NEED HELP NO PLAGARISM !!!!!!!!!

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INTRODUCTION TO THE IMPACT PRINCIPLES

Communication works for those who work at it.

—John Powell

On the evening of September 21, 2010, Iraq War veteran Brock Savelkoul decided to end his life. Brock was one of more than 2 million troops who had deployed to Iraq since 2001. During his two deployments, Brock survived two bomb blasts. The first occurred early in his first tour; the second took place in January 2009, when an enemy rocket exploded near his trailer. The blasts left Brock the victim of both a concussion and traumatic brain injury, and the aftershocks left him struggling with a difficult mix of psychological and cognitive problems. Over time, Brock’s behavior became increasingly bizarre. Eventually, he was picked up by U.S. embassy and military officials and admitted to Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, where he was diagnosed as suffering from a psychotic breakdown. Brock was again admitted for treatment later in 2009, this time to Fort Riley Medical Center in Kan- sas. Doctors now labeled him as suffering from posttraumatic stress dis- order (PTSD). In March 2010, Brock was honorably discharged from the army and placed on temporary disability due to PTSD. His military awards included the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal.

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C o p y r i g h t 2 0 1 5 . S A G E P u b l i c a t i o n s , I n c .

A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d . M a y n o t b e r e p r o d u c e d i n a n y f o r m w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n f r o m t h e p u b l i s h e r , e x c e p t f a i r u s e s p e r m i t t e d u n d e r U . S . o r a p p l i c a b l e c o p y r i g h t l a w .

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2 LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Brock returned home to Minot, North Dakota, but his problems continued. He had trouble sleeping at night, often waking while thrash- ing his arms and legs. He even found himself panicked by the explo- sions at a local July 4 fireworks show. Brock struggled to regain control of his life. He wanted to continue his psychological treatments, but the nearest Veterans Administration Hospital was 271 miles from his home. By this time, Brock was unable to remember birthdays, anniversaries, or the date his mother died. Finally, it all became too much for him to bear. On the evening of September 21, Brock sent his father and sister a message: “I love you guys more than anything. Never forget it. I can’t do this anymore.” His father rushed to the family home, only to find another note from Brock: “No hope for me. Love you so much.”

Brock armed himself with six guns—a DPMS AR-15, two hunting rifles, and three handguns—and several hundred rounds of ammuni- tion. The next time anyone heard from Brock was around 6:20 p.m., when he walked into a convenience store about 120 miles west of Minot and pointed a rifle at one of the patrons. “Do you want to die?” Brock asked before fleeing the store. A Watford City police officer responded to the scene. The officer spotted Brock’s vehicle a short time later and activated his vehicle’s lights and siren. Rather than pulling over, Brock sped up, ultimately reaching speeds of 105 miles per hour. He contin- ued down the highway, across the river, and toward the North Dakota badlands.

Back home, Brock’s father and sister had told a friend from the local police department about Brock’s past, that he was a veteran suffer- ing from PTSD and heavily armed. The friend relayed the information to the police.

Eventually, Brock’s truck ran out of gas. He pulled over on a farm road. Within seconds, he was surrounded by sheriff’s deputies, police officers, and highway patrol troopers. “Drop the gun,” the officers yelled. “Drop the gun.” Over the next two hours, Brock engaged in a tense standoff with law enforcement. He paced, smoked, brandished weapons, and even went so far as to fire a round into his truck. At one point, Brock walked within a few feet of a patrol car, raised a 9 mm handgun to his side, and yelled, “Go ahead, shoot me!” But the officers, demonstrating tremendous discipline, held their fire.

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 3

Throughout the incident, Megan Christopher, a junior officer with no real training or experience in crisis negotiation, talked to Brock non- stop. She tried to put herself in Brock’s shoes and to empathize with the former staff sergeant. She worked to identify what Brock was feel- ing and thinking, listened carefully to his concerns, and monitored her words. As Trooper Christopher remained safely behind the door of her patrol car in the cold, the rain, and the sleet, she never stopped talking. Finally, she said, “Brock, I’d like to meet you. Please put the gun down so we can meet.”

