WHY GOOD
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS BECOME R.O.A.D. WARRIORS
(Retired On Active Duty)
(Retired On Active Duty)
This idiom or phrase is usually
spoken out loud as a workplace joke or a negative referral to someone that is
performing at a sub-par level while on duty. It must be stressed that this
expression is used often in the work place but is not to be taken literally. It
is used by most correctional officers that speak the same language and knowing
the meaning of such a phrase.
Although it may seem humorous in
the beginning it is often a legitimate point of frustration and stress for
those impacted by the lack of sensitivity and concern to this important matter.
In fact, it is a high element of staff turnover and resignations. Many of these
ROAD warriors exhibit the “Do it my way, or hit the highway” attitude that are
often contradictions to policies and procedure and influenced by a culture of
high tolerance to these “shortcuts” by their supervisors.
Every correctional officer must
realize that the reality of working with such individuals on shift sends a
terrible message to those who are already stretched thin on the job and working
their butts off to make ends meet while solving problems to the best of their
ability while on shift. We have experienced it on every tour of duty, at every
prison complex and it seems to be growing in numbers and attitudes. The danger
of such approach is how it impacts the new officer or transferred veteran candidate
who come onboard with a pocket full of expectations and personal goals as well
as determination to do the job well.
These potentially great officers quickly learn the ropes
from those that are “retired while on active duty” by performing the same
shortcuts, the same mannerism and the same attitudes demonstrated by their
so-called “mentors.” This article is about prevention or in many cases, the
intervention of such a phenomena happing at your workplace.
What causes this phenomenon and how do you combat such a
influence. The answer is not easy and it takes a lot of work to re-direct new
officers, as well as veteran employees back to the right direction. The most
important element for making changes is the mannerism or approach you take to
address this problem. It takes positive leadership qualities to reverse the
trend and keep it going in the right direction. Looking at some of the dynamics
of the ROAD syndrome, we find commonalities that must be addressed. How we
change these negative activities is left up to three main steps for responsible
parties.
The first step is for the administration to ensure their
policies and procedures are updated and revised annually or identified as
needed. In fact correctional “best practices” must be reasonable and according
to nationally established standards as well as ensuring their training programs
are up to standard and applicable to the tasks at hand in a real work
environment, not just at the academy. This includes a follow up on-the-job
orientation program that employs mentors of good standing and excellent work
histories.
The rank and file of supervisors that are charged with
direct supervision and guidance for all correctional officers, new and
veterans. These supervisors must be properly trained to perform and make good decisions.
They must also conduct sound and impartial personnel evaluations while building
teams; have the ability to draw up individual development plans and evaluate
and assess performance with no prejudice, bias or political influence when
making the scores for every individual under their command.
Giving an undeserving officer an excellent rating when in
fact, there may be room for improvement takes away the potential for growth and
knowledge. Supervisors are not doing their subordinates any favors by
overrating them as it stifles learning and career growth. This rating is most
important during the probation periods as it must accurately reflect the
performance and the behaviors exhibited during this trial period thus giving
the officer a chance to redeem themselves through work improvement plans and
other motivation tools provided by the supervisors. Reality is the key to best
efforts put forth during this important trial period of employment. It sets the
baseline of standards that could guide them throughout their entire career.
The last step is the individual that has voluntarily chosen
to become a correctional officer and work inside a penitentiary that is
potentially dangerous and harmful to both personal health and well being. This
is the most important step as these persons should be receptive to instruction,
direction and suggestions from those who know how to do the job according to
best practices and training provided by the agency. Each individual must step
up to a leadership position and address all issues coming their way
professionally and in compliance with the rules and regulations imposed on
this potentially most dangerous
workplace.
Setting aside personality issues or political preferences is
a priority for leaders, supervisors and correctional officers. We already know
that poor leadership qualities may in fact cause this ROAD phenomena thus it is
important that the leadership recognize their responsibilities in this concept
to avoid making the problems worse than they may already be in the workplace.
Leadership at all levels must be
positive in nature and focus on reinforcement and instructional behaviors. The
problem directly related to developing a good officer to become a great officer
is the manner these individuals enable and promote good feelings related to job
satisfaction, performance and appreciation of doing the job right. The obvious
result for negative behaviors impacts the enabling of practicing poor work
standards thus causing undesirable behaviors and this syndrome called ROAD
warriors at work.
Although there are many more
tools available to address this phenomenon, it is recommended that every human
resource administrator review their individual training plans to evaluate
effectiveness and get feedback on elements of this plan to ensure applicability
and practical exercises are included for all staff. This review should also
include the assessment of all performance and evaluation tools and verify
whether they are being used in the manner prescribed by a written outline
rather than random scoring using poor rating techniques to get this [often
perceived burdensome] task out of the way.
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