Embracing 'The Suck': How to make the best of bad situations in Police context

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://www.policeone.com/training/articles/6225987-Embracing-the-Suck-How-to-make-the-best-of-bad-situations?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

As police officers, there are things that happen to you in both your personal and professional life that suck.

Embracing The Suck puts you in control of your thoughts, your responses and your life... you will discover you fundamentally have two choices:

1) Allow the negative aspects of the situation to consume your thinking, ruin your day and make you miserable or,

2) Embrace the Suck and find the good in the situation. Embracing the Suck puts you in control of your thoughts, your responses and your life.

2) Embrace the Suck and find the good in the situation. Embracing the Suck puts you in control of your thoughts, your responses and your life.

Your Boss is an Ass
That sucks. Embrace the Suck. Make a list of the reasons you started in this profession and all the things you love about it.

I bet your boss is not on the list. Be the bigger person. Be a role model for your peers and your boss. Be a great employee for your boss. Take a great attitude to work every day and love what you do. Maybe even ask your boss what you can do to make their job easier.

They Cut Your Training Budget
That sucks. Embrace the Suck. This is an opportunity to be creative and innovative. Find low cost ways to deliver great training. Partner with other agencies in your area to host and/or share training.

Partner with the fire department and EMS to exchange training and share facilities. Tap into the skills and talents of the people in your agency who can help to build low cost training alternatives.

Your Promotion Came with a Transfer Out
That sucks. Embrace the Suck. This is an opportunity to lead and inspire the people.

Bring a great attitude to the shift and find ways to bring out the best in the people you have the honor of leading.

You Got Moved Out of a Specialty Area Where You Loved What You Did
That sucks. Embrace the Suck. This is a great opportunity to share the expertise, knowledge, and experience you gained in the specialty unit with your fellow officers on patrol. Patrol is the backbone of every agency, but too often they do not get the specialty training and opportunities. Become a mentor, role model, and leader.

It is Uncomfortable to wear Body Armor in this Kind of Heat
That sucks. Embrace the Suck. Body armor may be hot and uncomfortable in extreme conditions but it saves lives.

At the end of the gunfight or knifefight would you rather be sweaty and alive, or cool and dead?

You Spent Hours on a Presentation you Delivered at In-service Training and Some People Gave you Bad Evaluations
That sucks. Embrace the Suck. Read the evaluations carefully. What was it you could have done to make it a better learning experience for those officers?

You’re never going to please everyone in your training, but you need to work to make sure every presentation you deliver is better than the one before.