At around 9:30 p.m., more than three hours after the incident began, Brock fired his gun into an open field. Christopher promised to give Brock a cell phone if he put down his weapon. Brock laid his gun on the ground in front of him. The trooper walked toward Brock holding the cell phone. As Brock turned to face her, another trooper, fearing that Brock was spinning to attack, fired a Taser. Brock stiffened, fell to the ground, and was quickly handcuffed by officers. When it was all over, Christopher knelt down next to Brock, put her hand to his cheek, and said, “I’m Megan. I’m glad to meet you.”

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

It is impossible to say what might have happened that evening if Trooper Christopher had failed to pick up the public address microphone in her cruiser and start a dialogue with Brock. Certainly, all of the law enforcement professionals on scene that day demonstrated exemplary discipline and courage. Nonetheless, it was Trooper Christopher’s abil- ities to identify and manage emotions, listen actively, promote positive behavior, build rapport, control her response, and empathize with Brock that helped bring about a peaceful resolution to what might have other- wise been another statistical tragedy.

All law enforcement officers have one thing in common: We are in the problem-solving business. People don’t call the police when everyone is at their best. They request our assistance when someone is hostile, angry, frustrated, aggressive, intoxicated or under the influence

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4 LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

of drugs, or emotionally or psychologically disturbed. In other words, people request law enforcement’s assistance only when someone is at his worst, when he has lost his ability to think logically about his behav- iors or the consequences of his actions. To make matters worse, many of the people we contact have histories of violence. As any veteran officer can testify, there is no such thing as a “routine” call for service. Every call and every contact has the potential for violence. Fortunately, criminal justice professionals throughout the nation are very good at managing people in crisis. While this is hardly news to anyone serving in law enforcement, it has only recently been validated empirically. A survey conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (2001) found that less than 1% of all calls for service result in a use of force. Rather, officers are able to gain compliance by demonstrating command presence, building rapport, and communicating effectively.

As Trooper Christopher’s encounter with Brock illustrates, officers’ abilities to connect and to communicate effectively are critical to their success in virtually every aspect of law enforcement. Officers’ success at everything from vehicle stops to homicide investigations hinges on effective communication. Yet many officers fail to recognize the impact of their words and behaviors on others. To complicate matters further, few law enforcement agencies offer comprehensive training in commu- nication skills, emotional management, and conflict resolution.

Even those officers who understand the importance of communica- tion often dread the idea of attending a course on interpersonal skills. Being lectured on the value of nonverbal communication and practicing listening drills are not high on the “to do” lists of most officers. Most criminal justice professionals are doers. They believe that learning is best accomplished on the job. Law enforcement officers interact with peers, supervisors, victims, witnesses, subjects, and other members of the public on a daily basis, and many officers operate under the assump- tion that communication skills are something they develop naturally during the course of their normal job experience, without the need for special training. While it is certainly true that officers acquire a number of unique and valuable skills during the course of their daily activities, there is always room for improvement, even among the most expert communicators. It can also be argued that while many officers function

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 5

competently in the absence of formal training, they never realize their full potential as communicators.

Regardless of how skilled, or unskilled, an officer may be, with the right attitude and process, everyone can learn to connect and to communicate with others more effectively. By building the right pro- cess, any officer has the potential to calm even the most irate, frus- trated, or difficult person. Every law enforcement encounter consists of both process and outcome. The outcome is our goal, what we hope to accomplish. It may be calming an emotionally distraught motorist, reassuring an irate citizen, or convincing a suspect to surrender peace- fully. The process consists of the tactics, strategies, and behaviors that we use to accomplish our goal. Too often, we focus only on achiev- ing a particular outcome while overlooking the importance of process. Rather than concern ourselves with the long-term outcomes of good process, we emphasize the short-term benefits of satisfying our imme- diate needs. This approach, however, is shortsighted. The simple truth is that process matters.

Anytime we can create good process, we are more likely to get more of what we want—and less of what we don’t want. Creating a success- ful process is not always easy, especially when time and resources are limited by staffing shortages, unfinished reports, and pending calls for service. Good process requires listening, patience, and empathy. And, while taking the time necessary to create good process might not always be the shortest distance between two points, in almost every case it will dramatically improve our chances of soothing strong emotions, resolv- ing conflict, and gaining voluntary compliance.

BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

The abilities to communicate and to connect with others have mean- ingful impacts on virtually every aspect of law enforcement. For those officers who are willing to invest the time and effort, better interper- sonal effectiveness offers a number of advantages, including improved officer safety, heightened investigative awareness, fewer complaints

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and lawsuits, career advancement and recognition, better relationships (both on and off the job), and decreased stress and anxiety.

Improved Officer Safety

The abilities to communicate and to connect are vital officer safety skills. Angry, hostile, and emotionally distraught people can be dan- gerous people. By learning to recognize the messages that others are sending, officers are better able to detect and evaluate strong emotions before they spiral out of control. Similarly, by better understanding and monitoring their own words and behaviors, officers can avoid the hos- tilities that may arise when they unintentionally send the wrong signals. Officers are often unaware of how even the simplest behaviors can esca- late a contact into a physical confrontation. Learning to pay attention to the behaviors of others, as well as to monitor their own words and actions, is an important step toward better officer safety.

Heightened Investigative Effectiveness

Good investigators recognize the importance of communicating and connecting with victims, witnesses, and subjects. They understand bet- ter than most the significance of building rapport, listening actively, and reading nonverbal behaviors. Good investigators realize that everything they do and say has important consequences. They realize that obtain- ing confessions, closing cases, and improving the safety of the commu- nities they serve can be accomplished only through communication. In addition to being tactically sound, familiar with case law, and physi- cally fit, interpersonal skills are among the most important abilities that any criminal justice professional can possess.

Fewer Complaints and Lawsuits

Regardless of the agency, location, or demographics, the most frequent complaint against officers involves “discourtesy.” Time after time, it is not what officers say but how they say it that people find offensive. Complaints and lawsuits against officers and their agencies

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 7

have been on the rise for years—a trend that shows no sign of slowing. In short, perceptions matter. While many of these complaints may be unfounded, the simple truth of the matter is that complaints, even merit- less complaints, can damage an officer’s reputation, career, and promo- tional opportunities. One way that officers can reduce complaints is by better monitoring and managing their words and behaviors. The more skilled officers are at managing perceptions, the better their chances of avoiding frivolous complaints and lawsuits.

Career Recognition and Advancement

Regardless of officers’ job knowledge or experience, they must be able to work well with others if they are to have any hope of recognition or advancement. When given a choice between two employees, one who is a “competent cop” but skilled with people and a second who is an “outstanding cop” but lacks interpersonal skills, most supervisors and managers will opt for the former. This is because few supervisors and managers want to work with officers who cannot communicate effec- tively, empathize with others, or manage their own emotions. This is especially true in specialized units, where one “difficult” personality can create an uncomfortable environment for everyone. Interpersonal skills have a greater impact on career opportunities than many officers realize. The better officers are at monitoring and managing their behaviors, at communicating, and at connecting with others, the better their chances of recognition and advancement.

Better Relationships

We rely on interpersonal skills to develop and maintain our personal and professional relationships. The relationships that we develop with the signifi cant people in our lives are important to all of us. Our rela- tionships help us celebrate our victories and overcome our defeats, and they give us something and someone to look forward to at the end of the day. Officers who have poor interpersonal skills—those who, for exam- ple, are unable to recognize or manage emotions, are poor listeners, and have low empathy—can find it difficult to build lasting relationships,

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both on and off the job. The better officers are at communicating and connecting with others, the more successful they can be at developing and maintaining the important relationships in their lives.

Decreased Stress and Anxiety

Law enforcement, like life in general, is full of stressors. Traffic, bills, kids, supervisors, illness, taxes—all create stress and anxiety. The inability to communicate or to control emotions can add unnecessary feelings of stress and anxiety. Officers who have received a number of frivolous complaints, been passed over for opportunities, or have dif- ficulty developing and maintaining relationships can suffer from the psychological, physical, and emotional effects of stress and anxiety. Building and maintaining important relationships, receiving deserved recognition, and avoiding frivolous lawsuits can significantly improve the quality of officers’ personal and professional lives while reducing or, in some cases, eliminating unnecessary stress and anxiety.

