Discuss “listening” as a leadership skill in police management. Why does listening matter in a profession that often utilize a semi-military or hierarchal form of structure and organization? What benefits can accrue to a leader who actively listens to his/her employees?
Listening is a leadership skill in police management because their structure requires the exchanging of ideas to be effective for their organization and the community they serve. Listening is especially crucial due to the a semi-military or hierarchal form of structure of the Police organization. This is because ultimately the front-line offers will be the ones who will carry out the mission of the organization. The line officers will apply the Operational procedures and feedback that is needed for desired results of the organization. In addition, the feedback will …show more content…
Shafer’s’ textbook Effective Leadership in Management refer to a statement by a Detective in a small municipal agency who related that, ‘Without the ability to communicate you cannot lead’(Pg.53). An effective leaders strives to be both an excellent speaker and good listeners. Communicating consist of speaking, reading, writing and listening. Out of these four communications, listening tends to be the hardest for human interaction because as the text point out, often times we are not extensively taught to exercise this skill. This is not to say that human interaction does not value listening, rather as described in Steven Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People points out, we listen from our own Paradigms (P.38). This is because our paradigms are not separate from our character, therefore the character of a leader is important. How the leadership interpret information they listen to is effected by the listeners Perception, understanding and interpretation based on the information (P.31). Steven Covey points out that the moment you step out of independence into an interdependent role, you have became a leader.
Listening is a leadership skill in police management because their structure requires the exchanging of ideas to be effective for their organization and the community they serve. Listening is especially crucial due to the a semi-military or hierarchal form of structure of the Police organization. This is because ultimately the front-line offers will be the ones who will carry out the mission of the organization. The line officers will apply the Operational procedures and feedback that is needed for desired results of the organization. In addition, the feedback will …show more content…
Shafer’s’ textbook Effective Leadership in Management refer to a statement by a Detective in a small municipal agency who related that, ‘Without the ability to communicate you cannot lead’(Pg.53). An effective leaders strives to be both an excellent speaker and good listeners. Communicating consist of speaking, reading, writing and listening. Out of these four communications, listening tends to be the hardest for human interaction because as the text point out, often times we are not extensively taught to exercise this skill. This is not to say that human interaction does not value listening, rather as described in Steven Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People points out, we listen from our own Paradigms (P.38). This is because our paradigms are not separate from our character, therefore the character of a leader is important. How the leadership interpret information they listen to is effected by the listeners Perception, understanding and interpretation based on the information (P.31). Steven Covey points out that the moment you step out of independence into an interdependent role, you have became a leader.