Introduction
Assertiveness is a fundamental skill for individuals in roles that require immediate guidance, especially in tactical and emergency scenarios. This ability is crucial for effectiveness in situations such as the first law enforcement officer arriving at an active shooter incident, an officer intervening when a partner is about to use unnecessary force, a public safety or military leader facing a rapidly changing tactical scenario, or a responder at a crime scene where suspects are fleeing. In each of these cases, the person in charge must exercise assertiveness to control, contain, or prevent the escalation of a serious incident.
Learning Assertiveness Through Practice
Assertiveness, like many other skills, is learned through repetition and action. Similar to learning to walk, talk, or write, developing assertiveness requires practicing and verbalizing assertive behaviors in real situations. Individuals become more proficient by repeatedly responding when the need arises, and their skills improve as their experience grows. Moving from calm environments to moments of sudden chaos illustrates the importance of strong assertive skills.
Assertiveness can be challenging for some because immediately demanding behavior, often accompanied by a loud voice, is contrary to typical human interaction. Many people may never encounter situations requiring such conduct, especially those outside professions like the military or law enforcement, where assertiveness is more frequently necessary.
Suitability for Roles Requiring Strong Assertiveness
Based on years of experience and numerous critical situations, it is clear that individuals who are timid by nature and unable to develop strong assertive skills should not be placed in positions where decisive assertiveness may be required. This observation is not a negative reflection on those individuals; rather, it recognizes that not everyone is suited for every task.
The Consequences of Insufficient Assertiveness
The necessity for public safety and military personnel to develop strong and appropriate assertiveness skills becomes evident when considering past incidents that ended poorly due to a lack of assertiveness at critical moments. Notable examples include school and mass shooting events, where the failure to take immediate control resulted in fatalities. There have been numerous occasions where first responders failed to act assertively and provide the guidance needed to stop criminal activity and apprehend suspects. I have many sad recollections of Instances where responding units waited for a supervisor before establishing a perimeter, often enabling suspects to escape.
Training and Demonstration of Assertiveness Skills
Live action and reality police shows, though entertaining and sometimes educational, often display poor tactics. Watching body-worn camera footage of officers shouting for help without providing coordinating instructions highlights the importance of clear guidance. Officers may rush into incidents without direction about tactical situations or escape routes. Despite the stress and anxiety present, law enforcement and military personnel must possess the skills for self-control and effectiveness amid chaos. Training should ensure that calls for assistance include clear and helpful information.
Experience has shown that classroom and briefing sessions rarely include real demonstrations of assertiveness in realistic environments. In addition to classroom lessons, techniques that allow personnel to develop and strengthen assertiveness skills in controlled settings are beneficial, as mistakes can be made without embarrassment.
Assertiveness and Confidence in Interview or Conference Settings
In interview or conference settings, students are brought into a room with mannequins, guided to select one, and directed to make a presentation or answer a hypothetical question. With each interaction, their skills and confidence improve, and sessions are repeated for command or supervisory personnel or those aspiring to promotion. Every exercise session demonstrates significant growth in assertiveness and confidence.
Assertiveness in Tactical Field Situations
For tactical field situations, students are taken to remote areas and presented with realistic scenarios to practice giving guidance. Scenarios may include verbalizing instructions as the first unit at an officer-involved shooting, responding to a downed aircraft in a business district, commanding during a violent demonstration, facing an armored column as an infantry leader, or confronting a superior giving inappropriate guidance. The focus is on assertiveness, clear thinking, and command presence. Skills improve with each practice session, similar to command post exercises.
Summary
There have been many instances where supervisors or command officers have failed in situations requiring immediate assertiveness, sometimes with unfortunate consequences. Individuals should demonstrate assertiveness skills before being promoted to positions where such abilities may be needed. Self-assurance or assurances from others are not enough; promotional processes should include a graded demonstration of assertiveness skills. The stakes are too high to place someone without these skills in roles where assertiveness may be required.
Keith Bushey retired from the Los Angeles Police Department as a commander, from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy chief, and from the United States Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel. Other law enforcement experience includes having served as a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff, a State of California deputy game warden, and as the Marshal of San Bernardino County. He is an instructor emeritus for the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association and has lectured and written extensively in the areas of leadership, management and ethics. He is now affiliated with Embassy Consulting Services. His entire eight booklet Leadership Series is in the public domain and may be downloaded without cost from KeithBushey.com. He may be contacted at KDBS255@AOL.COM