Life Loans

Producing a police report is very different from what you might have learned in your English classes about writing an essay or creating a short story. You can’t just start at the beginning and recount what happened. For one thing, you probably didn’t arrive until the middle of the story. For another, you may hear conflicting or piecemeal accounts from witnesses and suspects.

And sometimes there’s an additional complication: You might become part of the story–apprehending a suspect, uncovering evidence, interrupting a crime in progress. How do you organize all this information?

The answer is to train yourself to think in headings and patterns: Witnesses, suspects, weapons, injuries, evidence, disposition. Each group of facts will become a separate paragraph. Now you have some basic building blocks to work with.

You’ll almost always put information from Witnesses near the beginning of your report. They’re the ones who fill you in on what’s been happening and get the story started.

But what if you’re hearing a jumble of information as excited witnesses jump from one thing to another? Putting this assortment of details together can feel like you’re assembling a jigsaw puzzle.

The solution is to write a separate paragraph for each witness, beginning with something like this: “John Doe told me….” “Mary Doe said….”

You can do the same if you question a suspect at the scene: “Robert Smith told me….”

After you’ve questioned the witnesses, you will probably have other duties, such as seizing a weapon, calling for an ambulance, or looking for latent fingerprints. This information should also be presented in separate paragraphs: One for weapons, one for injuries, one for evidence, and so on.

If you own a company or manage a department, part of the reason you’ve come this far is because you’re good at what you do. But inspiring the people who work for you to give their best efforts is another skill altogether. It’s hard to complete tasks well and on time if your staff isn’t on the same page with you, or if they don’t share your commitment to success.

Are you frustrated by employees who don’t perform as well as expected? It may be time to take a look at your leadership style. Here are five common mistaken beliefs that may be interfering with your effectiveness as a boss.

1. Good new hires will know how to do the job right out of the blocks.

Hiring a competent person is only the first step. Even if the new person arrives already accomplished in his field, spend time with him so he can get to know your approach and share your vision. No matter what position he occupies, help him become attuned to your strategic plan. It takes time, but the payoff is huge.

2. No one else can do the job as well as I can.

As your organization grows, you’ll be adding people below you. Why did you hire them if not to help lighten your load, so you can focus on what’s most important? (What’s important may even include your own improved quality of life.) Surround yourself with good people, then give them a chance to show they can handle the responsibility. Step back and let them take some of the weight off your shoulders.

3. If I tell them once, they should be good to go.