WARD CLAPHAM

From the challenging experiences you’ve been through you seem able to quickly learn from them and turn things around – your ability to see and do things differently. How did you develop these skills that allow challenging circumstances to inspire you?

I was inspired by Joel Arthur Barker who wrote a book called “Paradigms – The Business of Discovering the Future”

This changed my life. My eyes opened up to the whole business of the status quo and the science behind paradigm shifts.

This insight started me to quietly study the business of paradigms.

There was one thing that Joel Barker said that still resonates with me today…

Barker states… if you want to know where the future is going – look to the edge, look to the fringe – look for those that are messing with the rules (or breaking the rules) – that is where you will find the future.

That was so easy for me to grasp and connect with. My whole policing career – I was seeking out – searching for RULE BREAKERS.

All I had to do was look for a different type of rule breaker (not the criminal type) but in the area of leadership and organizational transformation.

Another principle I work from is that “THERE IS MORE THAN ONE RIGHT ANSWER”
This keeps the door open –

It keeps you from not PRE JUDGING
It keeps you humble
This helped me adjust, flex and stay agile

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Who Says a Kid Can’t Make a Difference?

Something Positive for a Change

This is the evolution of Positive Tickets
The sporting ticket idea from Strathmore was really the evolution for what took off in Richmond known as the positive ticket program and now being practiced around the world
This was my mindset in 1996…
The idea was to involve cops and kids in something unique and potentially transformational.
Deliver the unexpected – nobody ever expected cops to catch kids for being good
Catch em doing something right and give them a ticket for it (positive recognition)
The positive ticket idea really generated while I was the Detachment Commander of Strathmore, Alberta (on the eastern outskirts of Calgary, Alberta).

I was able to get 8 seasons tickets for all the games of the Calgary Flames National Hockey Team and 8 seasons tickets for all games of the Calgary Stampeders Canadian Football League.
So I asked my officers to connect with kids – catch doing something positive…and reward them with an experience of a lifetime. At the same time I was calling this the onside program.
A relationship to get onside with the kids and onside with the cops (and the law)
My officers were going wild with the program and I had yet to try it.
So, I took the leap and here is my story
Take them to a special event, keep it low pressure, just be there as a friend and enjoy the moment. We wanted to let the kids see the human side of the Police Officer, a step beyond the facade of the enforcer. We focused on meeting the kids on their turf and their terms. We would be there just to listen, and if the moment arose, maybe talk about some of the personal issues they faced. We might discuss subjects like peer pressure, legal and societal expectations, etc. The special event wasn’t the focus so much as it was a vehicle that we could use, the police and the youth, to connect on a human level.

To jump-start the program, on-duty Police Officers were also allowed to participate. This sometimes had me working operational shifts to ensure minimum resource standards were met. The officers were authorized to transport the youth in police cars when necessary. They were also provided with funds to pay for popcorn, pop and even souvenirs for the kids. We really wanted to create an environment that was special for everyone involved.

Sounded like a great idea. Well, it didn’t take long before I started to have second thoughts about this community policing initiative. The word got out…Positive Tickets????? on-duty police officers, popcorn, treats, hockey games and using police transport. I started to face both internal and external pressures about optics, legitimacy and accountability of this unusual policing approach.

I was getting close to giving up and calling it quits when something very magical happened. It was my turn to take a catch a group of kids doing something positive and to take them to a hockey game. “I’ll consider cancelling the Positive Ticket program after I go to the game,” I said. So off I went to Calgary, seven kids and one cop. During the evening, I learned one of the boys with me had just lost his dad to a fatal illness. He was hurting really bad and needed to talk. Boy, did we talk …and cry and laugh and everything in between. And it was at that moment that, I knew we were doing the right thing. From that day forward, nothing could stop my passion for the evolution of the positive ticket program from continuing.

