Quarter of Police unhappy in job

[Hitcher]

Not one of your better posts Hitch.

Before we get into a reasoned discussion on this matter, hands up everybody who understands how the Gallup Q12 works and has had experience with it?

I'm waiting...

[Hitcher]

Would you criticise a board of directors for releasing an organisation's HR survey results to shareholders at the AGM?

Yes I would. What possible purpose could that serve? HR matters are between bosses and their employees. These are invariably complex and also personal. It takes two to tango, and other such cliches. Publicising such information also escalates it and often reinforces the "victim" attitudes and behaviours many employees enjoy, when they have an opportunity to engage with their place of work in a constructive manner.

Any HR "survey", Gallup Q12 included, is a snapshot taken at a particular point in time and therefore completely unreliable in the absence of context. The Police's Gallup Q12 result was their first as an organisation. More interesting will be next year's Q12 result and, even more interesting the one for the following year. It is this trend data, hopefully identifying a constructive and productive partnership between employer and employee, that is more interesting that this beat-up media crap we're seeing as a consequence of this release from the Police.

[jrandom]

Yes I would. What possible purpose could that serve?

Gallup Q12 results constitute data which any current or prospective investor in a company would absolutely love to see, inasmuch as the score has been shown to correlate with productivity and, consequently, profitability.

HR survey results are one of those matters that managers love to hide and shareholders love to find.

I wonder which perspective you're approaching the question from?

Publicising such information also escalates it...

As opposed to keeping anonymously grey-suited men safe in their corner offices to continue their mismanagement, free from the discomfort of prying eyes?

trend data...

Ah, trend data, the favourite tool of the spin doctor.

"20% improvement in staff engagement levels!" trumpets the annual report, as the following year's Q12 survey reveals a 'dreadful' score level that's changed from 25% to 20%. The fact that the 'really quite happy' score may have also shrunk, with a concomitant increase in the middle ground, can be conveniently hidden.

Raw data or STFU.

[Skyryder]

Before we get into a reasoned discussion on this matter, hands up everybody who understands how the Gallup Q12 works and has had experience with it?

I'm waiting...

Your post had nothing to do with Gallup Q12 or for that matter even the 'Trots'.

In essence your post was that information on Police surveys should not be made public and I simply applied your reasoning to all Govt Depts etc. Taken to it's ultimate conclusion where an adverse opinion (poll etc) can be shown then this information should 'not become public knowledge. And your reasoning for this is so that the opposition can not give any riducule etc. If I have misconstrued your post please show where.


Skyyrder

[Patrick]

Of course. I didn't say I had a problem with the ticket, myself; I was just commenting on the copper's attitude.

Coz he gave you a ticket, or coz he was doing his job with no excuses lame or otherwise......?????

80kph up there is ridiculous

The limit up there changed after a 14 year old was wiped out while walking to the bus stop nearby so he could go to school, well off the roadway, right outside his home, when a tired driver fell off the highway, right into that 14 year old. 1st on the scene was dad. He campaigned and won.

1997 from memory. Date aint so important....

That kid was.....

[jrandom]

Coz he gave you a ticket, or coz he was doing his job with no excuses lame or otherwise......?????

Biggles commented on cops either lecturing, or being apologetic.

My point was that the chap who pulled me over took neither approach; it was all fairly mechanical.

a tired driver fell off the highway, right into that 14 year old.

Sigh.

And the only concrete thing Dad had to attack was the speed limit, eh?

He could have campaigned against tired drivers (given that fatigue has been shown to be as impairing as driving above the alcohol intoxication limit) but, as always, the simple, measurable metric was the one that provided a scapegoat.

If we reduced the speed limit on every 100kph road in the country every time a tired driver fucked up on it and killed someone, we'd be driving everywhere at walking pace.

Still, it's interesting to hear that there was, in fact, a somewhat emotional and undoubtedly media-driven decision-making process behind that stretch of road being an '80' rather than a '100'. It explains the apparent irrationality.

[SixPackBack]

Before we get into a reasoned discussion on this matter, hands up everybody who understands how the Gallup Q12 works and has had experience with it?

I'm waiting...

Semantics. A holistic overview of our current Police issues [or rather poor government mismanagement of] requires some soul searching and a large dollop of honest reappraisal.

[Hitcher]

I wonder which perspective you're approaching the question from?

And vice versa.

As opposed to keeping anonymously grey-suited men safe in their corner offices to continue their mismanagement, free from the discomfort of prying eyes?

No. It's a bit like thinking "analysis" by Oprah Winfrey can assist the Federlines' with their relationship matters.

Ah, trend data, the favourite tool of the spin doctor.

You got a problem with that?

Raw data or STFU.

Raw data without context is just numbers.

[jrandom]

And vice versa.

In this matter, I take the position of a taxpayer and stakeholder who wants disclosure.

You got a problem with that?

Only inasmuch as it can be used as a tool for misinformation. Unfortunately, deciding whether or not 'trends' constitute misinformation is impossible without access to the underlying data. The rational mind immediately distrusts any source of statistics which withholds the information from which they were derived.

Raw data without context is just numbers.

What 'context' do you suggest these poll results could be placed in?

It seems fairly straightforward to me. "This number of police staff ticked these boxes, indicating a particular level of job satisfaction."

That data, in and of itself, is plenty meaningful, and I would like to see it before I consider the Law 'n' Order policies of the parties whom I may vote for at the next general election.

Its withholding would speak to me of management who want to hide their own incompetence and preserve their positions for as long as possible.

