Section II Basic Management/ Personal Skills Chapter 5 Decision Making and Problem Solving

A Decision-Making, Problem-Solving Environment A problem-solving environment is made up of Diversity Disagreement Risk-taking

Kinds of Decisions Strategic—executive level i.e.; reduction of the overall crime rate Administrative—middle management level i.e.; policy and procedures Operational—first-line level i.e.; warning vs. arrest

Types of Decisions Command Consultative Consensual i.e.; a management decision made with little or no input Consultative Uses input from others Consensual A decision made by a group

Whole-Brain Research Left-brain thinking Right-brain thinking Processes language Primarily logical Right-brain thinking Processes images Primarily emotional Whole-brain thinking Using both logic and creativity

Emotional Intelligence The ability to recognize and manage one’s emotions, as well as those of others The ABC’s of emotions: Activating events People, things or others in an officer’s life Belief and self-talk statements we make to ourselves about events in our life Rational, adaptive, supportive Irrational, maladaptive and hurtful Consequences What results from someone's belief and self-talk Satisfaction and happiness or Anger and depression

Basic Methods for Making Decisions or Problem Solving Intuition knowing without using any rational thought process Snap decisions the need to be decisive Delegating allowing a subordinate to make the decision Not deciding “creative procrastination” Using technology for decision making Vast array is available at all levels

Basic Methods for Making Decisions or Problem Solving Participatory decision making (PDM) employees have a say Brainstorming shared problem solving; spontaneous ideas Focus groups Police/Community collaboration Groupthink submitting to the influential members of the group

Four Rules of Brainstorming 1. No one is permitted to criticize an idea. 2. The wilder the idea, the better. 3. The group should concentrate on the quantity of ideas and not concern itself with the quality. 4. Participants should combine suggested ideas or build on others whenever possible.

Keys to Effective Brainstorming 1. Ensure that participants are prepared. 2. Write down all ideas. 3. Allow no criticizing of ideas. Have a definite ending time.

Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking in Brainstorming Divergent (right brain) thinking should always come first; allows for free flowing, creative ideas Convergent (left brain) thinking should follow; evaluative, rational and objective

More Complex Decision-Making/ Problem-Solving Processes The seven-step decision-making/problem-solving approach Force-field analysis The nominal group technique The Delphi technique A modified form of the Delphi technique

The Seven-Step Decision-Making/Problem-Solving Process 1. Define the specific problem. 2. Gather all facts concerning the problem. 3. Generate alternatives. Cross tell, Cross flow. 4. Analyze the alternatives. How does it fit mission, cost, personnel required, available resources, etc. 5. Select the best alternative. 6. Implement the alternative. 7. Evaluate the decision.

Force-Field Analysis Identifies factors that impede and enhance goal attainment A problem exists when the equilibrium is upset because more factors are impeding (restraining forces) goal attainment than enhancing (driving forces) it.

The Nominal Group Technique An objective way to achieve consensus on the most effective alternatives by ranking them. Some people work better by themselves than in a group. Very time consuming. Should be reserved for important problems that really require consensus decision.

The Delphi Technique A way to have individual input result in a group effort Uses questionnaires completed by individuals Answers are shared and the questionnaires are completed again until consensus is reached.

A Modified Delphi Technique Presents a questionnaire that contains policy statements representing key issues to be decided and a response column with three choices: Agree with Not certain but willing to try Disagree with

Problem-Solving Policing: The SARA Model Scanning Identifying the problem Gather the facts Ask the questions: Who is affected? What harms are created, what can police do? What factors contribute? How often do they recur? How are they similar?

Problem-Solving Policing: The SARA Model Analysis A. Generate alternatives Analyze alternatives Select the best alternative. See pg. 158 for a list of Goldstein’s range of possible alternatives.

Problem-Solving Policing: The SARA Model Response Select the best alternative Brainstorming Use of experts Rank and prioritize based on difficulty, expense, etc. Six Factors to consider first: Internal supprt External support Leadership Communication Resources Staffing

Problem-Solving Policing: The SARA Model 4. Assessment: should be ongoing Evaluating the decision Was problem solved? If not, why? Review data collected during process. Should include Qualitative and quantitative data Qualitative – examines the excellence of the response Quantitative – measures the amount of change

. The SARA Model

Handling a Call Versus Solving a Problem Call/case-driven response Problem-driven response Temporary/transient result Longer lasting/permanent result Less effort/energy required/expended More effort/energy required/ expended Less imagination applied More imagination applied Limited results expected by officers Less limited results expected by officer Little collaboration with others Much collaboration with others Response driven by limited information Response driven by much information

Creativity and Innovation Creativity is a process of breaking old connections and making useful new ones. Involves innovation, originality i.e., getting involved in the corporate world We are all potentially creative people. Only a few overcome society’s messages that stifle creativity and ingenuity

Creativity and Innovation ShotSpotter System ShotSpooter is a wide-area acoustic surveillance system that detects and pinpoints gunfire and explosive discharges within seconds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-G5LYgWI2o

Thinking Traps 1. Being stuck in black/white, either/or thinking. 2. Being too quick in deciding. 3. Making decisions based on personal feelings about the proposer of an idea. 4. Being a victim of personal habits and prejudices. 5. Not using imagination.

Mental Locks 6. To err is wrong 1. The right answer. 2. Play is frivolous. 3. That’s not my area. 4. Don’t be foolish. 5. I’m not creative. 6. To err is wrong 7. That’s not logical. 8. Follow the rules. 9. Be practical. 10. Avoid ambiguity.

Killer Phrases “It’s not our policy.” “We don’t have time!” “Not enough help.” “Cost’s too much.” “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” “The Problem with that is…” Judgmental Critical Put-downs Stifle others’ creativity To handle killer phrases: Recognize them. Describe what is happening. Challenge the group to discuss whether they are true.

Common Mistakes Spending too much energy on unimportant details Failing to resolve important issues Being secretive about true feelings Having a closed mind Making decisions while angry or excited Not expressing ideas

Legal Decisions Law enforcement officers and management must consider if discretionary acts are within the law. Vicarious liability – if you are associated with a person, you can be held responsible for their actions Reducing the occurrence of civil lawsuits Effective policies and procedures Thorough and continuous training Proper supervision, discipline, standards of accountability Accurate, thorough police reports

Ethical Decisions Ethical considerations are important in decision making. Is the decision ethical—morally right?

Evaluating Decisions 1. Consistent with the agency’s mission? Goals? Objectives? 2. A long-term solution? 3. Cost effective? 4. Legal? 5. Ethical? 6. Practical? 7. Acceptable to those responsible for implementing it?

Classroom Discussion Questions Who would you involve in the decision-making process? How important do you think creativity and innovation are in dealing with typical problems facing law enforcement? Of the systematic approaches to problem solving, which seems the most practical to you? What is the greatest problem you think law enforcement is facing today? What approaches would you use to attack it?