I still think of that young man often. I think of his emptiness, his pain, his hopes and his dreams. Funny thing is, he has no idea the difference he made in the lives of hundreds of kids and cops. It was because of him the positive ticket program remained alive and evolved. We both benefited from that special evening. I believe that he learned that people in his community really care. I learned about courage. Doing the right thing requires the courage to stand strong at both the individual and leadership level.

Well, not too long after that event, my career offered me another transfer and I was on the move again. But the Positive Ticket / Onside program continued and soon after became a major hit all over the Calgary region. Strathmore Detachment had the foresight to practice the abundance mentality by sharing the sporting tickets with Police Departments and kids from all over southern Alberta. As a result, a wide variety of both police officers and youth had the opportunity to get together in a positive setting. Maybe some even shared a special moment that will last a lifetime.

Who says a kid can’t make a difference?

Positive Tickets – Creating a Model of Prepare (not repair)

Many years ago, I heard a story about a waterfall. This particular waterfall was situated on a river that had recently become popular for whitewater sports—rafting, kayaking, etc. The drop-off to the waterfall was somewhat camouflaged. Most people didn’t see it coming until they were going over the edge. After several accidents at the waterfall, the agency in charge of river safety was called in to investigate. Of course, the public was outraged that such a waterfall was allowed to exist on this popular river. Politicians demanded action.

Members of the river safety agency conducted many studies on the waterfall. They measured its height. They determined the impact of various-sized watercraft that would be going over the falls. They studied the depth of the water at the base of the falls and the composition of the riverbed under the water to determine the types of injuries people might sustain. They partnered with local hospitals to prep them for waterfall victims. They partnered with the Search and Rescue department to have a diver on site to help people who didn’t immediately bob to the top. They worked with an ambulance service to set up a remote ambulance station on the banks at the bottom of the falls. Finally, they set goals with each partner and developed a scoreboard so they could track and measure their progress.

At the end of the whitewater boating season, the agency published its results. Of the 347 victims who had gone over the falls, only 10 had died immediately, a mere 3 percent. This number, they showed, had plummeted since the extra safety measures had been implemented. All of the surviving 337 victims were transported to the hospital within 10 minutes—a credit to the remote ambulance station and the dedication of its personnel. But the real hero of the day was the Search and Rescue diver. He had plunged into the river 102 out of 347 times to drag the bodies of the victims out of the swirling water. A feature in the local newspaper heralded his bravery. And though not as important as human life, it was also interesting to note that 95 percent of the watercraft boats were successfully recovered, though all were in need of repair.

By now you must be rolling your eyes at this story. How ridiculous! The solutions in this story are so obtuse that it becomes cynically comical. You’ve probably developed several much better solutions in your head already—post signs along the river warning people of the waterfall, build an easy take-out well before the waterfall, position a Search and Rescue boat at the top of the falls to help people who don’t make the take-out, build a fence or catch net across the river well before the top of the falls, or even close down this portion of the river to whitewater crafts. Any of these measures would be more effective and cost efficient. And instead of 10 fatalities and 337 injuries, you could have no fatalities and dramatically fewer injuries.

The answer seems so obvious. Now let’s take a real-world situation and see if it’s still as obvious. According to government statistics published by the U.S. and Canada, on any given day, roughly 92,800 juveniles are in custody in the U.S. and 1,898 in Canada. In essence, these are the kids who have gone over the “waterfall.” And we spend enormous amounts of time, effort, and resources at the bottom of the “falls.” We hire more police officers, we build larger detention facilities, we sign up more foster families, we develop inmate programs, we develop transition programs, etc. All of these things are “bottom of the fall” activities. They are reactive. The problems have already occurred and we are now trying to fix them.

This book, Breaking With the Law: The Story of Positive Tickets, is about one relatively simple, yet powerfully effective, proactive strategy in building relationships with youth and preventing them from “going over the falls.” Positive Tickets is effective for three reasons. First, it’s completely proactive. Second, it focuses on the root cause. And third, its source of energy is synergy.

