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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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?

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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

22. .
The SARA Model

23. 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

24. 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

25. Creativity and Innovation
ShotSpotter System
ShotSpooter is a wide-area acoustic surveillance system that detects and pinpoints gunfire and explosive discharges within seconds.

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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

30. 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

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

32. 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?

33. 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?