COMMUNICATION MYTHS

While the ability to communicate with others effectively is a critical law enforcement skill, communication is not capable of solving every problem. The idea that talking more will always make things better is one of several common myths. In many cases, people understand each other just fine—they simply disagree. Their disagreement may center on values, beliefs, cultural issues, assumptions, or experiences. Officers often accept myth over truth because they do not know the difference. To make the most of our interpersonal skills, we must first understand what we can and cannot accomplish using communication.

Myth 1: Logic Makes Communication More Effective

While we like to think of ourselves as rational, analytical beings who make decisions based solely on logic, this is simply not the case. As the eminent psychologist Donald Hebb (1949) observed, man is the

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 9

most emotional of all animals. Effective communicators recognize that every decision they make and every action they take is somehow influ- enced by emotion. Problems often occur when we forget the importance of emotion and focus instead on constructing logical arguments. Effec- tive communicators look beyond words and logic to focus on emotion. They recognize that persuasion is not a logical process but an emotional one, and they construct their messages accordingly.

Myth 2: Learning Communication Makes You a Better Communicator

It is not true that learning communication will make someone a better communicator. There is a difference between knowledge and application. Understanding how to communicate is only part of the equation. Learning the skills and attitudes necessary to be an effective communicator can make a person a better communicator only when that learning is grounded in behavioral change. To be truly effective, the person must be willing and able to perform the required skills. Knowing what to do is not much help unless that knowledge is put to work. This is not the same thing as performing a new skill perfectly the first time out. Improving interper- sonal skills is a process, not a destination. It takes knowledge, practice, and feedback for an individual to become a truly effective communicator.

Myth 3: Communication Is a One-Way Process

People not only send messages but also receive signals in the form of feedback. Feedback provides information about the receiver’s reac- tion to the message in ways that allow the sender to correct inaccura- cies, clarify perceptions, and adjust subsequent messages for the best response. Feedback can be verbal, nonverbal, or both. To use feedback effectively, the person sending the message must observe and interpret the receiver’s reactions immediately following the message, especially nonverbal cues, such as shifts in voice tone, posture, eye contact, ges- tures, and facial expressions. Effective communicators understand the importance of feedback, monitor the reactions of others, and adjust or modify their behaviors to send the most accurate messages possible.

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Myth 4: The Message Sent Is the Message Received

People often assume that the meaning of a message is “out there,” that it exists independent of the parties sending and receiving the com- munication. The processes through which people construct and inter- pret messages, however, are uniquely personal, varying widely among individuals. We all interpret messages in light of our own expectations, assumptions, beliefs, values, goals, and experiences. As a result, in our decoding of messages we may not receive the intended meanings of the senders. Arguably, the most difficult part of communication is ensuring that the message sent is the message received. Learning to anticipate differences in perception while crafting the most effective messages possible represents the very foundation of successful communication.

Myth 5: You Can Refrain From Communicating

Many people assume that they can avoid communicating with some- one simply by ignoring the person. However, we communicate contin- uously whenever we are in the presence of others. While some of our messages are intentional—that is, meant to transmit information or feel- ings, invoke a response, or both—we may send other messages without conscious awareness or intent. Regardless of our objective, every mes- sage contains important information about our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. For example, facial expressions, gestures, and posture can all transmit subtle signs of interest, boredom, impatience, anger, or disgust without our conscious awareness that we are sending such messages and without our awareness of their effects. Effective communicators are self-aware. They understand that they communicate anytime they are in the presence of others and manage their behaviors appropriately.

Myth 6: Meaning Is Conveyed Only in Words

Perhaps the biggest mistake that communicators make is assuming that messages are contained only in the words they use. We react not to the words people use but to the meanings we ascribe to those words. The meanings that we assign are affected by our culture, experiences, val- ues, beliefs, and expectations. The ways we interpret messages are also

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 11

influenced by the context in which the communication occurs. Indeed, the meanings that we assign to messages can vary widely from one situation to the next. For example, a supervisor discussing an officer’s performance with that officer in a formal setting (in the supervisor’s office) can send a message that is different from that sent when the same issue is discussed in an informal setting (in the field over a cup of coffee). In fact, even the slightest change in context (for instance, where the supervisor and officer sit in relation to each other) can alter the ways messages are received and understood.