Positive Tickets Is Proactive

In my book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 1 is called Be Proactive. Be proactive is another way to say take initiative or take responsibility. For many years, I have admired and respected Ward Clapham’s work in law enforcement. When I heard about what he was doing with youth and with Positive Tickets, I was immediately fascinated and curious. As I learned more, I came to realize that Positive Tickets is almost a utopian application of Habit 1. The habit is really about living your life at the top of the waterfall instead of at the bottom. Think how much more efficient (in terms of resources and dollars) and effective (in terms of number of youth who stay out of the juvenile justice system) our work with youth in the community would be if we focused on proactive activities instead of reactive ones. Instead of catching kids doing something wrong, Positive Tickets is about catching kids doing something right. The program is not just discouraging youth from breaking the law; it’s encouraging them to lead an active, productive lifestyle.

This type of approach seems commonsensical, yet it’s amazing to me how many communities would rather focus their time and effort on reactive programs than proactive ones. Skeptics toss out comments such as, “Shouldn’t law enforcement officers spend their time catching delinquents and trouble-makers instead of hanging out at the park with kids and handing out free tickets? Why aren’t they doing real police work?” These types of comments shine a bright light on faulty logic. In essence, these critics are at the bottom of the waterfall looking around for the ambulance and Search and Rescue diver. They fail to recognize that the party has now moved its position to the top of the waterfall. What they also fail to recognize is that hardly anyone is going over the edge anymore. Proactive policing activities prevent juvenile crime from ever happening. Real police work is as much about prevention as it is about suppression. If hanging out in parks with kids; building relationships with them; and handing out tickets to fun, free activities reduces juvenile calls for service by upwards of 50 percent, then real police work is most definitely happening.

The free tickets themselves encourage youth to be proactive. Most tickets are to some sort of activity that encourage health and positive social interactions, such as bowling, skating, swimming, etc. Perhaps without the kids realizing it, the tickets are helping kids to stay fit, improve their social skills, and have fun—the part that matters most to them.

Positive Tickets Focuses on the Roots

American author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote, “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.” Positive Tickets strikes at the root of youth problems. The program is not primarily about the free tickets. It’s about the relationship between the adult giving the ticket and the youth receiving the ticket. Building relationships of trust focuses on root problems that many kids experience. They desperately need positive mentoring and guidance from adults, which many are lacking. The ticket is simply the device that enables adults to build relationships with the kids. The ticket is the means to the end, not the end itself. Research shows that it takes three to five caring adults to raise a child. Positive Tickets is providing one of those important adults.

Positive Tickets Uses Synergy

Positive Tickets is a community effort. No one person or organization can do it alone. It takes the creative thought, energy, and passion of many people to make it work. In other words, it takes synergy. As you work together, the best ideas for implementing the program emerge. Your interactions with youth help you see what works and what doesn’t. Ideas and input percolate to help Positive Tickets leaders make the best decisions about the program. Such creativity and focus in a community can lead to other breakthrough ideas aimed at keeping youth on a healthy, productive path.

A Final Word

Leonardo da Vinci said, “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” Our efforts to help youth in our communities grow up to enjoy healthy, successful lives come from action. Positive Tickets is an immediate, actionable program that yields enviable results. This proactive, preventive model inspires the best in everyone involved. It’s a program worthy of consideration by any community interested in helping the next generation make the most of themselves.

?Stephen R. Covey
Author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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How do you implement the ADJUSTING stage into your business?

How important is remaining open minded, nimble, and flexible – what is called “Keeping Your Head on a Swivel”?

I took my team to school every day…and I called it “The Daily” – or my “Magic Theatre”.

This daily workout session was a brief, morning execution meeting. We tracked our progress toward the vision, we discussed challenges or roadblocks, and we celebrated successes.

In the past, the Superintendent usually lectured at these types of meetings, which was very debilitating for the team. It took time for them to adapt to my open, transparent style of leadership.

