I have noticed that it is neither a routine, nor obsession to details but rather I have become steeped in personal rituals. No, I am not speaking about something holy or connections back to the lost mystic arts, but those routines which elevate me to another level in mental preparation. We all have daily routines but what happens when they are not followed? We become grumpy and out of sorts. An example is when you are called out in the middle of the night. I have not had my obligatory coffee or morning preparations for the day; therefore I will be out of sorts for the day. Somehow, we survive this little inconvenience of life and make it. I would like to examine our rituals of leadership and how they separate the average leader from the exceptional one.
Earliest beginnings
When most ask where or who did I learn the most from, it was the US Army. For those who entered basic training in 1970’s you were reprogrammed. They broke the civilian part of you and molded you into a military version of what was once a raw recruit. They taught you how to march, to brush your teeth, think and speak as a soldier. The years have passed, the language and marching has changed but some things remain constant. Still on a Sunday just like then, I am setting up a fresh uniform, polishing brass, shining boots and other preparations for the upcoming work week. This ritual energizes me and gets my creative juices flowing, for as I accomplish these mundane tasks, I am planning the next few days. Shining shoes humbles you but my training taught me it was more than an image, it takes that pride from deep within you to shine. Apply this to your next presentation before your jurisdiction’s elected officials. What little ritual do you need to practice to get your game face on? Even as an instructor or chairing a meeting, what are your preparations to enter the event and be successful? One does not simply wing their way through this, miracles are at a premium nowadays.
Supervisory beginnings
When you became a supervisor you were probably matched to a mentor or field training sergeant. Being the new, inexperienced and uninitiated apprentice sergeant, you watched but did not observe. Successful experienced sergeants have a routine that is a ritual. The one I recall would arrived an half an hour plus before required time. He would come in (coffee in hand), gather up his inbox correspondence, personal inbox and spread it out and sort it. What he did was prioritize it by time value and importance, sounds similar to the “inbox exercise” for an assessment center doesn’t it? He mulled over the calendar, person notes and then attacked the stack. As the shift began to wander in, they saw him there, with everything in place. He was ready to tend to their needs and ready to begin the shift without breaking a sweat. Through his shift preparation, he made it look so easy. My first few attempts were a struggle and then I applied his methods and it all fell into place.
Advanced rituals to success
We have seasonal changes and yearly events that we must prepare for throughout the year. Example is that no investigator will wait until the day before a trial to prep, days and weeks out they have evidence, reports and prosecutor’s meetings completed. Nor should you wait for the last quarter of the year for completing budgets, training requirements and goals & objectives, these are done. One technological advance to assist with this is the e-calendar function within your departmental email systems. Tickle sheets, reminders and scheduling creative time is a must for any successful commander. You start each month with a review of the upcoming month and its obligations, and then take it into 60 – 90 days for future planning. The set-up is time consuming; the establishing a ritual is not difficult and the results are proven! Some have their calendars with alerts sent to cell phone and other technology gadgetry. I do not care if you still use sticky notes on the bathroom mirror, use what works for you.
What all of this adds up to is maximizing creative time. I become frustrated very quickly when my creative time and reading time becomes wasted over others failing to plan. Yes, I said reading time and it should be in your daily activity. You must keep abreast with local news and changing trends within your vocation. You must read (paper or e-format) professional periodicals and papers to keep your mental edge sharp. Have a few extra minutes in the day, so then pick a supervisory topic to research and read that extra article. All of this adds up to what we refer to as time management. President Abraham Lincoln was to have said “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”, purely an efficient and effective statement of preparation and time management. His statement also speaks of rituals of a craftsman. The pure craftsman takes down time to prepare for the next work session, whether it is sharpening his axe or in our case our minds. Preparation which can be a ritual will be the time management process and also it’s key to success. Another military example was no matter how tired we were or the length of the mission; all equipment was accounted for, cleaned and made mission ready, it was preparation, it was a ritual and we were successful.
Nobody ever said that being a supervisor was an easy task. I have told many that it is not for the faint of heart nor the idle. Bottom line it is hard work at times. If you don’t want to invest time in preparing, and just simply want the world to ‘happen for you’, then don’t apply. This is also true of being an instructor and FTO, there are hours of preparation for the one teaching moment. I cannot tell you what will be your ritual or what your time management preparation salvation will be. Learn from those who are successful around you, research and experiment with what makes you do those things that will be your route to success.