Myth 7: Good Communicators Are Born, Not Made

The idea that good communicators are born, not made, is grounded in the belief that to be an effective communicator, a person must be extroverted, social, and outgoing. In contrast, people with more reserved personalities are often viewed as less effective at connecting with others. While certain people seem to be naturally gifted at relating to others, anyone, regardless of personality or temperament, can learn to commu- nicate more effectively. Communication is a skill and, like other skills, can be improved with the right combination of study and practice. While officers with reserved personalities may never feel as comforta- ble interacting with others as do their colleagues with naturally outgoing temperaments, they can still improve their interpersonal abilities in a number of areas. For example, officers’ abilities to recognize emotions, listen effectively, and resolve conflict can all be improved with time, training, and practice.

THE IMPACT PRINCIPLES

While every encounter is unique, officers’ abilities to motivate and to per- suade depend to a large extent on their interpersonal effectiveness. One element that separates effective officers from their less effective coun- terparts is their purpose. Communicating and connecting with others begins with a clearly articulated plan. Arguably, many of the com- munication breakdowns that take place between officers and others occur because the officers approach the exchanges with no clear plan

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or purpose. While many law enforcement agencies require officers to attend some form of communication or human relations training, no standardized, systematic model of interpersonal skills has been avail- able to help officers manage the myriad interpersonal challenges they encounter on a daily basis. As a result, officers are often unsure how best to overcome strong emotions, resolve conflict, and manage irate, frustrated, or difficult people.

The IMPACT model was designed specifically to provide law enforcement professionals with a systematic, easy-to-follow model of interpersonal communication and conflict management skills that can be applied to virtually any type of law enforcement contact. The IMPACT model focuses on building successful process. As stated earlier, process matters. If we build the right process, we will be more successful at con- necting and communicating with others, avoiding unnecessary hostilities and frivolous complaints, and getting more of what we need. The model is built around six core principles:

• Identify and manage emotions. • Master the story. • Promote positive behavior. • Achieve rapport. • Control your response. • Take perspective.

While the use of all these principles is critical to officers’ dealing effec- tively with difficult or angry people, managing conflict, motivating others, and solving problems, the order of their application may vary. Every law enforcement contact is unique. An officer may find it helpful to begin with the first principle (identify and manage emotions) and work methodically through the model in one instance, but may discover it is more effective to begin with, for example, the fifth principle (control your response) before reverting to the second (master the story) on another occasion. Similarly, in one case an officer may find it necessary to work through all six steps, while only two steps may be required during a different contact. And while the principles that officers select and the order in which they are applied may vary according to the unique demands of particular situations, the core principles of the IMPACT model remain constant.

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 13

Identify and Manage Emotions

Trooper Christopher recognized Brock’s emotional distress early in the encounter described at the beginning of this chapter. In police work, it is not a question of whether strong emotions will emerge; rather, it is a question of how they can best be handled when they do. Strong emo- tional responses occur when the emotional parts of the brain (limbic system) override the rational, thinking areas (neocortex). Strong emo- tions make it difficult—in some cases impossible—for people to think logically about their behaviors or the consequences of their actions. Before we can expect a person who is experiencing strong emotions to think or act logically, we must first identify and manage those emo- tions. To whatever extent we can decrease the emotional arousal, we should see a corresponding increase in the person’s abilities to listen and to reason.

Three of the most effective tools for managing strong emotions are asking questions, reframing, and paraphrasing. The first of these, asking questions, requires the person to pause and to reflect—in other words, to think. While answering questions might not seem to be a difficult task, it requires deliberate mental focus. It also forces the person to engage the rational, thinking areas of the brain. The second tactic, reframing, involves describing the problem while eliminating emotionally charged language. Reframing allows us to acknowledge a person’s feelings and concerns and to communicate that his problem matters without making a bad situation worse. Additionally, it provides us with opportunities to model the kinds of language and behaviors that will best facilitate positive, meaningful dialogue. Trooper Christopher used reframing to acknowledge Brock’s concerns while demonstrating the behaviors she wanted him to adopt, such as a calm voice and relaxed demeanor.

The final method, paraphrasing, is a way of acknowledging or demonstrating that we have been listening. Paraphrasing is a simple yet powerful tool for acknowledging a person’s concerns, checking for understanding, and correcting any confusion. It also provides a unique opportunity for the person to listen to his own words, a process that can eliminate the person’s need to repeat the same message multiple times in the hope of “finally getting through” to someone who cares. Despite the simplicity of this approach, acknowledging and validating

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a person’s feelings and concerns is an important step toward better communication, conflict management, and problem solving.

Master the Story

Understanding Brock’s needs and fears required Trooper Christo- pher to listen carefully. Mastering another person’s story is not always as simple as it might appear. In Trooper Christopher’s case, it began with a genuine desire and willingness to understand the situation from Brock’s perspective. Too often, we assume that those who are behaving badly are doing so because they are “bad” people. In reality, there may be any number of hidden factors influencing people’s behavior. It’s easy for us to blame others when we don’t understand their feelings, motives, and intentions. Listening actively, asking questions, and taking a genu- ine interest in the other person allows us to better understand the story from her perspective. The better we understand the person and her story, the better our chances of offering a solution.

Listening actively requires that we listen beyond the words a person uses. People communicate information and feelings using both verbal and nonverbal cues. Verbal communication consists of the words used to transmit information, while nonverbal communication comprises those parts of the message sent without words. Facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and physical appearance all convey important infor- mation about a person’s attitudes, thoughts, and emotions. However, the precise meaning of what a person is thinking or feeling usually depends on both verbal and nonverbal messages, not on either type in isolation.

Mastering the story requires that we suspend our assumptions, ask questions, and listen carefully to the person’s answers. It also requires that we pay attention to new information, especially when it contra- dicts our assumptions—something that is not always easy to do. As noted previously, however, all law enforcement professionals are in the problem-solving business. An officer who is annoyed by a stream of complaining people is akin to a physician who is irritated by a long line of sick patients. In the same way that good physicians ask questions and gather information before making a diagnosis, good officers recog- nize the importance of understanding both the person and her problem before offering a solution.

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 15

Promote Positive Behavior

One of the most challenging aspects of Trooper Christopher’s encounter with Brock was how the trooper could best promote posi- tive behavior. Motivating and persuading others begins with the idea that all humans share a number of basic needs, including the needs to feel safe and in control of our lives. Because these needs are so funda- mental, people often go to great lengths to protect them. When people feel threatened or controlled, they often act in negative, aggressive, and, in some cases, violent ways to reestablish a sense of safety and self-determination. One way of allowing a person to retain a sense of control is to offer choices. In other words, allow the person to believe that something was his own idea or decision.

A second way that we can help people feel safe is by reducing uncer- tainty. We can best accomplish this by providing them with explanations of our decisions and actions, as well as advice about what to expect. The criminal justice system can be intimidating, especially for people who have never been exposed to its many (sometimes subtle) complexities. Most people know little, if anything, about the policies, procedures, and laws that most officers take for granted. As an old adage suggests, people usually do better with the “what” if they understand the “why.”

In addition to the need for safety, most people are fiercely independ- ent. Research has consistently supported the folk notion of “reverse psy- chology”; that is, the idea that people react strongly against attempts to limit their freedom of choice. Generally speaking, whenever we restrict a person’s freedom, three consequences result: (a) The person wants to perform the forbidden action, (b) the person takes steps to reclaim the lost freedom, and (c) the person has negative feelings toward the indi- vidual who restricted her choices. Officers who understand the human need for control can use it to their benefit by allowing people to feel as if they are making voluntary decisions to cooperate or comply, whether or not such choices actually exist.