I demanded a couple of things during the meeting. First, rank was left at the door, including mine. Second, everyone’s opinion mattered and would be listened to and considered.

In the beginning, we had many awkward moments of silence where people were expecting me to lecture and I was expecting them to share their opinions.

I had to publicly thank people for having the courage to speak up. I had to apologize and show continuous humility before others would take the leap of faith to share what they thought. They were not used to being trusted or consulted, so it took a lot of continuous, small efforts to finally get some dialogue going.

My leadership team kept pushing problems up to my level for solutions and decision. I would push them right back down. I wanted them to start looking for solutions and taking action.

The days of micromanagement were over. I was not paying them to be dependent on me. Some people did not appreciate or understand this break with the command-and-control style of leadership. I had a few officers transfer out, which was the right thing for everyone.

In the end, the daily workout sessions were one of the most successful process tools we had. We began to hack through immediate and pressing challenges, and then moved on to some of the bigger issues. Eventually, we ran out of things to improve. We went back through past meeting notes trying to excavate something we could work on.

Don’t misunderstand. That didn’t mean our Detachment didn’t have daily challenges. It just meant that our workforce was now dealing with issues proactively.

They knew that I didn’t mind being the last to know about some things. In fact, it’s my badge of honor when people are empowered to the point that they are free to solve problems for themselves. My team members would come to the daily workout session and say, “Yes, we had this problem and here’s how we already dealt with it.”

Our Daily was just one of the many ways we were able to keep our head on a swivel and adjust daily – slight course corrections as required.

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What’s this analogy of a Four Leaf Clover and your definition of EXTRA Ordinary?

Yes I call it…”The Fourth Is for Luck”

As legend has it, each of the leaves of the four leaf clover represents something: the first leaf is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love, and that uncommon fourth leaf is for luck.

I personally have never found a four leaf clover, it is estimated that the ratio of three-leaf clovers to four-leaf clovers is 10,000 to 4.

The four-leafed clover is a break-with. It doesn’t play by the genetic rules of clovers. Some say that a recessive gene causes the extra leaf. Others say that environmental factors create the anomaly.

I like the four-leaf clover because it’s different—it charts new territory. And it’s also the perfect metaphor to describe the critical elements of success.

In an organization, the first leaf of the clover represents vision. It’s the destination—a point in the future to work toward.

The second leaf represents planning—crafting out the details of how the organization will get from where it is today to where it wants to be.

The third leaf represents executing—making sure daily actions move the organization closer to the desired destination. Lots of organizations implement the first three leaves. They establish a vision; generate large, complex strategic plans; and check their progress along the way.

But many fail to implement the fourth leaf—the one that brings luck—and that is adjusting. Rigidity equals failure. Organizations that cannot adjust, flex, and change to the dynamics that are constantly swirling around them will never achieve their full potential or full success.

It’s the fourth lucky leaf of adjusting—the break with the common clover—that I have found to be a catalyst for success.

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In my book Lead Big: Discovering the Upside of Unconventional Leadership, I talk about the findings of a Harvard Business Review study that focused on the question “What Happens on a Great Workday?”

Many have asked…What were the results of this study and how did they influence your leadership practices?

One of the Harvard Business Review Breakthrough Ideas for 2010 came from Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer.

They conducted a survey of 600 managers from a broad array of companies to rank the impact on employee motivation and emotions in five categories: recognition, incentives, interpersonal support, support for making progress, and clear goals.

In other words, they wanted to surmise exactly what it was that inspired and motivated employees. The 600 managers ranked “recognition for good work (either public or private)” as number one.

Did employees agree? Surprisingly, no. Based on a multiyear study that tracked the day-to-day activities, emotions, and motivation levels of hundreds of knowledge workers, the top motivator of performance was progress.

Yes, that’s right, progress—reaching goals, checking things off the list, solving problems. Employees of the study were asked to answer the question, “What Happens on a Great Workday?”

