ICLD 2.2 It’s Our Ship: Discussion Board

13 Comments

• i liked that he talked about empowering your people but at the same time setting limits. basically they are given what they need to stay in there lane but are not allowed to go into someone elses lane. Also the importance of training, i think some overlook training when they have been at a job for an extended period of time but that is when it is most important. I work where complacency can happen to anyone and it can be deadly if you do, the more we train not only our new officers but the ones that have been on the job years. As he stated in the book “Training and staff development are never ending tasks that require time dedication and investment”. It also keeps people in the game almost everyone would like to move positions and to train other areas and with more people trained in all areas you have more tools at your disposal.

• I completed the “It’s Our Ship” module, and I must say, it was an eye-opening experience. The module provided a guide on becoming a better leader and was filled with practical tips and real-life examples that I found incredibly helpful.
  I believe the key takeaways from the module was the importance of empowering your team, trust, and letting your subordinates be involved. As a leader, it’s easy to fall into the trap of micromanaging and trying to control everything. However, this approach can be counterproductive, stifling creativity and innovation. You can create a more collaborative and engaged workplace by empowering your team to make decisions and take ownership of their work.

  Another valuable lesson from the module was the importance of communication. Effective communication is essential for building trust and fostering a positive work environment. The module emphasized the need to be transparent and honest in communication, even when delivering complex messages.

  The “It’s Our Ship” module provided valuable insights and practical advice on becoming a better leader. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their leadership skills and create a more positive and productive workplace.

• I really enjoyed the first book, It’s Your Ship, and took away a lot of key lessons. The lesson in this module is focused more on big picture and collaborative leadership, focusing on the whole organization, not just your piece in it. This resonated with me as it is not good enough to have the best squad on the department if the department as a whole is struggling.

  Something that I learned in this module to help with my leadership capacity at work is to inspire people to do their best and work at full intensity. According to Lt Colonel Scott many young people don’t know what excellence is and have never had a role model to inspire them. It is up to the leader to show them excellence in action and inspire them to want it in their own lives. Leaders should also empower their people and show them that their jobs are meaningful and important. A few ways to deliver excellence at work are to build a qualified team, collaborate and create a team atmosphere, always set out a clear vision and encourage growth.

• This review of It’s Our Ship was good. I think the main takeaways were similar to the first book, but expanded on seeing the bigger picture. In this book, Abrashoff talks about how he never thought to consider his impact on other ships. He said his group got cocky. Abrashoff also never offered a helping hand to other ships. Abrashoff talks about building strong teams you manage, but also seeing the bigger picture on how your team impacts the mission of an entire organization. While you’re team can be flourishing, it’s important to look to other teams in your organization to make sure they’re still afloat or your mission will still be a failure. Collaboration makes every agency stronger as a whole.

  The biggest take away was yet again trust. This has been talked about a lot in this course and is definitely something as leaders we need to hold high value in regarding it’s importance to our success. In this lesson though, it was made clear to make sure as leaders we are not looked at as buddies or father figures. As leaders, we should be caring, honest, straight shooters, and humble, but we should not be chummy with subordinates. We must show a genuine interest in our people, but we are still responsible to discipline and must maintain respect and boundaries.

  Abrashoff also talked about leading by example, having strong honest communication that flows both up and down within the entire chain of command, and to take calculated risks.

  • I completely agree with you that trust is a crucial aspect of leadership. Maintaining a professional relationship with subordinates is essential while showing genuine care and concern for their well-being. I also appreciate Abrashoff’s emphasis on leading by example and fostering open communication within the entire chain of command. Taking calculated risks can also be a valuable trait for a leader if carefully considered. Overall, there are many practical takeaways from this book that can be applied to various leadership roles.

• To increase your leadership capacity at work I believe we need to make sure that trust of your team and them having trust in you is important. One of the modules indicated how your team will have your back because they know if you look good then they look good. There are many different leadership styles and that is why listening and communicating with your team can benefit. Having their input on certain things can allow you to see things from their perspective. This will ultimately help in the overall image of the department. I believe it makes your staff/team feel important and it also solidifies that you are listening to them. This becomes helpful so that when you request them to do something for the betterment of the department they wont think twice about doing it. Building a solid foundation with your team can build success.

• According to Canter, there are three “Rs” when making decisions; reflect, respond and revise (2017). All three of these “Rs” are important when making decisions personally and professionally. When an individual encounters a problem that requires a decision to be made, they should be reflecting on what caused the problem to occur and what impacts the problem may have are. The most common step of the three “Rs” is responding; most individuals are aware that they have to respond to an issue or problem to stop it or fix it. The “R” that is least likely to be carried out is revise. This may be due to other issues arising, being placed on the backburner or feeling that the initial issue has been corrected. This may be one of the most important steps, if a plan or operation is revised then it can prevent from the issue or problem occurring in the future (Canter, 2017).
  Reference
  Canter, S. (2017). It’s our ship. 2.1, Week # 5. National Command and Staff College. Retrieved from https://cloud.scorm.com/content/courses/NAGVXPB5E6
  /ItisOurShipe176d71a-a4d0-410d-ba70-91846591ee26/5/index_lms.html

  • Thank you for your post. Decision making can be critical at times. I have always relied upon my experience and the experience of my staff to make a decision when the time comes that they beleive is the right decision at the time. I never want them to be afraid to make a decision in fear that they are wrong. I do know that at times we will make a wrong decision and that is good. Because it allows us to improve. I instruct my team that when they do make a decision stand behind it if it is right or wrong. No matter the outcome we can always learn or benefit.

    • I agree that decision making is extremely important. I have experienced leaders afraid to make mistakes and so they hesitate to make decisions at critical times. This is often worse than making the wrong decision. Sometimes any decision is better than no decision at all. As mentioned in the lecture leaders should be trained to make decisions quickly, and if it is the wrong decision to learn from those mistakes. One of the key takeaways for me in this is failure is not as important as what you do with your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes and get over it quickly. And just as important, if someone else shares responsibility in the mistake don’t use that as an escape hatch for yourself.

• I agree with the content of this lesson in regards to involving subordinates with decision making to improve the organization. It promotes a since of self worth from contributing valued input, and it lets the employee know that their efforts are appreciated. This is crucial for maintaining morale in the organization.

  • There are many benefits in having subordinates be involved in decision making when improving the organization. One of the most important reasons I believe is that they may have a different perspective which may provide great insight on the pros and cons of ideas being presented. If operational changes are being considered then these individuals would be able to provided insight on what works well and what doesn’t to improve efficiency and effectiveness. However, you are absolutely correct with it promoting a sense of worth; plus if it is their or the teams then they are going to have more of a buy in. When the new process works they will have a sense of pride and when it doesn’t work they won’t have to ability to only point the finger at the boss and say see I told him it wasn’t going to work. For a team to operate smoothly they have to trust each other and work together that means making collective decisions on operations.

    • I agree that having subordinates involved is a huge benefit. When a procedural change is being considered, asking the people on the front lines who use those procedures daily are going to know the pros/cons and have possible fixes which improve upon those. Sometimes as a leader, they feel it important to show they have all the ideas. Well, when you don’t use the current procedure, it’s hard to know the full picture and ramifications of possible changes. By including individuals at all levels in these decisions (when possible/practical), it helps get the change right the first time. It also helps empowers the rank and file to voice their opinions, feel heard, and feel valued in the organization.

• I am a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPAC) evaluator and am testing the system.