Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Except you don't even fire the helmsmen!

I raised an eyebrow at this quote from the new RCMP commissioner, Bob Paulson:

His other immediate priorities are restoring a strong sense of leadership and accountability, including a zero-tolerance policy on what he calls "dark-hearted behaviour" such as harassment.
He recalls a conversation while sailing from Hawaii with his brother, then a navy ship captain. His brother said that if the ship ran aground in the night, he would be fired, not the helmsman.
"That's what I want to bring to how we practise leadership in the organization," Paulson said.
Yes, I agree it would be lovely and beneficial to see the force start firing leaders when their subordinates disgrace themselves. But they don't even fire their incompetent rank and file...

Mr. Paulson could start his "leadership practice" this afternoon. I can think of four immediate opportunities.  

3 comments:

Carmichael said...

He wants to get fired every time some goon in the outfit does something boneheaded?

Do we have to pay his pension out every time he's fired?

Or is he beginning his tenure by distancing himself from the street meat.

The chances of the RCMP being reformed are like the chances of PEI seceding from confederation.

I fully expect things to get a great deal worse under a "cops cop".

Dave said...

Oh dear me. I didn't realize Bob Paulson's brother was one my former sub-lieutenants.

I truly do hope one is much brighter than the other.

Carmichael said...

Be very careful now Dave. This is uncharted waters now.