They answered…Making progress—even incremental progress—was more frequently associated with positive emotions and high motivation than any other workday event. In other words Getting things done—feeling movement in the right direction—

Amabile and Kramer go on to say that leaders should be ecstatic about this news. It means that key drivers of performance are largely within the leader’s control and do not depend on elaborate or expensive incentive systems.

“Managers have powerful influence over events that facilitate or undermine progress.” They can provide meaningful goals, resources, and encouragement, and they can impede progress by changing goals autocratically, being indecisive, or holding up resources.

I experienced the same findings personally and while leading teams throughout my journey also.
Have you ever taken a dog for a walk using a leash? Do you notice what happens when you unleash them? they explode…they ignite – they advance.

Employees – People are the same way – they want to be trusted – they want to be unleashed – they want to be allowed to do the job they were hired to do and PROGRESS – ADVANCE

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How do you drive this philosophy into your culture?

How do you get the new generation of employees to accept this?

You Manage Things – You Lead People.

Let me quickly explain the difference.

Management is about Policy, Rules, Process, Money, Systems, Standards, and Measurements. These is all very important functions.

Leadership is about People, Context, Culture, Purpose, Principles, Inspiration and the Preferred future
So management is about using skill sets to control things… and there is nothing wrong with that.

What happens is …some leaders treat people like THINGS.

You do not manage people – you do not treat them like THINGS, you lead them.

And this is where mix up and problems begin. For many, they are treated like things…micro managed like the way one would manage money or systems.

People are not things. People must be led and that requires a different MIND set, SKILL set and TOOL set.

The problem is – people are not sure if they are managers or leaders. Most people are probably both, but depending on the job – you could be more focused on managing … say an accountant, a dentist or an investigator…into the details that are necessary. |

There is nothing wrong with the management function, the magic is the ability to switch roles to a leader when you are dealing with people.

And this was the challenge for me in Policing – having my team, my supervisors switch roles – sometimes in an instant. It was not easy to put into place.

I was huge into continuous development and training of my people…every employee was leader so I ensured they had non-stop leadership training.

I rewarded and promoted those employees that performed as both leaders and managers – depending on their job description.

And I pushed all my leaders to walk the talk in everything they did. Their performance agreements, learning plans and assessments were all based on both management and leadership performance.

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Introducing Shared Leadership to a Command and Control Culture.

First of all – some of Command and Control is not bad…

Command and Control has its place during emergencies and other unique situations and times…

But it is the other 95% of the time, people do not need to be commanded and ordered about.

Employees, people want to be included, involved – and inspired.

They have enormous talents and abilities that can be tapped into…

This is not rocket science. Yet, some people rather rule with the iron fist and bark out orders. Basically ignoring the unique gift each person brings to the table.

My style of applying shared leadership was very similar to Captain Mike Abrashoff of the US Navy on the USS Benfold. I am a big fan of Mike Abrashoff’s and he is one of my primary mentors.

When Mike’s sailors would come to him for orders on the USS Benfold, he would turn the question around to…What Would You Do? It’s Your Ship, How Would You Do It?

You can only imagine the sheer terror, excitement and adrenaline those sailors would feel as their Captain was sharing power with them. Well of course, they probably already knew the right answer and Mike would validate their response and then release them to get the job done.

My style is the same. I gave my people guns and bullets, pepper spray and batons. They could take life or liberty at any moment of any day…yet, I could not trust them with simple decisions? Talk about a mis-alignment. So, I advanced TRUST to my people – All my people.

I see more mis-alignment out there than you can shake a stick at. Even in policing, the mis-alignments were countless. Most of the time the underlying message was… WE DON’T TRUST YOU!

Low Trust Leadership does not engage the hearts and minds of employees.
However, since this is the way many leaders were treated and mentored as they grew up… basically in a low trust culture, it has become their “by default’ way of doing business.

And at the same time, Command and Control is just an easier way to get the job done.
I would do little things all the time to keep bombarding my team with the shared leadership philosophy is word and deed.

