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.
13 Comments
It is very true many of us spend more time at work with our law enforcement family them we do with our actually family or people outside of work in the community. We do become cynical to what is out there in the world or damaged by what we see. We often relate more with our “own”. The Us vs Them mindset. But we damage our relationships with our own families and our own communities. It does become important we find the life balance. It is something we should be teaching young people entering our profession. Before they learn it the hard way. I know for me long into my career I learned I needed to have a bigger balance. I spend just as much time in my community doing activates and leisure as I do being a law enforcement officer. It was the biggest change in my life and took some changes and I had to give up a few things. I find myself happier and healthier and enjoying my life among others that our not law enforcement. Now it took me twenty years to learn this. We as leaders need to teach younger generations this so they can have a community involvement sooner.
It has become easier and easier to only surround yourself with other law enforcement personnel outside of work. With how divided our society seems to be, the easy path is to just accept tribalism and remain cynical. This has real negative outcomes and does not produce a balance that we all need. I think it’s very important to challenge yourself as a leader to be open to new ideas which may contradict what you believed before. It is not healthy to be captured inside an echo chamber as this stunts real growth. If we are not willing to accept other view-points that differ from our own, we limit our chances of connecting with all community members in which we serve.
Being a great law enforcement officer isn’t just about what you do on duty; it’s about who you are off duty too. It’s easy to get so caught up in the job, especially when you’re constantly exposed to the worst parts of society. That negativity builds up over time and can lead to cynicism, emotional burnout, and eventually, isolation. The danger here is that we start carrying that same mindset into our personal lives, shutting ourselves off from our families, friends, and communities.
One thing that stood out to me was the reminder that we need to recommit to good citizenship. That means getting involved in our communities, not just as police officers, but as individuals. Volunteering, mentoring, coaching, and showing up to events, these things help us reconnect with the good in the world and remind us of why we do what we do in the first place. It’s about keeping perspective and preventing that “us vs. them” mentality from taking root.
I agree, what we do off duty is just as important from what we do on duty. Carrying yourself in the highest fashion in all parts of life is what being a great leader is all about. Being involved with communities and understanding their perspective is a challenge that so many of us should seek. Being comfortable with the uncomfortable is what we should strive for.
I think for a lot of people in this field it is difficult to have a separate life outside work, especially when the number of people wanting to get into law enforcement and the short numbers of staff we have left. We are required to work more overtime due to short staffing which in turn restricts time with family and builds closer bonds with co-workers, when working 12 hour shifts like we do you are with work people more than you family. In order to keep peace at home and spend quality time at home it is important to communicate with families and make the most of the time you can because small kids wont understand. Work life balance is imperative to not only make the most of family time but putting out the best effort at work as well.
You’re right, it is a balance, and it can become easy for a spouse to think or assume that others get your best or that you focus more on work. It also makes it difficult because, depending on your occupation in law enforcement, you are often called at home on your days off. A spouse often wants your attention and not to feel second-rate. What can make it worse is that many officers will bring their stress home with them, and now their spouse gets a partner who is still focused on work while at home, but takes out frustration or anger on the family.
It is a sad reality of law enforcement that dealing with societies problems every day can create a cynical outlook on life. When officers first come to the job it is exciting and different every day and they become entrenched in the profession. There is a saying that “police work gets in your blood.” It creates a brotherhood, or a strong social unit of people who understand the situations they’ve been through because they have also been there. The excitement causes a physiological response and people get addicted to the roller coaster of highs and lows and work starts to become more attractive, relationships at work become more intense, and relationships outside of work start to look boring. It is crucial not to socially isolate away from family or the rest of society. It becomes more important to actively balance time spent in the areas in the time/life model: leisure activity, growth and development, physical fitness, work, family, survival activity, and community involvement. Community involvement becomes important to remind officers that there is good in society and what they are fighting for on the road and to help develop relationships with the people they serve.
I think it is something that should be talked about more at the academy for new recruits to understand that work is important but so is time away.
True but not just in the academy. How about as FTO’s, mentors, supervisors. We set the example and we teach the younger generation.
Community leadership plays a crucial role in enhancing public safety agencies and preventing cynicism. Effective leadership in a community can inspire trust, promote transparency, and foster cooperation between the public and law enforcement agencies. This can lead to improved communication and collaboration, which can help solve crimes and prevent future incidents.
Furthermore, community leadership can help prevent cynicism by promoting accountability and transparency within public safety agencies. When leaders are transparent about their actions and decisions, it can help build trust and avert cynicism from setting in. Additionally, community leaders can encourage public safety agencies to be accountable for their actions, ensuring they always act in the best interest of the community they serve.
Community leadership is crucial for public safety agencies to operate effectively and prevent cynicism. Effective leadership can promote trust, transparency, and cooperation, improving communication and collaboration between the public and law enforcement agencies. By working together, we can create safer, more cohesive communities.
Having a life outside of public safety is critical to surviving this career. This lesson provided some good strategies and ways to engage outside of work. I strongly believe that having relationships with people outside of the field is essential to staying firmly planted in reality and being less cynical. I also think engaging with neighbors and community members in our own community (not just at work) can help foster positive relationships between the public and law enforcement. I’m also a big proponent of volunteering a couple times a year to give back and remember why we do the jobs we do.
I also thought Stockman’s Time/Life model was interesting:
1. Leisure activity
2. Growth and development
3. Physical fitness
4. Work
5. Family
6. Survival activity
7. Community involvement
I think all of these things are important to have a well-rounded life. It’s especially important in the shift work world to carve time out for these different pieces to make sure we have good balance.
I completely agree with you. Having a life outside of work is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, especially in a high-stress field like public safety. It’s essential to have relationships with people outside of work to stay grounded in reality and avoid becoming too cynical. Engaging with neighbors and community members can foster positive relationships between law enforcement and the public. Stockman’s Time/Life model is an interesting way to balance different aspects of life. All of the seven components are essential for a well-rounded life. It’s important to carve out time for leisure activities, personal growth and development, physical fitness, work, family, survival activities, and community involvement to achieve a healthy balance.
I also found the time/life model to be interesting and think it would be a useful tool to remember to work on these things often to have a well-rounded life. Often times what attracts police officers to the job can be their undoing when the novelty wears off. Balance becomes more important as time goes on and officers need to have a life outside of the job.