If you have responsibility for an on or off street enforcement operation, you likely spend a portion of your time on some or all of the following:

• Resolving customer complaints;
• Dealing with position turnover;
• Searching for and implementing training support; and
• Coaching officers on how to handle situations in the field.

Most would agree that these employees carryout one of the more challenging roles in our industry. No one likes to receive a citation, and interactions can take a nosedive quickly when the enforcer and customer meet.

If you’re looking for new or different ways to set your team up for success, The Marlyn Group will be distributing a white paper on this subject at booth 709 during the upcoming IPI Show. Through our work, we have found that the following combination of tactics is valuable in supporting of enforcement professionals throughout their respective employee cycles:

1. It starts with hiring – Creating an ideal candidate profile for the role and then tailoring interview questions to identify these abilities is where success begins and helps the remaining tactics to be more effective.
2. Create an environment conducive to learning during onboarding – Determining what the employee will need in terms of equipment, training, introductions to coworkers and procedural information will help you to prepare for the employees’ first days on the job. When this is planned ahead of time and set in motion on the enforcer’s first day, the reduction in stress and elimination of distractions will go a long way in terms of the employee’s ability to learn and perform to expectations.
3. I forgot to mention we’re not issuing citations on that street today – Communications and training are essential to the enforcer’s success. She can only do her job based on information provided, and whether this is in the form of zone / lot enforcement instructions that are kept current or ongoing training opportunities on topics like conflict resolution, influence without authority and maintaining a safe work environment, as her leader, you will greatly influence her success.
4. I’d like to talk with you for a few minutes – Providing and receiving feedback will help you build strong relationships with your enforcement team. Recognize accomplishments and provide constructive feedback so behavior can be improved in a timely manner.

The white paper will cover these subjects in much further detail and provide benchmarking data you can use to evaluate your program against industry peers. If you are responsible for an enforcement team, you will want to have a copy of this resource, so stop by and see us at booth 709!