NCJ Number
137697
Date Published
Unknown
Length
8 pages
Annotation
During October and November 1991, sworn and civilian supervisory/management personnel employed by the St. Petersburg Police Department were asked to complete a career success survey.
Abstract
Responses from 72 individuals showed the following, in order of frequency mentioned, to be important in identifying employee leadership potential: interpersonal skills, job skills, positive attitude, initiative, leadership skills, hard working, decisionmaking skills, dependability, communication skills, integrity, flexibility, intelligence, organizational skills, community involvement, attendance/appearance, and education/professional development. Personal strategies of supervisors for getting ahead were based on working hard, improving job knowledge, studying laws and policies, maintaining a positive attitude, being friendly and considerate of others, furthering education, becoming a field training officer, volunteering for extra work and assignments, setting goals, and understanding the police department's culture. Nearly 60 percent of respondents described their outlook toward achieving career success as "planned actions toward set goals." Two-thirds of respondents belonged to professional organizations, and nearly one-third had bachelor's degrees. Almost all participated in team sports, most performed volunteer work in the community, most socialized with other police department employees, and nearly half had read books on career success. Family members were named by 87 percent of respondents as having had the greatest influence in their lives. Supervisors identified potential problem employees in terms of negative attitude, poor job performance, poor interpersonal skills, inability to make decisions, lack of initiative, excessive sick time, inflexibility, poor communication skills, lack of integrity, and unreliability.