The Importance of “Why?”

“Why?” is the most important question we can ask in policing. “Why are we doing this?” “Why did this happen?” “Why did this happen - again?”

"Why?" can be an invaluable question in any leadership situation, particularly those that involve policing where decisions can have far-reaching repercussions. Asking "Why?" has the ability to uncover hidden motivations, highlight inefficiencies and spark innovative thoughts - thus serving as a cornerstone for critical analysis and transformative change.

Exploring Your Core Purpose

Policing operations typically include an assortment of tasks that must be accomplished on an ongoing basis, from mundane activities like report taking and data entry to strategic endeavors such as selecting and implementing crime control strategies. Police leaders should ask "Why are we doing this?" periodically in order to gauge its purpose and effectiveness at achieving desired outcomes; if it aligns well with the organization’s mission and objectives and does it still square with the community’s expectations of policing.

Understanding the fundamental, and evolving purpose of policing is even more critical, since its effects often affect lives and civil liberties. Asking "Why are we taking this approach to control this type of crime?” can provoke deep thinking about ethics, effectiveness and maintaining public trust.

Identifying Root Causes

When errors occur, or bad outcomes are realized, police leaders must ask themselves the frequently difficult question “Why did this occur?” If the incident or event has happened before, then the question changes to “why did this happen again?” and should be followed up with “why didn’t our fix(es) work?” Understanding error by studying error is crucial to a police department holding itself accountable and avoid a repeat of the incident. As philosopher George Santaya stated “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

In policing, “remembering the past” should also include understanding the root causes of the incident to be avoided. Jim Doyle wrote a fascinating piece for the National Policing Institute (then the Police Foundation) entitled “Learning about Error from Error.” This should, along with the USDOJ National Institute of Justice publications and documents on “Sentinel Events,” be required reading for all cops, elected leaders and interested community members. It is through this kind of analysis that police leaders will be able to identify the root causes and contributing factors to any events whose outcomes everyone wishes had been different.

Fostering Accountability

Leaders who regularly ask "Why?" create an environment of accountability and prompt employees and team members to carefully consider their responsibilities and contributions. By asking “why?” in various ways helps identify the multiple layers of any issue until its core causes have been exposed and effective solutions found. This not only prevents superficial fixes but also leads to sustainable ones.

Enhancing Innovation

Auxiliary to asking “why?” asking “why not?” can also be effective at sparking innovation within policing operations. Asking this variation of "Why?" encourages teams to explore innovative solutions and venture into uncharted territories - such as Toyota's revolutionary Just-In-Time production system which began from questioning why inventory needed to be stored in large amounts, ultimately lead to its invention and revolutionizing supply chain management.

"Why don't we adopt body-worn cameras?" or “why don’t we ask the community if people are comfortable with our surveillance cameras?” are examples of questions that can get discussions going about police transparency, accountability and community relations as well as modernized methods using cutting edge technologies.

Promoting Community Relations

"Why are people unhappy with us?" is an effective way of engaging community members and increasing trust between policing agencies and citizens. Acknowledging public perception and being willing to change are integral parts of successful policing services.

Achieving Flexibility

Businesses don't remain static over time and neither should policing; their operations must adapt to market fluctuations, consumer habits and technological advancements. Leaders who often ask "Why?" tend to accept that operational methods must morph in response to changes; this approach helps build an agile, responsive business capable of remaining competitive. This can, and should be the case in policing.

Here are a few examples of how businesses and policing used the power of “why?”

Starting as a DVD rental service, Netflix asked themselves "Why are we only in the DVD rental market?" and made a dramatic transformation into streaming services - revolutionizing the entertainment industry forever.

In a world dominated by frills-laden airlines, Southwest Airlines asked itself the question, "Why can't flying be simple and affordable?" In response to this challenge they created their budget airline model which prioritizes efficiency over luxury travel.

Since community policing was formally introduced in the late 70’s/early 80’s, policing agencies that adopted community policing have continued to evolve by asking themselves the following question: “Why is there a disconnect between us and the communities we serve?” By actively searching for answers and making adjustments accordingly, these agencies have successfully fostered stronger community relationships and more effective outcomes.

Asking "Why?" can be used as an effective tool that promotes critical thinking, increases accountability and spurs innovation - as well as setting the groundwork for continuous improvement. This will be increasingly important in the future. Whether in business operations or police settings, asking this simple yet profound question can bring about transformational changes that go beyond superficial surface problems and attack them at their very core. By encouraging an environment that fosters curiosity and invites questions like "Why?," police leaders can not only effectively manage their organizations, they are creating high performing agencies that are anticipatory, adaptive and fulfill the true purpose of policing: being effective, empathetic and just.