative when it comes to the managing relationship-in both horizontal and vertical lines of communication. naiant communication is two street patrol officers (on the same level of the hierarchy) communicating. plumb communication would be a street patrol officer bringing concerns to the Chief of constabulary (the Chief being higher on the hierarchy). Being that police work is somewhat discretionary for the police officer, trust is definitely vital in both vertical and horizontal lines of communication. The Chief of practice of law is rarely able to be in a patrol car, seeing exactly what his officers are doing. Therefore, the Chief of Police must have a certain amount of trust in his officers, as well as the officers for their Chief, trusting him to do what he says he will do. Let us take a look on the other side of things. As stated before, officers have a certain amount of discretion over how to conduct their job. Everyone knows that a police officer will get a free drink from the local gas station or a free meal from the local breakfast restaurant. What would happen if communication and trust all of the sudden became tightened up and enforced? Not only would these little acts be affected, the productivity of the police officer would also be affected. If a police officer is, so to speak, micro-managed, there is more likely to be more backlash than welcoming of the communication. This can cause the officer to become insecure or frustrated at the focus being more on them and cause less productivity in his work (Langbein Jorstad, 2004).Women as LeadersWhile focusing on what cha racteristics comprise a good leader, let us also discuss how women emerged in their positions throughout the law enforcement organization to become effective leaders. Women were first introduced to the criminal justice system basically to handle fe virile inmates due to abuse and mis interference by male employees. Women were eventually moved to mainly work social work and had separate work environments, pay scales, dress code, and duties. Once the economy struggled through the mid-thirties and 1940s, women were battling for employment positions, or bread winners for the family and were eventually demoted back to being housewives. despite stereotypical roles, struggles, and sexism, women have proved successful in rising to leadership positions in law enforcement among other types of organizations. Most of this can be contributed to the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, both of which grant rights and equal protection to minorities. The factual stories of most succe ssful women in leadership positions mainly include their past of lawsuits of discrimination, struggles with promotions, etc. Yet, these women have proved themselves worthy to be promoted to a high leadership position. While women have not yet met their goal in being treated equally as others, there has been a huge improvement over the classs and many women successfully fulfilling leadership positions (Rienerth, 2001).Women have naturally integrated into the law enforcement scene. They have risen to leadership positions just as men have. Our country has made a lot of approach since the 1930s when women were suppressed from working and having household titles other than housewife or homemaker along with many other improvements in other regards. Today, there are many laws that protect the rights of not only women, but other minorities that have face hardships in gaining employment throughout our history. Nevertheless, something throughout all of this has proven successful due to our currently thriving and successful law enforcement agencies we have today.Groups and communication are a critical contribution when it comes to what comprises a healthy, successful, and thriving organization. Continually coaching, involving others, motivating, rewarding, and promoting teamwork can universally help organizations get hold of their goals on the small scale and the large scale. In law enforcement agencies, there are many different departments that help the organization function on a daily basis. It is believed that authority or leadership is the reason for the failure or success of the agency. In this regard, leadership is believed to be the solution that can help stop wrong behavior. When a law enforcement agency has much more unethical behavior than others, management and higher leadership in the organization are usually to blame. When management is not consistent in carrying out their duties, communicating concerns, and especially when other employees see that they are not discussion unethical employees the way they should, employee performance and productivity goes down and risk for unethical behavior rises. The whole organization suffers-tension mounts, low morale, lack of strife to achieve the same goal, and fragmentation of the organization can all occur (Wright, 1999).Suggested notwithstanding ResearchFurther research should be conducted regarding the effectiveness of current practices by law enforcement agencies. We can only improve upon what we know we are already doing wrong. First, studies should be conducted on the current practices by different types of law enforcement agencies. These results should be studied then compared to the practices of successful agencies. Once these studies results are gathered, it should be further researched and calculated as to what the agency can do differently or more accurately pinpoint their weak points. Without duplicating the other agencys practices, further action should be taken in order to hel p what the agency is doing wrong. This can be done through policy and procedure, training, employee performance evaluations, and even cater meetings.ConclusionEstablished organizations and law enforcement agencies have policy and procedure in place. There should be more in place for each agency that outlines the chain of command and communication procedures. This should start from the bottom with training of new officers. Communication should be emphasized through a well-taught course during training. There should also be refresher courses at least yearly for those who have been with the agency for more than one year. Communication training should also be given to those who normally do not come in to contact with the public also. This training would be for administrative personnel, dispatchers, and office workers. This would be effective because even though these people do not interact with the public on a daily basis, communication still needs to be enforced and improved across th e board in order for the organization to run smoothly. With the discussion given on leadership, training could help, but not in the same way communication training would. In order to improve leadership skills and communication in that regard, ethical and equal treatment training would be beneficial. It is very unlikely that a 65-year-old Chief of Police veteran is going to change much just by observation a video. But the training would be very beneficial to those who are just coming into the agency. The same goes for this training also-it should be re-iterated every year to ensure all employees, new and old are staying fully educate in all regards. In summary, communication is the root of all beginnings of any organization. First, the organization must be established. Then the hierarchy must be constructed. From there, communications among leadership and those on the lower part of the hierarchy must be effective in order to achieve the organizations goals. If they are not being met , the solutions or methods discussed in this paper should be applied. Remembering there is a sender, receiver, and a channel through which a message is sent is essential to remember. The channel is they pivotal point in which the message can be effectively sent or effectively lost. The passive receiver concept must also be taken into account. When this is detected, either the channel for the message needs to be changed or the receiver needs to be addressed. Listening versus hearing impedes much progress due to party not fully understanding the message of the other. When leading a group of people, it is important for the teacher to effectively utilize their methods. One of the most important methods of ensuring the message is effectively conveyed is asking the question why? This opens up the listener to much more broad thinking to come to other, possibly alternative, ideas. A law enforcement officer dealing with a mentally handicapped person would communicate with that person differe ntly than a sober, belligerent, 250 pound man. Understanding the other partys situation is very important when dealing with law enforcement. Leadership plays a role in everything that is discussed in this paragraph. Whether it is training, on the job work, or providing awareness, leaders are responsible for their employees performance regarding communication. This is where trust is fundamental for law enforcement agencies-vertically and horizontally in the hierarchy. If there is no trust between police officers and their Chief of Police, work-productivity will suffer due to low morale. This low morale will come from the officers thinking, If the Chief doesnt care, then why should we? Thus, leadership and communication go hand-in-hand when it comes to managing an organization and keeping that organization thriving and successful.