Achieve Rapport

Trooper Christopher had to work especially hard that evening to achieve a sense of rapport with Brock. Nevertheless, she recognized

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16 LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

that developing and maintaining rapport was critical. The better we are at establishing and maintaining rapport, the more successful we are in connecting, motivating, and gaining voluntary compliance. Too often, we react impulsively to difficult situations and people. When confronted with a demanding person, for example, many officers either strike back (“fight fire with fire”) or break off contact altogether. In the first case, if someone is rude or stubborn, the officer responds in kind by pro- viding the person with a “dose of his own medicine.” In the second case, rather than attempting to work through any differences, the officer simply walks away, beating a hasty retreat and avoiding the encounter altogether. While these techniques can be effective in a limited sense, they tend to stifle communication, discourage rapport, and undermine cooperation.

One of the most time-tested ways of achieving rapport is to make the other person feel special. It is the need to feel special (important, successful) that motivates people to drive expensive cars, wear designer clothes, and buy homes that are much larger than they really need. In his classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie (1936/1981) notes that most people are filled with ego, and “history sparkles with amusing examples of famous people struggling for a feel- ing of importance” (p. 20). Rather than challenging a person’s ego, we can increase our influence by focusing on our own credibility, likability, and power. This includes asking questions rather than demanding coop- eration, complimenting rather than criticizing, and apologizing for any inconvenience, as appropriate.

The second facet of building rapport is communication. We com- municate continuously whenever we are in the presence of others. Sending the right verbal, vocal, and visual messages is critical to our abilities to communicate and to connect with others. Our facial expres- sions, eye contact, posture, mannerisms, tone of voice, and words can all help to establish and maintain rapport. On the other hand, the wrong words, behaviors, or tone of voice can make an already bad situation worse. It is worth noting that we achieve our greatest impact on oth- ers when our verbal and nonverbal cues are consistent—that is, when our words and behaviors communicate the same message. The reverse is also true: If our words say one thing but our body language sends

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 17

a different signal, people are less likely to trust our message. This is because people see nonverbal behaviors as accurate indicators of our true attitudes and feelings.

Control Your Response

Trooper Christopher realized that in addition to managing Brock’s emotions, she needed to control her own response. Anytime we “lose it,” we are a danger to ourselves and to others. The first step in con- trolling our emotional response is to recognize that each problem really consists of two issues: one practical, the other emotional. The practical issue is the topic or subject of concern, such as gaining the coopera- tion of a difficult motorist or taking a combative subject into custody. The emotional issue consists of our affective response to the practical problem, such as anger, frustration, or fear. Our inability to separate practical issues from emotional ones can create a host of problems, including stifling cooperation, impeding communication, and reducing our problem-solving effectiveness.

Next, we must work to identify our “hot buttons”—that is, the types of comments or actions by others that lead us to anger. Everyone has hot buttons, and part of managing our emotions effectively is recognizing our triggers. If we understand what upsets us, we will be better prepared when someone inevitably pushes our buttons. One way to prepare is to visualize a difficult encounter along with the proper response. This allows us to mentally prepare, or to “rehearse,” in advance. Practicing correct responses, even if only in our minds, can help reduce our chances of becoming overly emotional when it matters most.

A third way to gain control of our emotions is to pay close attention to our choice of words. Some cognitive psychologists believe that the words and language we choose have a lot to do with how we respond emotionally. We constantly talk to ourselves, or engage in “self-talk,” about the people, events, and things we encounter. The words we choose in our self-talk can either aggravate or mitigate our emotional responses. In fact, the language we use to describe events is believed to be one of the reasons that different people respond in different ways to the same events. Rather than using strong, emotional language to

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18 LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

describe our feelings—for example, “This guy is a real idiot”—we should choose language with a cooler emotional tone, such as “This guy must be having a bad day.”

Take Perspective

Trooper Christopher instinctively recognized the power of seeing the standoff from Brock’s perspective. She tried to understand the emo- tional and psychological difficulties that Brock was experiencing— many of which were beyond his control—and how those challenges were influencing his behaviors. She also realized that there are as many different ways to see and to experience the same event as there are peo- ple involved. Too often, we assume that others think as we think, see the world as we see it, and should behave in the same ways that we would behave given a similar set of circumstances.

