I am sure that every one of you is familiar with the employee who practices hand grenade management. It is their style to blow up everybody else's work, reputation or disrupt other's sections, just to make themselves appear to be the better worker. OK, no names but let's discuss this all too frequent animal that lurks within police departments and how to handle them.
Past Bombings
I recall from my past days as a sergeant who was competing for the lieutenant's promotion. You go to college at night and take on mandatory opportunities to excel as my former chief called them. These were extra projects or collateral duties. You drive yourself hard and then boom! one of your fellow competitors has walked down the hall and lobbed a grenade in your lap. Well, not really; they probably dropped a rumor at the coffee pot to your superiors, started a rumor with the secretaries, or just launched an explosive attack elsewhere. Now despite your good work and efforts, you have to do damage control over somebody else's childish, infantile behavior.
From my observation now as a chief, I can really see these creatures at their finest moments. Even if there is a faint possibility of a better station in life for them, they begin with their treacherous designs. They are often making up for their own faults, misgivings and ineptness is the often their reason. Many of them do not have the right qualifications, lack education, have a tawdry past, lack experience or have gotten to their station in life by riding coattails of others. They may have been the fair haired child in past administrations and now are out in the cold for they lack the right stuff. So what better way than to destroy all others who are your competition and then the last person standing will win the battle. These are easy to spot, the problem-child employee who always tells you their past exploits. They can not offer anything new; they alone got the department where it is now and expect the laurels. They will not forget to mention the faults of others, remind you of whom they are related to, married to, tell of their political affiliations and drop names. Again, no name calling please.
Handling the Bombers
If you are designing a promotional process or placement into a special unit, here are some tried and true means to separate them from their ways. First, require a letter of intent for the position and a resume that is limited to two pages without references. First this puts them in a position of having to produce factual information. Double check the resume to the work record. If your department can afford an assessment center process, this is great for the evaluators do not know this person or the names he/she is to drop. Don't worry, they will drop a name but good assessors can cull the herd. The assessors are only interested in performance and facing the tasks at hand. Most do not have names but only know you as candidate number one. If you can not afford an assessment center, have others assist with lower level interviews. Ask Human Resources or other department heads outside of your area to sit on the dais. I was once called into a local fire department for their process; they did not want anyone in fire service to evaluate; only other managers.
Format your questions to be performance and personality based questions, not just boiler plate questions of why you want to be promoted. My favorite of all is Tell me of a time you have failed and what have you learned from it? Another favorite is We do not want to hear your strengths, but what are your faults and what are you doing to eliminate them? What is interesting about a grenadier candidate is that they will never admit to failures or faults - just give them a moment. I once interviewed a promotional candidate who should have been the spokesperson for hand grenade hurling. When he was asked by the board if he possessed any faults or weaknesses, he declared he did not have any, but immediately began to name the faults of the other candidates! This was unbelievable; many do not believe me, but if I told others in that department they'd believe me.
If you are supervising one of these masters of disaster, here is the way to deal with them daily. If you ask them a question, demand that it is answered in ten words or less. I do not want their color commentary on others. What do you see as the immediate problem and what are you going to do to handle it. Performance is what counts, not tearing down the staff. By the way I will tell them, if you are known for speaking evil of your brother and sister officers then you will speak ill of the management. I do not want that kind of player on my management team. I want results, not excuses.
William L. Harvey | Chief
William L. "Bill" Harvey is a U.S. Army Military Police Corps veteran. He has a BA in criminology from St. Leo University and is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute of the University of Louisville (103rd AOC). Harvey served for over 23 years with the Savannah (GA) Police Department in field operations, investigations and completed his career as the director of training. Served as the chief of police of the Lebanon City Police Dept (PA) for over seven years and then ten years as Chief of Police for the Ephrata Police Dept (PA). In retirement he continues to publish for professional periodicals and train.