[Dave_G]

So whats so stressful about sitting in a car monitoring a radar or laser gun?

Easter weekend SH16, in a long line (at least a Km) of traffic heading home to Auckland, headed by a git doing 25-30 under the speed limit sitting on the centre line. Eventually spy our hero sitting in his car "monitoring traffic". He did absoultley nothing, so I stopped and asked why not, in return for which I cop a mouthful. So don't for a second expect me to show any respect at all to our heroes in blue until they start to show the same respect to the public. What they are doing is not policing, its quota management pure and simple. If they were at all concerned about road safety and doing something about the statistics they would stop blowing smoke about speed and start to actually police the other road laws, the ones that lead to frustration and stupid overtaking, the ones that govern intersections where motorcyclists are attacked by red light runners, they would start to seriously police the wof laws, and not just the young guys out there with lowered cars (theyre easy). In short they would start to actually police all the road laws instead of taking the easy way out.
If I get a ticket I'll take and move on, my fault and my responsibility, but do not tell me that its making the roads safe because its not, its all the things that are too hard for the heroes in blue to police that are making it dangerous, and I don't see them doing squat about that. When they start to I'll start to have a bit more time for them

[Hitcher]

What 'context' do you suggest these poll results could be placed in?

It seems fairly straightforward to me. "This number of police staff ticked these boxes, indicating a particular level of job satisfaction."

That data, in and of itself, is plenty meaningful, and I would like to see it before I consider the Law 'n' Order policies of the parties whom I may vote for at the next general election.

Its withholding would speak to me of management who want to hide their own incompetence and preserve their positions for as long as possible.

Employer/employee relationships are like any partnership in that they're based on trust. Unlike many other engagement "surveys" Gallup's methodology is about more than the survey and is fundamentally founded on trust if it is to succeed. Q12 recognises the inherent strength and value of individual work teams and provides a framework for teams to develop their own processes for addressing issues raised by the Q12. I believe that making this data public merely hardens any animosities and reinforces the stereotype that many people have of bosses doing to their staff and being the possessors of silver bullets and all manner of mystic unctions that can be used to salve workplace disharmony. That is quite frankly, fanciful crap.

I applaud the Police management for being brave enough to embrace Gallup in the first instance. But their challenge working with all of their staff to turn around a highly disengaged workforce just got a whole lot harder.

[jrandom]

I believe that making this data public merely hardens any animosities and reinforces the stereotype that many people have of bosses doing to their staff and being the possessors of silver bullets and all manner of mystic unctions that can be used to salve workplace disharmony. That is quite frankly, fanciful crap.

Silver bullets? Not at all.

However, low levels of staff morale and motivation revealed by the likes of a Q12 poll are the responsibility of management. One cannot sensibly argue that Police officers are unhappy in their jobs because many of them are layabout troublemakers. The issues, such as they are, must be systemic.

I applaud the Police management for being brave enough to embrace Gallup in the first instance. But their challenge working with all of their staff to turn around a highly disengaged workforce just got a whole lot harder.

I do agree that the publication of HR survey data makes the job of Police management more stressful, inasmuch as it shines a light on historical incompetence.

Unfortunately, hiding that incompetence and misdirection in the dark does not make it go away; sometimes, the harsh light of scrutiny is necessary to motivate change.

If those who are currently sweating over these results find their situation untenable due to the unpleasantness of such scrutiny, they should resign their positions and seek employment that does not involve receiving a six-figure salary in exchange for managerial responsibility of a public service.

Generally speaking, disclosure is often unpleasant for some, but always necessary for the greater good.

[scumdog]

However, low levels of staff morale and motivation revealed by the likes of a Q12 poll are the responsibility of management. One cannot sensibly argue that Police officers are unhappy in their jobs because many of them are layabout troublemakers. The issues, such as they are, must be systemic.

Generally speaking, disclosure is often unpleasant for some, but always necessary for the greater good.

Layabout troublemakers?
Maybe.

But how about being grossly understaffed and being told you can'yt have a coulor printer 'cos your station is too small (despite the single months Colour-Plus photocopying bill would more than pay for the colour printer) -THAT kind of stuff makes for disgruntled workers....

[SixPackBack]

Layabout troublemakers?
Maybe.

But how about being grossly understaffed and being told you can'yt have a coulor printer 'cos your station is too small (despite the single months Colour-Plus photocopying bill would more than pay for the colour printer) -THAT kind of stuff makes for disgruntled workers....

Obvious for some time poor management is to blame for real and perceived issues on the force.

[Ixion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrandom
However, low levels of staff morale and motivation revealed by the likes of a Q12 poll are the responsibility of management. One cannot sensibly argue that Police officers are unhappy in their jobs because many of them are layabout troublemakers. The issues, such as they are, must be systemic.

Generally speaking, disclosure is often unpleasant for some, but always necessary for the greater good.

Layabout troublemakers?
Maybe.

But how about being grossly understaffed and being told you can'yt have a coulor printer 'cos your station is too small (despite the single months Colour-Plus photocopying bill would more than pay for the colour printer) -THAT kind of stuff makes for disgruntled workers....

You misinterpreted the piscine gentlewomans intention. He meant

"One cannot sensibly argue that the reason Police officers are unhappy in their jobs is ("because many of them are layabout troublemakers")."

The bit in ()s refers to the reason not the argumnent. He meant that all cops cannot be layabout troublemakers , so one must assume that the figures indicate that (at least) some dedicated and hard working cops are unhappy. Perhaps for reasons such as those you have posited.