In simplest terms, the better we understand the other person’s per- spective, the better our chances of communicating and connecting. Understanding another’s perspective begins with our acknowledgment of our own assumptions and biases. Arguably the single greatest barrier to our understanding others is our tendency to believe that we see the world as it really is, and that others should share our view. Our world- views, beliefs, and assumptions are important because they influence the ways we label others. If we label someone “a problem,” we will treat him accordingly. In contrast, if we label someone “a person with a problem,” our interaction will look very different. It is difficult to over- state the importance of this distinction, because the labels we choose influence not only how we treat others but also how they treat us. If we believe a person is rude, and we treat her accordingly, the person will no doubt behave in ways consistent with our label—that is, she will behave rudely. When the person reacts to our label, it confirms our ear- lier belief, producing a spiral of discourteous behavior that eventually makes meaningful communication impossible.

One of the most effective ways to increase our influence is to see things from the other person’s perspective. The better we understand the other person and his problem, the more our influence grows, often allow- ing us to gain cooperation in situations where we previously had little control. The importance of open-mindedness, tolerance, and empathy

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Introduction to the IMPACT Principles 19

in law enforcement cannot be overstated, especially in the United States, which has arguably the most ethnically diverse populace in the world. Many U.S. cities are home to some of the largest ethnic popula- tions outside their native countries. American law enforcement officers interact almost continuously with people whose cultural backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, and norms are different from the officers’ own. Indeed, with the United States becoming increasingly diverse, open- mindedness, tolerance, and the ability to see things from differ- ent perspectives are fast becoming the cornerstones of 21st-century law enforcement.

SUMMARY

The abilities to communicate and to connect with others are arguably the most important skills that any officer can possess. Indeed, commu- nication skills are critical to officers’ success in virtually every aspect of law enforcement. Although interpersonal skills are not a panacea, they can benefit officers in several important areas, including better officer safety, fewer complaints and lawsuits, and improved investigative effec- tiveness. However, despite the importance of communication, few law enforcement agencies offer comprehensive training in dealing with dif- ficult people, managing emotions, and resolving conflict.

The IMPACT principles offer law enforcement professionals a sys- tematic model for improving their communication and emotional man- agement skills. The IMPACT model is based on the idea that process matters. Anytime we can build good process, we will be more success- ful at connecting and communicating with others, avoiding unneces- sary hostilities and frivolous complaints, and getting more of what we need. Although the model is described in linear fashion, the IMPACT principles are not necessarily sequential, and officers are not limited in how they apply the model. What is important is the simultaneous interplay of the six core principles. Anytime officers encounter irate, frustrated, or difficult people, they will, in all likelihood, engage in sev- eral steps of the process simultaneously. For example, an officer may find it necessary to identify and manage the person’s emotions, control his own response, and master the story while simultaneously promoting

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20 LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

positive behavior and taking perspective. Regardless of their order of appearance, the IMPACT principles offer law enforcement profession- als a valuable tool for managing difficult, irate, and frustrated people; improving officer safety; and improving communicative effectiveness.

At this point it is worth noting that nothing in this book should be taken to suggest that officers should ever compromise their tactics or safety. Before using any of the IMPACT principles, officers must first ensure their own safety and the safety of others. Proper use of the IMPACT model is grounded in appropriate tactics and discipline. Each year, thousands of law enforcement officers in the United States, as well as throughout the world, are victims of violent assault. Each year in the United States alone, dozens of officers are killed in the line of duty. Communication, although a vital tactic and critical to all officers’ success, will not solve every law enforcement problem.

Each of the next six chapters outlines one of the IMPACT princi- ples in greater detail, with Chapter 2 addressing the first: Identify and manage emotions. The book concludes with suggestions for improving communication competence.

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. According to the findings of the 2001 survey conducted by the Inter- national Association of Chiefs of Police, what percentage of calls for service result in a use of force?

2. Why are the abilities to communicate and to connect with others impor- tant law enforcement skills?

3. Describe three advantages of effective communication for law enforce- ment professionals.

4. What are four common myths about communication?

5. List the core principles of the IMPACT model.

6. What do you believe to be the most important principle in the model?

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