Foundations

Bloody battles!

Betrayals!

Broken treaties!

Sneak attacks!

Shifting alliances!

Vast tracts of territory under contention!

These are components of an empire on the rise. From the Athenians to the Mongols to the British, the rise and fall of empires have provided us many historical examples of how large domains develop.

When looking at groups in the work place, the common clique stands out as a fascinating and divisive example of how we treat each other. Upon further inspection, the rise and fall of cliques bears many resemblances to the rise and fall of empires.

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joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations

Think of the inexorably strong force of a whirl pool. If it has enough power, the vortex will pull anything from the surface of the water and plunge it beneath.  It is inevitable that vacuums will be filled.

I don’t really know about the physics of black holes, tornadoes or any other sort of naturally occurring vacuum.  But I have seen this in action in human interaction.  Read more…

joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations

There once was a big fish in a little tank.  She had her fill of all food, eating first and as much as she wanted.  Life was good for this particular fish, as she lorded over all that she saw.  All of the other fish gave her plenty of room whenever she swam by.  All creatures in her world respected and/or feared her.

Then one day – and without warning – the inevitable waves of change introduced a new fish to the tank.  Read more…

joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations

joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations

Sometimes, we become so comfortable with our professional behaviors that we get lost.  It is like walking in a corn maze for years trying to find a way out of our predictable rut.  Yet, unless we seek different ways to see ourselves and our roles in the institution, we are doomed to keep walking in the same forlorn manner.

 In part one of “How to be a ridiculous figure”, we examined some behavior that diminish safety.  They are the, self-abuser, bullies, those who are over-sensitive.  Also discussed were staff that will badmouth other staff, those who loudly opinionate, the know-it-all, staff who argue with offenders, and those who crack under stress. We know that these unprofessional episodes occur from time to time.  When they recur, they can be considered ridiculous. Read more…

joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations

The confident professional who stumbles clumsily up the stairs…

The narcissist with the smug smile, oblivious to the spinach in his teeth…

Leaving a rest room with a foot long flag of toilet paper on our shoe or at our beltline…

Let’s face it, we are only human.  And when we are trying to operate smoothly, or even normally, we wear egg on our faces from time to time. These are unintentional incidents that may be forgotten after a while.  But, there are many more things that we do to ourselves that seem to be remembered in perpetuity. 

In fact, we may not realize just how ridiculous we can appear to other people. But the problem is not solely about embarrassment.  That is a lesser concern when we consider the haunting specter of self imposed security breaches.  Read more…

joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations, Uncategorized

Let’s take a trip – an ego trip. It is very easy to do, and it is a journey in self-exploration. Just relax and let the words take you there.

Imagine yourself on a warm and isolated beach on an idyllic inland lake. Fragrant winds blow inland. You are comforted by the pleasing mix of pine and maple trees that form a green and natural barrier from outside intrusions. Blissfully alone, you are in your safe place and secure from any outside threats. As you skip a flat stone on the glass-like, placid surface, tiny ripples develop. They cause nothing but pleasure. It is as if the lake is at your will as shapes manifest on it by your actions. In effect, you are lord and master of this little slice of paradise.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there is a colossal cataclysmic collision of boulder on water. A stone as large as a rhinoceros shatters the lake’s glass-like surface, and heaves into your aqueous sanctuary by some unseen and powerful being.

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joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations

I remember my first year in corrections as if it were a meal ago.  Some years after that, I recall with the same clarity that my first article was published.  But what brings pride and amazement at one time may not be so as one gains experience. Read more…

joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations

Joe,
 
I read your article with great interest.  I actually had this same conversation just last night with a good friend of mine who is a supervisor from a neighboring facility.  We were discussing that unfortunately not only do we have these negative traits among line staff we unfortunately “inherit” subordinate supervisors whom also embrace these negative traits themselves and use them to fuel the discord among the ranks. Keep up the great articles.
 
Steve Wierenga, Corrections Program Supervisor
Waupun Correctional Institution

joebouchard Staff relations

A colleague from Virginia recently imparted some vocational wisdom.  (We’ll call him  Lt. J.) One of Lt. J’s many professional functions is as a training coordinator for four jails.  The point that Lt. J made was “it is easy to underestimate someone based on stereotypes or limited information.” And this is how it came up.

He and I put together a module on staff relations.  On the maiden voyage of this training, Lt. J mentioned to the class that the initial author (yours truly) also works as a prison librarian.  The job title evoked some groans from the audience.  Lt. J discovered that the common sentiment was “what would a librarian know about anything?”

This is a classic example of underestimation or judging a book by its cover.

Read more…

joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations