This is a very cool slogan that makes you believe the company is delivering a superior high quality product, doesn’t it? (try our cpi certificate or our crisis intervention training) After all, they have to answer to a higher authority, so they must be good at what they do. You, also, have to answer to a higher authority. Your supervisor.

When you go to work, think about your supervisor standing right there in the room with you. No matter what you’re doing, no matter what you’re saying to an individual, no matter where you are, imagine your boss is in there with you. They’re watching, they’re supervising, they’re taking notes, and they’re being incredibly critical about what it is that you’re doing. You can look at that situation in one of two ways. The first might be, “No way! I wouldn’t want my boss standing over me, because that is going to make me stressed out! It’s just going to make me worry about how I do.” Or you could look at it as a blessing in disguise. A supervisor watching your every move knows what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong. For me, personally, this goes back to when I was working in law enforcement, and we were given dashboard cameras.

Good cops do the very best they can, with or without a camera watching. Before dashcam video became standard, if an officer was accused of doing something wrong or illegal, they’d only have their word and their honor to back them up. Once cameras came along, the good cop gained a great friend.

If said cop was accused of doing something that might be considered problematic, yet knew they were doing the job the way it was supposed to be done, all they had to say is, “Your honor, I have the video.” The court of law watches the video and very easily and without much interpretation required, quickly can determine which party was more at fault, and separated the good cop’s vs. the bad ones.

In your day to day interactions with someone in crisis, or when dealing with people in challenging situations, it’s important to stay on higher ground, no matter the difficulty. Keep yourself above what might be expected from someone less skilled or aware. Stay calm, respectful, and professional.

Picture your boss is in the room watching everything you do. Granted, this is easier to do if you have a well-reasoned, positive boss with integrity. Yet, keeping the focus on the fact that you “answer to a higher authority” in all aspects, can keep you on your toes and save you from doing things that you may regret. It works for me.