TODAY’S NEW SUPERVISOR Capt. Kelly McCarthy Lino Lakes Police Department kelly.mccarthy@ci.lino-lakes.mn.us Desk: 651-982-2302 Cell: 651-335-6508

Goals of this discussion: Provide some insight into your new role Provide some real tools and tactics Put customer service in the proper context

Here are your stripes…. Most supervisors don’t receive training along with their promotion There is no magic bullet or one style that works for all supervisors

“Now that you make the big bucks” Your promotion was not a “reward”. People will now start to treat you different no matter what you do, so you might as well do it right.

What got you here will not keep you here What makes a good patrol officer does not make a good supervisor Made vs. born You have to believe that you need to acquire new skills if you are going to be a good supervisor When faced with the born v made question, most people think of charismatic leaders.

The do’s and don’ts General guidelines and tips Be authentic Small group exercise: think of the worst leader that you have worked for: worked, coach, teacher, any thing. Describe them to the members of your group. Write down any similar themes.

Do Be patient Know and respect the chain of command Do the work you are assigned and do it well, assign others work and direct your shift Know the rules and follow them Don’t allow violations just because you used to do them (protip) It is ok to have discussions and disagreements up the chain, but once you are out with the troops, you have to support Admin. Protip: when faced with co-workers who say that you used to do it, acknowledge it, frame it, and do the right thing.

Do Respect confidential information Stay technically proficient, but don’t just be a worker bee Recognize good work Hold people accountable Format for feedback will be discussed in greater detail DUI and 05 example. People will not necessarily step up their game to match your pace. Compliment in public, correct in private.

DO… Be in constant learning mode Take responsibility for your shift Apologize when you are wrong

Don’t Think you can take off your stripes Think they aren’t watching/listening Don’t be “political” or gossip Pole vault over mouse poo What do you think of when you hear the word “political” What I mean by this is don’t treat people as just a means to an end.

The dreaded correction New and experienced supervisors dread correcting behavior Avoid doing it by email How the correction goes has a lot to do with how people react to hearing things they don’t like or agree with

Reactions to work stress and criticism: Reflexive vs. Reflective

Reflexive What most people do when immediately faced with stress or a critique Starts with an assumption This is your knee jerk reaction

Reflexive Blame Others Blame Self I suffer because you/they/this place sucks Results in hostility, frustration, anger Causes people to avoid one another and attack their reputation Blame Self I suffer because I suck Can lead the employee to become depressed, withdrawn, 8 & skate Results in decreased production, avoiding new tasks/activities

Reflective Start with a question, not an assumption “There must be a reason for his/her actions” Calm Curious Concerned Leads to open communication and trust

How do you react? Think of the last time a supervisor corrected your behavior. How did you react? Maturity is how fast you can move from reflexive to reflective What are your issues? Protip: “that’s interesting, can you tell me more about that?”

Great theory… Format for correcting behavior or negative feedback. Start with a question past, present, future

Start with a question Did you……? Is there a reason….? Can you tell me about….? Make sure your question is not coming off as sarcastic The purpose of the question is not to incriminate, but to ensure that you know the context of an action

Past, Present, Future Past: What was the EXACT behavior you are correcting or commenting on Present: What did or could result from the behavior, Future: Consequences and the behavior you want to see Many supervisors are good at telling people what not to do, but fail to tell people what the correct action is.

Positive feedback Each supervisor has a different bar Establish your bar and be consistent Consistency will avoid the appearance of playing favorites

Importance of perception You see yourself through a limited view that is usually based on your INTENTIONS. Others see you through your ACTIONS. Perception is reality. Is there someone in your agency you trust to tell it to you straight?

Be authentic And NEVER compromise your integrity or ethics. (true to one's own personality, spirit, or character) And NEVER compromise your integrity or ethics. “Fake it until you make it” works for some situations, but not leadership. Cops will see right through you and you will only be able to keep it up for so long. The trick is how to be authentic in your new roll. Do not compromise your integrity, not even a little. You cant be half a whore.

Don’t be afraid to turn down a promotion (including this one). We do a job well, we're promoted. We do that job well, we're promoted again. This happens in succession until we eventually rise to a position that we can no longer do well -- or our level of incompetence. There, we either stagnate, revert back to a lower position, are fired, or learn and grow. You have to make the choice to learn and grow.

Customer Service Who are our “customers”? What is good customer service? What is customer service? Meeting and exceeding your customers expectations.

What influences expectations? Police Officers in the 1940s and 1950s Things that influenced public perception: *1968 democratic convention

Expectations Cont.. Police officers in the 1960s and 1970s

Expectations Cont.. Police Today

Current status How would you describe the level of customer service in your police department? Your officers will treat the public the way that you treat them. If I called in to report that someone stole something from my unlocked vehicle, how would I be treated? Would I get a call back?

Common Barriers to customer service Overworked staff Underworked staff Non-caring culture Customer value has not been communicated Poor accountability

“But I am not paid to make people feel good, I am paid to protect people and arrest bad guys.” 2013 UCR Clearance Rates Statewide part 1 = 28% Statewide part 2 = 61% Oh, you catch bad guys?

Importance of good customer service? Rapidly changing times Technology Officer safety Budgets

Now for the good news! Here is what our customers want: Be treated with dignity and respect 75% Listen to what we have to say 74% Get things right the first time 56% Act on feedback 50% Manage expectations 46% Consumer focus survey from 2010 in the UK

What you can start doing today Decide to give a shit Let people have their say Others don’t have to be wrong for you to be right Golden rule Show your coworkers how customers should be treated

If you know how to set someone off, then you also know how to calm them down “An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult”

Thank you and good luck