PLEASE PROVIDE A DETAILED RESPONSE FOR EACH CLASSMATE DISCUSSION POST 1-4

DISCUSSION POST 1: Gulick's acronym POSDCORB is an established administrative practice because of how effective it is and because of the way it works. According to our textbook, POSDCORB stands for Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, and Budgeting.(p160) It is established because of the steps that it suggests be taken and increases the administrative sides productivity and ability to stay on top of the majority of things that will come their way. Starting with the very first thing, planning. According to an article on mindtool.com, "Establish what your objective is and work out what you and your team need to do to achieve it." This is the very first thing you must do. Each letter in the acronym then suggests the next step that you should take once you have completed the one above it. That is why I believe that it is so established, because it works, its simple to follow, and it gives you a place to start when you do not know where to.

Additionally, mindtool.com lays out the seven steps of POSDCORB, which I will list below:

1. Planning - Establish what your objective is and work out what you and your team need to do to achieve it. For example, you might want to ensure that all customer orders are dispatched within 24 hours of receipt. planning involves identifying each task that you need to carry out to do this.
2. Organizing - organize your team so that it can work at its best. Look at its structure, and at how its subdivisions are arranged and coordinated. Think about the reporting lines that you have in place and the number of people in each team or role. Is this the most efficient way of working, or could you improve it?
3. Staffing - Capable members of staff are key to a productive organization. It's important to appoint the right people to the right roles, so that they can work effectively. Practice effective recruitment, train and develop your people, and match their skills and expertise to the tasks that they're best suited to.
4. Directing - This is the ongoing job of making decisions and incorporating them into the instructions that you give to your team members. Arrange regular team meetings, one-on-ones and performance appraisals, to give them direction and make sure that they're clear about their objectives.
5. Coordinating - This is the coordination of your people and of their work. Gulick describes how managers have limited amounts of time and energy, and how this must be considered when deciding how many people they can successfully supervise ("span of control"). He also emphasizes that each team member should take direction from only one manager to avoid confusion ("unity of command"). By coordinating your team in this way, you can make the best use of your resources and provide your team with clear activities and processes.
6. Reporting - Keep people in the organization up to date with what's going on. Provide them with news, results and general information in formal reports and regular company updates, to boost their morale, productivity and commitment. This also includes team members reporting in to you with their progress, issues and concerns.
7. Budgeting - Balance your expenses with your income by planning, estimating and being disciplined with your finances. Creating a budget allows you to control your organization's income and expenditure, and can determine the success of a project.

DISCUSSION POST 2: Gulick's acronym POSDCORB, which stands for Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, and Budgeting, is an established administrative practice due to its comprehensive and systematic approach to management. For example, "it is a management framework that is used to help organizations accomplish their goals" (POSDCORB Explained! Meaning, Full Form, Coined by, and 7 Functions of Management, 2022, para. 1). This acronym serves as a guide for managers to carry out their duties and responsibilities effectively. Planning involves setting goals, developing strategies, and determining the resources needed to achieve those goals. Organizing entails structuring the organization, assigning tasks, and establishing relationships between individuals and departments. Staffing involves recruiting, selecting, and training employees to ensure that the right people are in the right positions. Directing involves providing guidance and instructions to employees, motivating them, and resolving conflicts. Coordinating involves ensuring that different departments and individuals work together harmoniously towards common goals. Reporting involves collecting and analyzing data, preparing reports, and communicating the information to relevant stakeholders. This step is crucial for decision-making and evaluating the performance of the organization. Budgeting involves setting financial goals and allocating resources to different departments or projects. It requires careful planning and forecasting to ensure the organization's financial stability and profitability. Furthermore, these seven functions play a crucial role in ensuring every organization's smooth and productive functioning. They help establish clear objectives, allocate resources, assign tasks, provide guidance and supervision, promote collaboration, track progress, and ensure financial control. Organizations can achieve their desired outcomes by implementing the POSDCORB framework, which helps streamline their operations.

DISCUSSION POST 3: "Weak leadership has negative impacts on all public or private sector organizations, but in a policing environment that continues to be plagued with allegations of racism and excessive force, that range from real to exaggerated to contrived, combined with calls for government reviews into and for the defunding of police, it has never been more critical to get leadership right" (Lewis, 2022). The leadership characteristics that most often resonate with employees are communication, decision-making, accountability, supportive and caring, inspiring, and the ability to build trust. In good times and bad, good leaders must be able to effectively talk and carefully listen (Lewis, 2022). Real leaders do what is right, not what is easy or expedient, and they do it for the good of the community and in the best interests of those being led. True leaders make sure employees are accountable but they also make sure they are accountable themselves (Lewis, 2022). "Employees of all ranks want leaders who know them, appreciate and care about them..we cannot forget that they are "people" with names, histories, families, goals, and feelings and a need to feel supported" (Lewis, 2022). As a leader, you should aspire to inspire your employees to reach personal and department goals. No employee is going to strive to do their best for a leader they do not trust. "By effectively and honestly communicating and supporting your people with integrity while demonstrating your faith in them, a two-way trustful environment will emerge" (Lewis, 2022). Transformational police leadership is the preferred style I would adopt as a leader and it is also the style of leader I would like to follow. I would choose this approach because it "...focuses on a "people-centered approach" that aims to inspire, empower and motivate one's team. Transformational leaders are inclusive, considering each individual's unique needs, skills and motivations. They often have an "open door" policy to facilitate more frequent and candid communication" (Fritsvold, 2022). This style of leadership encompasses every trait that makes up an effective law enforcement leader.

DISCUSSION POST 4: Characteristics of a good leader can vary from different departments depending on the type of people that are working there so it is important to know the people working and what will and won't work. One characteristic that is effective is empathy and the ability to care about people. Caring about the people who work for you is essential and allows a leader to put more effort into doing things properly because it is not about one leader but the department as a whole. Another that is vital to being a good leader is being humble enough to join or assist subordinates when it is needed. This shows that you have their back and are willing to do something that may not be the job that that leader has but that doesn't matter. Transparency is also important with leadership. In the military we are constantly told what to do without any explanation as to why we are doing it and it is extremely frustrating to many people. Explaining why things are being done a certain way allows others to understand more and make them more willing to accomplish the task at hand rather than thinking it is a waste of time or pointless.

A leadership style that I believe works best is the democratic leader style with a little bit of authoritarian as well. Subordinates need to be involved when leadership decisions are made. The more open a leader is about what is going on in their organization, the more understanding they are even if they disagree. There are instances where the authoritarian style may need to be used because there are situations where there is either no time to explain to others or that decision is simply way above their pay grade. These instances are sometimes very rare so the democratic approach would be the best for everyone.

Coming from a military background, I am very used to being told what to do with very little explanation as to why. I do not mind following orders but I would gravitate more toward a leader who explains to me why it needs to be done. I want a leader who I feel has my nest interests in mind and is willing to go to bat for me if needed. I also want a leader who is willing to hold people accountable at every level of the organization. Sometimes as people move up in rank or pay grade, leaders can be more lenient toward them. A good leader will adhere to their ethics and code of conduct and hold everyone else to the same standard no matter the position or pay grade.