Today I spent 4 hours of my life watching a step in the selection process  for a top member of the administration where I work.

I’ll start by letting you know I work for a municipality. I’m a police officer.   I’ve been employed there for four years and really  enjoy my job.  Our police chief has been in position for nearly a year and a half and is preparing to hire his deputy.

Today was an interesting study in political theater.

After a nationwide search, there were three final candidates. The candidates were front and center in a “meet the troops” sort of forum.  For one hour each of the candidates were bombarded with prepared questions delivered by various members of the organization.

Detectives, patrol officers, K9 officers, records personnel, Sergeants, and even a Lieutenant presented the questions.  There was an impromptu grilling of each candidate by a seasoned detective known for his effective interview style.  Each candidate told his story, listened, joked, put their best foot forward, and worked to ‘sell’ themselves.

At the close of the three one hour-long sessions the chief asked for feedback.  The Chief wanted to know what we (the employees) thought about the candidates.

How refreshing.  A boss that actually wants the employee input in hiring a critical player in our organization.

There were two themes the candidates bloviated about:

1. Leadership vs Management
2. Communications

I thought it was interesting to hear the candidates give varied definitions of leadership vs management and see their varied communication styles.  In a nutshell, the candidates were:

Candidate #1  A rigid, adroit (albeit polished)  former FBI agent with the humor and charisma of a walnut.

Candidate #2 An accomplished disciplinarian and police Commander whose name-dropping was unfortunate because he dropped cringe-inducing names.

Candidate #3 A humble and genuine example that police work doesn’t have to make you cynical. What’s that line about nice guys finishing last?

It didn’t take too much for the attendees to give the Chief feedback.  There were an out-pouring of opinions.  Most of which are encapsulated in my candidate descriptions.

The Chief’s dilemma was a perception issue.  The Candidate Apparent (CA for short) was from his old agency.  The Chief wanted to clear the air about not trying to create a “new _______” (his old city).

The Chief wants to make his decision tonight.  The meeting ended at 5pm. It’s a big choice Chief.  My confidence is high in your ability to do the right thing for the right reason.

Now, I got thinking about all this because I’ve been a student and teacher of leadership, psychology, and social dynamics for many, many years.  (I taught leadership, supervisory skills, applied psychology, and communication for 10+ years at university and I’ve been studying these topics for 40 years.)

I was delighted to be in a room where I believed my opinion mattered in the work-place.  I’m a salty 55 year old patrol officer.  I don’t get delighted about too much.

I was wondering why I felt that sense of delight?  Why did I feel empowered about a decision that will not impact me directly or immediately?  Is this some validation about my beliefs and hopes?

I’m not sure.  I am sure, however, that I am blessed to be in an organization where the perception of my thoughts matter!

Of course, your mileage may vary!

Dr Jay