Challenge the Status Quo at your Agency

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Motivational speakers will tell us we need to challenge the status quo, step out of the box, and leave our comfort zones. While this is theoretically true, doing it in highly established environments (like at a police department or sheriff's office) can be perceived by others as interfering, annoying, and undesired.

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Let’s be honest, police department work culture can be highly political, and not all your colleagues share your ambition. Even leaders can be afraid to challenge the status quo. But don’t be discouraged!

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You’ve got some new ideas? Great! Here’s how you can effectively introduce them without flustering others.

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1. Identify a Challenge or Opportunity

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Talk is cheap, and it’s easy for people to say things like “that needs to be fixed,” or “Command really needs to do something about this.” But conversations and comments like this are useless and tiring to listen to.

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Instead, take what you think needs to be changed and put it into positive terms. Focus on the end goal rather than the action needed to get there. Doing this presents your idea as an opportunity, and people are much more likely to get behind a positive change.

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2. Have A Plan. Do Your Homework.

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Next, before you go promoting a half baked idea, take some time and get your facts straight! A big part of why most plans never come to fruition is because people become overwhelmed with the steps necessary to see it through. Of course you can’t predict everything, but the more framework you can build around your idea, the less intimidating it will appear. Remember, people tend to shy away from ambiguity. The solution? Lay out a game plan.

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3. Draw on Examples or Shared Experiences

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For additional inspiration, draw on real examples where others challenged the status quo in similar ways and succeeded. We all love underdog stories, and it’s harder to shut an idea down when it's been proven successful before, even if it’s at different agency or even industry.

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4. Get Consensus On Your Idea

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The last step before being vocal about your change initiative is to get an idea of how important your idea is to others. You need to first know that others feel the same way you do about change, and that others would be willing to act should they have an opportunity. When you can confidently say others are on board, your ability to perform the next step will be that much stronger.

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5. Present Your Idea

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At the end of the day, police departments and sheriff’s offices across the country are craving out of the box thinking and new ideas. It’s true, believe us! We’ve talked to literally thousands of law enforcement leaders and they all agree on this point.

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Challenging the status quo and established norms can be an uphill battle, but by approaching the situation systematically and respectfully, implementation of a new idea is absolutely possible. It’s when individuals try to introduce a new idea in a spontaneous, radical, or expedient fashion that it gets perceived as haphazardous or threatening.

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Now that you have a clearer idea of what to do, how to do it, and your colleagues are behind you, schedule some time with your boss or superior. You will be taken seriously and will demonstrate true leadership and problem solving skills. The chances of your idea being accepted are exponentially higher, and who knows, you might even end up being in charge of the initiative.

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Want to get some initial feedback on your idea? Book a session with a Law Enforcement Performance Coach and get some honest input before you talk to your department.