Organizational Culture: Is Yours Congruent with What You Do?

My good friend Don Vandergriff sent me a terrific 167 page report from the Strategic Studies Institute  IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE OF THE U.S. ARMY CONGRUENT WITH THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTOF ITS SENIOR LEVEL OFFICER CORPS? I spent this week reading the report and found it to be outstanding and although focused on the Army and the changes they need to make as an organization, it also relates in my view to what we in law enforcement and security need to focus on in our efforts to prepare for in the ever changing environment. we work in. In fact, If you are a member of the private sector business world, or any other organization will benefit from reading this study. Why? This fast paced world demands timely decisions and prudent actions in solving complex problems. The checklist or canned response approach is no longer good enough. Continue reading

Crime Wars: Gangs, Cartels and U.S. National Security

As illustrated by the unprecedented violence in Mexico, drug trafficking groups have evolved to not only pose significant challenges to that country, but to governments and societies across the Western Hemisphere, including the United States. Crime Wars: Gangs, Cartels and U.S. National Security surveys organized crime throughout the Western Hemisphere, analyzes the challenges it poses for the region and recommends the United States replace the "war on drugs" paradigm with comprehensive domestic and foreign policies to confront the interrelated challenges of drug trafficking and violence ranging from the Andean Ridge to American streets.

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Boyd and Beyond Symposium: Marine Corps Base, Quantico Virginia, October 15th &16th 2010

There will be a Boyd and Beyond Symposium at Marine Corps Base Quantico Virginia on October 15th and 16th 2010. The symposium will have numerous esteemed speakers from varying disciplines, discussing how the theories of COL John Boyd are applied  to the vast array of problems and threats we face.

This symposium goes beyond Boyd’s Work. His influence on other professions and individuals making efforts to more effective outcomes in their perspective fields will be the focus of the Boyd and Beyond symposium. Topics discussed will focus not only on important military issues but will, as well, take Boyd’s theories into the different professions and realms of conflict these professions deal with.  How Boyd’s theories apply and what they have done to make all more effective at solving problems via the observation. orientation, decision and action cycles.

Understanding the OODA Loop, and the effects; Interaction, Insight,  Imagination, and Initiative, Command and Influence (LEADERSHIP) have on the constant repetitive nature of the decision making cycle can when leveraged, lead to gaining the advantage or as COL John Boyd stated; the essence of winning and losing;

“The essence of winning and losing is in learning how to shape or influence events so that we not only magnify our spirit and strength but also influence potential adversaries as well as the uncommitted so that they are drawn toward our philosophy and are empathetic towards our success.”

Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Professionals, Colleges and University Safety and Security, Hospital Security, Hotel Security and private business looking to keep their workplace safe, will benefit from the lessons learned and applied at this symposium. Developing better strategies, tactics and methods and operational art to make your organization more effective in all that it does, is the type of learning that will take place at the Boyd and Beyond Symposium. 

I have the honor of attending and speaking on Boyd's theories, translated and applied to street level decision making law enforcement and security must become more effective at . Adaptive Leadership, Recognizing the Signs and Signals of Crime and Danger and their relationship to Critical Decision Making Under Pressure and the training methodology necessary to reach this goal will be my focus. 

Visualizing Strategy

This is an interesting post on who we may visualize strategy. Its a work in progress Zen from Zenpundit is working on. Joseph Fouche offers up his graph of schools of strategy at The Committee of Public Safety as well. This is both interesting and useful for us folks in law enforcement as well, as it help us understand the nature of the moral, mental and physical realms. Its a work in progress I am sure will be even more useful once Zen hone it in.

8 and Counting: Mass Murders in 2009

As Nation Reels From Latest Killings, Some Say Such Shootings Are on the Rise.

A brutal shooting spree in Alabama. A mass slaying in a nursing home on a Sunday morning. A bloody rampage at an immigration center.

As the public struggles to uncover the reasons behind the eight seemingly senseless mass murders so far this year, many researchers are working to determine whether this apparent surge in violence indicates a larger trend, and whether to expect more in the months to come.

Mark Kopta, chairman and professor in the department of psychology at the University of Evansville in Indiana, has researched extensively the country's mass killings, which he defines as attacks leading to the deaths of at least five people, including the killer's suicide.

"This is not a savory subject," Kopta said.

But, he added, it may be one that is becoming increasingly relevant to the U.S. public. In a paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association in Chicago this month, he found three incidents in the United States fitting this profile between 1930 and 1970. Three more followed over the course of the 1970s.

In the 1980s, however, there were 10 such incidents of mass murder. The 1990s had 17; and, since the new millennium began, there have been 25 such mass murders.

