Introduction
The criminal justice system is an integral part of the community, which must ensure equality in terms of law and protection for society. However, this can only be achieved when criminal justice agencies, such as courts, police stations, and correctional facilities, and the departments within them operate efficiently and cooperate. As a result, the differences in gender, cultural background, and age should be well-managed to ensure successful collaboration. Therefore, with several generations of employees, including millennials, generation X, and boomers, it is vital to incorporate different leadership styles and management techniques, such as motivation, autonomy, and intellectual stimulation and engagement respectively.
Management, Organization, and Leadership
First, it is necessary to define management, organization, and leadership. An organization is a group of individuals working together to achieve predetermined goals (Normore et al., 2019). It may be viewed as a social structure that includes all formally recognized interactions between people. The organization includes task synchronization with respect to the firm’s main objective and the division of labor among personnel (Normore et al., 2019). Within this social structure is a hierarchy with specific supervision of activities to achieve a particular objective, which is management. Establishing the organization’s vision and organizing personnel efforts to achieve these goals through the use of available resources are examples of such administrative actions (Normore et al., 2019). Additionally, the seniority system used for staff workers inside a company is sometimes referred to as management. Finally, an executive may control, advise, and shape others’ behavior and activities in order to achieve specified objectives in a specific scenario through the process of leadership (Normore et al., 2019). The capacity of a director to inspire passion and faith in their employees is known as leadership. Therefore, both management and leadership work in symbiosis and exist inside the structure of an organization.
Manager and Leader
As can be seen from above, managers and leaders are the key players in any organization. When it comes to police agencies, a municipal or federal government usually designate a chief of police as the leader of such institutions. For example, in the Killeen police station, Charles F. Kimble is the Chief of Police, who has more than thirty years of service (Killeen, n.d.). In turn, a manager is a qualified individual who leads an organization and oversees a group of personnel. Managers frequently oversee a particular department within their organization (Normore et al., 2019). There are numerous different types of managers. However, they frequently have responsibilities, including making decisions and holding performance evaluations (Normore et al., 2019). Managers might be seen as a conduit for information between lower-level administrators and employees of an organization.
While in Killeen police station, there are hundreds of employees, there are additionally several managers. In the Killeen police station, there are two assistant chiefs of police, Jeff Donohue in the Administration Bureau and Alex Gearhart in the Operations Bureau (Killeen, n.d.). The Assistant Chief of Police assists the Chief in the creation, management, integration, and application of departmental policies, practices, and initiatives. Thus, a leader will inspire others to provide their best effort in their job and tasks, as opposed to a manager who will instruct them.
Generations of Employees
As for the generations of employees, it is necessary to point out their titles. The modern workforce is made up of four different generations, including Millennials, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Veterans (Normore et al., 2019). When it comes to the characteristics of boomers and veterans, such individuals are often described as experienced and ambitious. Meanwhile, Gen X is often perceived as an independent generation, and millennials tend to be flexible and curious. In Killeen police station, according to the 2022 demographic report, there are 336 total budgeted personnel with 294 filled positions (Killeen, 2022). However, the most prevalent generation in the given workforce is millennials, with an age range between approximately 27-42. The next prevailing employee generations are Generation X and Boomers, with age ranges between 43-58 and 59-68, respectively. Generation X and boomers are the employees who frequently take senior positions, such as the mentioned Chief of Police and the Assistant Chief of Police.
Leadership and Management Techniques
Finally, since each of the mentioned generations is impacted and molded by various life events that determine the ideas they bring to work, the topic of diverse generations creates particular difficulties for managers. Arguments may result from these disparities as they become more challenging to handle. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate specific leadership approaches and management techniques in order to create a positive workplace environment.
When it comes to boomers’ management techniques, it is noteworthy that these employees usually have the most experience. Such workers are frequently aware of the true worth of their experience (Normore et al., 2019). This is particularly the case when engaging with individuals since, despite advancements in technology, individuals mostly remain unchanged. As a result, the approach to managing boomers is to ask for their feedback and advice and recognize their abilities and achievements (Normore et al., 2019). As for leadership, boomers demand and are eager to collaborate with others. The hierarchy of authority is acceptable to such employees in regard to leadership style (Normore et al., 2019). Additionally, they anticipate that their supervisors will guide them and drive them toward organizational objectives. As a result, here, it might be helpful to use transformational and bureaucratic leadership styles.
The next generation, generation X, often needs less oversight and more autonomy when it comes to carrying out their work duties. They can feel at ease using a variety of online and offline channels of communication. Consequently, managers need to acknowledge the expertise Generation X have as they are far into their careers and let them organize their time accordingly (Normore et al., 2019). In terms of leadership, these people are looking for leaders who are invested in their job and personable (Normore et al., 2019). The best managers for Generation X welcome various viewpoints and foster a collaborative environment in the workplace, and a charismatic leadership style can be helpful.
Lastly, regarding millennials, managers’ techniques should be based on finding the driving forces for such employees. While the technique of establishing a work environment that is values-driven is essential, it is additionally necessary to ensure inclusiveness, equality, and diversity (Normore et al., 2019). Regarding leadership, leaders who use quick and consistent feedback are the most preferred. Transformational leadership style, which is human-centered and empathic, will best suit the needs of millennials (Normore et al., 2019). It will help acknowledge employees by giving them the opportunity to bring value to organizational missions.
Conclusion
Hence, it is essential to use various leadership styles and management strategies, such as incentive, autonomy, intellectual stimulation, and engagement, while working with different generations of employees, such as millennials, generation X, and boomers. Within an organization’s framework, management and leadership coexist in symbiosis. Instead of managing people by giving them orders, a leader would motivate people to give their all to their work and tasks. Killeen police station workforce is made up of three different generations, including millennials, boomers, and generation X. To manage and lead boomers, it is vital to use transformational leadership and acknowledge employees’ achievements. To manage Generation X, it is crucial to give the employees more autonomy and incorporate charismatic leadership. Lastly, to manage and lead millennials, it is vital to motivate them through a transformational leadership style.
References
Normore, A., Javidi, M., & Long, L. (2019). Handbook of research on strategic communication, leadership, and conflict management in modern organizations. IGI Global.
Killeen Texas. (n.d.). Police. Web.
Killeen Texas. (2022). Agency demographics. Web.