Instructions:
- Post a new discussion related to the topics covered in this module. Your post needs to provide specific lessons learned with examples from this module helping you enhance your leadership capacity at work.
- After posting your discussion, review posts provided by other students in the class and reply to at least one of them.
11 Comments
This lecture was eye opening as it was defining what every manager or officer does on a daily basis. Having emotional intelligence allows us to be mindful of our self-awareness. It makes us focus on ourselves more by exercising the ability to self regulate our daily interactions and daily decisions. I like that it also allows us to understand the importance of having great social skills. When we allow ourselves the opportunity to engage with public or our team it builds valued communication. With an effective communication skill we can grab the attention of our team /unit so that we can make sure that they understand the instructions or detailed that is being laid out. One other thing I liked in this lecturer is the ability read emotions. I have also been a person that people would say I was really easy to read when something was not right or if someone did something that I thought was not the right decision. My expressions can be a giveaway. I think I will focus on being more mindful of how I react when certain things are brought to my attention.
Emotional intelligence is a high functioning tool we use in the jail. With over 1500 people emotions and actions are all over the place. The ability to identify ho someone is feeling and be able to speak with someone is crucial. It has helped me by convincing multiple people from not to cause self harm or suicide. I personally am able to connect to other coworkers as I can sense when someone is not having a good day and a simple way of showing compassion is just by asking if they’re okay.
Thank you for sharing. Working in corrections is really hard in general but having to deal with this group of society on a daily basis really is challenging and difficult. You can really study their behaviors daily and learn when things are off. Working in a jail setting should be required for all law enforcement. Studying people habits can be beneficial when you are surveilling them in the real world you will understand what makes them tick and how they can react.
According to Robinson, emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, assess and control one’s emotions or those of other individuals (2017). This is very important in any workforce environment; no matter if you are a member of a team, leader or the owner of the company. A team will be able to function smoothly if its member are self-aware of their own emotions are able to regulate them appropriately. It is also important for everyone else on the team to be able to read the emotions of the room as well as be empathetic for their team mates. As a supervisor, it is very important for me to understand when the dynamics of the work environment change so I can address any concerns or issues that are brewing. I also have to be able to recognize each of my member’s emotions or moods so I know if there is something going on with them personally or professionally. I have to say that one of my best qualities is being empathetic, I always try to put myself in their shoes or see it in their perspective as well as explain situations that I have been in that are similar to their work situations (Robinson, 2017).
Reference
Robinson, M. (2017). Practical emotional intelligence. 2.3, Week # 5. National Command and Staff College. Retrieved from
https://cloud.scorm.com/content/courses/NAGVXPB5E6/PracticalEmotionalIntelligence6c3c50de-463c-4d97-bcce-19abdeee59fc/2/index_lms.html
I believe that using emotional intelligence effectively while performing one’s duties as a supervisor is key to having a functional and good working relationship with your squad/s. Having those subordinates that are emotionally taxing on you and being able to control it, while remaining empathetic with them and others, and not taking away from their needs is crucial. Granted, technology and other social media platforms can hinder some of the communications. This is crucial as long as everyone is aware that their emotional outlets are best done in person to properly assess each other accurately instead of guessing what something meant or trying to help them properly.
I would agree with you, that it is very important to have emotional intelligence as a supervisor it improves the relationships and communication you can have with your members. It can be difficult at times to maintain empathy and emotional control when dealing with members who are emotionally taxing, however, that is a part of supervision and recognizing those times and improving on your own skills are important to continue to foster those relationships.
With technology most people tend to hide their emotions behind the screen and not face to face.
Emotional Intelligence plays a crucial role as a Law Enforcement Officer. The ability to recognize peoples feeling and create an appropriate response could be the difference between deescalating the situation and having it escalate out of control. It is also crucial as a leader. Having a high level of emotional intelligence as a leader will allow you to see how your subordinates are acting and recognize if their is some kind of conflict with them that needs to be resolved.
I couldn’t agree more, especially being in a supervisory role. We deal with people (public and sworn) throughout the entire shift and being able to read people and respond to their emotion a lot of time can de-escalate or diffuse a problem before it worsens. When subordinates are dealing with things, acting short-fused, or “blah”, there could be numerous reasons even not having to deal with work. Being able to judge that and respond accordingly can aid that person in fixing it.
You made an excellent point about how emotional intelligence can play a significant role in the everyday functions of a law enforcement officer. When dealing with the public it is very important to be aware of the emotional dynamics and be self-aware of your own emotions. I could see how a situation could escalate very quickly if the deputy wasn’t self-aware or able to properly assess the emotional climate of the situation. I believe that it would be beneficial for the academy to teach some emotional intelligence techniques to build on the skills the deputies already have.
I am a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPAC) evaluator and am testing the system.