Six of them occurred last year. And 2009 has already topped that with eight such killings.

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Gunman shoots 2 cops in Omaha hospital The suspect was critically injured while the officers suffered minor wounds

OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha police say two officers and a suspect have been wounded in a shooting at Creighton University Medical Center.

Police spokesman Jacob Bettin says the officers suffered minor wounds and that the suspect was critically wounded in the shooting Wednesday.

Bettin says the shooting occurred inside the hospital but would not say where.

He says there are numerous witnesses to be interviewed.

Bettin says the first call came into police a little before 9:20 a.m, and that the hospital remains in partial lockdown to protect the crime scene. Continue reading

Using courageous conversation to prevent a fellow officer’s mistakes 

GREAT ARTICLE!!! GREAT ADVISE!!! READ AND HEED

Giving new meaning to the words, “I’ve got your back” a teaching team at ILEETA 2010 gave tips addressing the traditional law enforcement taboo about “interfering” with another officer’s handling of a situation

With two provocative remarks at the most recent ILEETA conference, the Kansas City teaching team of Huth and Colwell cut to the heart of a training issue that’s drawing increasing discussion these days.

“I’ve never met an officer who wouldn’t take a bullet for another officer, but cops won’t have a ‘courageous conversation’ with another officer over an act that could be a career-ender.” — Charles “Chip” Huth

“Law enforcement is a very brave culture as it operates in the outer environment, but a very cowardly one as it operates from within. It takes courage to do what’s right even when members of your culture group disagree.” — Jack Colwell

Exactly what should you say or do when you see a fellow officer — even one who out ranks you — making unwise tactical decisions or careening toward unreasonable use of force or other inappropriate conduct? Continue reading

WACO: The Rules of Engagement A Documentary

A great video documentary on the 1993 engagement at WACO. It is a two part series that gives insight into the mindset of the Branch Dividians, David Koresh and the lessons learned from the assault.

Beslan

The school siege at Beslan was the bloodiest act of terrorism ever to take place on Russian soil. Yet beyond this horrible truth remain many unanswered questions. There is no agreement on who the terrorists were. How many they numbered? Where they came from? How they got to Beslan? What they wanted? Whether they were all killed or captured? And just how the siege which began on September 1 2004, ended so catastrophically? This Dispatches special uses testimony from eyewitnesses, survivors and security services. This is combined with video and audio archive footage presents the fullest account of what happened at Beslan. A great video documentary!

Upcoming Training Workshops

Basic Firearms Safety Course: Holiday Inn Express North Attleboro Saturday October 23rd 2010 10:30AM-3:30PM

Course Description

This program of instruction is designed to give the student a basic knowledge of
the firearm, so it can be handled and stored safely. The Basic Firearms Safety
Course is designed for those seeking a License to carry firearms (LTC). This is a classroom only presentation with lecture and hands on dry fire and loading drills conducted to enhance learning. Safe Handling of firearms is the catalyst to your effective use of firearms be it your a sportsman or carrying for  defensive purposes. Learn and start developing these skills at this class.

LESC Programs of Instruction

Remember LESC offers workshops that creates and nurtures adaptive leadership and officer performance on the street where the decision are made.  If you want to improve departmental morale, individual and organizational effectiveness in awareness, social skills, interaction and maneuver and decision making, tactics and operational art that help solve complex problems at the moral, mental and physical realms of conflict and violence these workshops are designed to do just that.

Remember for you convenience we bring these cost effective workshops to your department or organization. See the workshop we offer here

The LESC programs of instruction utilize the method of experiential learning to build student experiences using the “recognition primed” decision making process. The program s of instruction consists of four primary pillars and includes the use of: (1) a case study learning method; (2) tactical decision games; (3) free play force on force exercises; and (4) feedback through the leader evaluation system.
The LESC programs of instruction unify the approaches above in accomplishing LESC learning objectives, which include:

• Improving one’s ability to make decisions quickly and effectively;
• Making sense of new situations, seeing patterns, and spotting opportunities and options that were not visible before;
• Becoming more comfortable in a variety of situations;
• Developing more advanced and ambitious tactics; and
• Becoming more familiar with weapons capabilities, employment techniques, and other technical details.

To arrange for a workshop or to answer any questions:

Fred T. Leland Jr.
Founder and Principle Trainer
Law Enforcement & Security Consulting
Phone: 508-298-2023
fred@lesc.NET
www.lesc.net/blog
www.lesc.NET
www.linkedin.com/in/fredleland
www.Twitter.com/lescnet
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