You see – a leader is also the CHIEF DOT CONNECTOR. Their job is to constantly connect the strategy and theory into real life examples that people can relate to. Once you show them how they are connecting to the philosophy, and why, it is much easier to get buy in and get positive results.

Sometimes small adjustments are all that is needed…

When I started at Richmond RCMP Detachment, on the door to my office was my official title… Officer In Charge. I ripped it down and put up “Team Leader”

I introduced myself as either the “First of Equals” or “Detachment Enabler” when I was in public with them. Then I would tell the public that my officers were really the ones that were in charge – that my main job was to support them.

I would not let anyone call me by my official title…that being SUPERINTENDENT or SIR. My name is Ward. If we are on the Parade Square during an official ceremony – ya, then you can call me Sir…

I had every new police officer come into my office and be a leader for the day. I would put them in my chair and I would not let them leave until they gave me some insight into how they would run the detachment.

Boy, did I ever learn a lot what was really going on – and how filtered and disconnected the leader can truly be.

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Social media is dramatically changing how we work, build relationships, interact with one another, and finally, exercise leadership.

The ease, speed, depth and breadth of communications today is a real game changer for business leaders. The old command and control style is being seriously challenged by more collaborative servant leadership techniques and methods.

This shift is fundamentally about culture change. And that type of transformational change – which may include updating business practices – must come from the top. But more than a top-down dictum, it’s got to be part of the essence of a business leader today.

Leaders must see things differently. They need to wear “inverted glasses”. Leaders must wake people out of intertia. They must get people excited about something they have never seen before, something that does not exist.

Remember…Every breakthrough first requires a break with the old paradigms, practices and principles that tether people and organizations to the status quo.

In Social Media, Leadership is all about “letting go”. Letting go of the reigns, of power. But, letting go with the rules, regulations and expectations known up front. Then ensuring accountability. And if a mistake is made, not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

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I was once asked the question…Tell us more about how you took the Positive Recognition concept and Wellness Leadership into policing? How was it accepted by your team and your bosses?
What worked? Any lessons you can share?

Here was my answer…

People were a little suspicious at first…like “Hey Why all the sudden do we matter?” “Why are we being rewarded:” Once they saw that the intentions were genuine, it started to take off.

I had some leaders that thought the pay cheque was enough for their subordinates… that positive recognition was “soft” and “hog wash”.

Either myself, or the appropriate leader, spent extra time with these people to show them the benefits and encourage them how this connected to our long term vision.

Sometimes Wellness means ensuring your people have the tools to do their job correctly and safely.
I would buy my police officers small gifts to help them do their job better – multi tools (the Swiss army knives – as it was not standard police issue) to carry on their duty belts.

Flashlights, hand warmers, slash resistant gloves and even sunscreen. I would get them things that really mattered to them.

And I found out what they needed through walking around and listening

I set up a Wellness room for my staff for their breaks – a big screen TV, lounge chairs, cafe style tables, a latte machine and even stand alone computers so they could check their personal emails on their break.

I had my leaders give out gift cards when their staff went beyone the “call of duty”

Things really started to take off for the positive as hundreds and hundreds of gift cards were given out. I had my leaders also write on a personal note on an accompanying note card.

My leaders were rewarding and encouraging positive behavior with our staff and we were seeing great results, high morale and we were seeing our efforts flowing outwards in even more positive tickets being given by police officers to kids…. as sort of “pay it forward” movement. It was exciting to say the least.

In the area of recognition…One thing that I have learned – I have never met anyone yet that has complained about being rewarded or recognized TOO much.

When it is appropriate, why would we not thank our fellow colleague on a job well done
Also, who wouldn’t want to work for a company that cared about the wellness of their people.

We all know that in a knowledge worker age – wellness is very important for recruitment, retention and engagement. Maybe it is just a gymnasium pass or a few hours off to coach their child’s little league game.

Wellness matters and if you pay attention to it – the pay back is huge.