RoughEdge Consultants is dedicated to providing quality services to law
enforcement agencies and other public sector entities in the form of employee
training, assessment centers, management studies, and other consulting services.
We can also conduct executive searches for agency heads and supervisory positions.
RoughEdge Consultants has worked with firms to develop training programs and
materials. Our goal is to provide assistance that helps you improve your organization
and ultimately the service you provide to the public.
Our services will be customized to respond to the unique needs of your agency.
We use proven strategies and take pride in developing relationships with clients
that insure clear communication and achievement of their goals. Check out each
of our areas of service and see how we can help you. E-mail us or call (318) 243-7510
for more information or to ask us to create a proposal.
E-mail RoughEdge Consultants
WHAT'S NEW?
See "What's New?" at RoughEdge Consultants...our latest courses and projects
Our Owner
Wesley Harris is a veteran of over two decades of municipal law enforcement
service. He served fourteen years in responsible management positions in police
departments in Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas. From 1994 to 1998, Harris served as Chief
of Police, Decatur, GA, before starting RoughEdge Consultants. During his tenure
with the Decatur Police Department, that city's crime rate was reduced by fifty percent.
Harris is the author of several books and many articles and has taught police
procedures extensively throughout the country. Harris holds a B.S. in Education
and a M.A. in Human Relations and Supervision from Louisiana Tech University.
He also completed extensive undergraduate and graduate work in Criminal Justice at
Grambling State University.
STRETCHING YOUR TRAINING DOLLARS
See "Training on a Shoestring Budget" for training tips that can stretch your training dollars.
HOW PROGRESSIVE IS YOUR ORGANIZATION?
The following article should provide some insight into the philosophy of
RoughEdge Consultants:
TEN WAYS TO INSURE YOUR AGENCY BECOMES STAGNANT
by Wesley Harris
Hate to change? Detest keeping up with the agency down the road? There is
a solution–it's called stagnation. Stagnation simply put is the cessation of
growth and direction. No progress, no development. Follow these rules and your
organization will remain the same today, tomorrow, and years from now.
1. Don't reward employees who perform well for fear others will be
jealous. Treat everyone the same, regardless of their achievements. No
incentives or rewards. No commendations or words of praise. Look for little
mistakes to minimize accomplishments. Even great employees are bound to screw
something up.
2. Refuse to set goals. Goals mean planning, organizing, and implementing;
i.e., more work. If you must set goals or formulate plans, make them as vague
and nonspecific as possible. Then you can't be accused of not achieving your goals.
Vagueness will also let you accuse employees of misunderstanding you when they
don't do exactly what you want.
3. Never, ever change. Do things the way they have always been done. There
is no need to be proactive. Ignore problems and they will eventually go away.
4. Maintain control. Set limits. Convince your officers they shouldn't even
breathe before checking with a supervisor. Create an environment where no one
is willing to go out on a limb. Have definite job descriptions. A rigid
organizational structure is simpler and you don't have to worry about your people
climbing out of their boxes and stepping on each others' toes.
When patrol officers want to step out into new territory, rein them in.
Let them do more than ride their beats, and you will have to live with all the
"trouble" they stir up. Be forewarned if you permit officers to use their
initiative and imagination, you will be shocked at the results.
5. Put off decisions. Make employees wait for answers. It builds character.
A good response is "let me get back to you on that." And by all means, NEVER
develop a sense of urgency about ANYTHING. Delay dealing with issues and hope
they go away.
6. Never delegate responsibility. Without fail, things will not be done the
way you would have done them. Avoid "empowerment," which is simply giving
employees the freedom to seek solutions and provide leadership. When you give
an employee responsibility, it builds morale and interest in the job. And once
you've done that, they want more.
7. Quash new ideas, especially from the rank and file. Everybody knows all the
important thinking takes place at the top. Go along with an employee's idea, and
before you know it, the inmates will be running the asylum.
8. Keep secrets. Avoid staff conferences and other communication devices.
Squelch your officers' desire to be "in on things." Do not dare have team
meetings or provide updates and progress reports. These tend to provide
opportunities for your people to give opposing opinions or propose better ideas.
You don't really want them showing you up, do you?
9. Tolerate mediocrity in the interest of tranquillity. So you have employees
who are not pulling their share of the weight? So what? When you start messing
with people because you are dissatisfied with their performance, look out for the
grievances and harassment complaints.
10. Limit training. Avoid those costly staffing headaches that accompany
training schedules. Most of the job is common sense anyway, right? If you must
train, limit it to those essentials required by law or the powers above. Conduct
all your training in-house so your people won't pick up outrageous ideas from outsiders.
It's you choice--stagnation or progress. The easy way, at least in the short
term, is stagnation.
Of course, if you prefer another direction:
1. Reward employees.
2. Set goals and work to achieve them.
3. Change! Everything around you is.
4. Delegate responsibility.
5. Make timely decisions.
6. Loosen controls. Let people work.
7. Encourage new ideas.
8. Communicate! Failure to is the root of almost every problem.
9. Ban mediocrity and incompetence. Strive for excellence.
10. Train, train, train.
