Training and Tech - Toby Darby & Josh Wofford – Using Tactical Decision-Making Exercises to Improve Leadership

Description 

My Guests Today are the creators of the California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) Decision Making Exercise Program (DME), Capt. Toby Darby and Lt. Josh Wofford.  Toby is a 27-year veteran of law enforcement with 20 years spent in tactical units. Toby is a Board Member for the California Association of Tactical Officers and one of the facilitators of the CATO Strategic Leadership Program (SLP).  Lt. Josh Wofford is an 18-year veteran of law enforcement and current SWAT team leader. Josh has a Doctorate in Education from Vanderbilt University and is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. 

Timestamps 

1:02 – Their Backgrounds 

2:35 – Origin Stories for the CATO Decision Making Exercises (DME) 

5:45 – Anatomy of a DME - How DME’s work 

8:25 – Group Structure for DMEs 

12:15 – The Science Behind DMEs 

15:05 – Using DMEs to Share and Retain Corporate/Agency Knowledge 

18:35 – Situational Learning Theory 

21:45 – Group Composition 

23:55 – Challenging Confirmation Bias in Decision Making 

26:30 – Using DMEs to Broaden Perspective 

32:10 – Understanding “The Why” in Decision Making 

35:30 – Commander’s Intent and Leadership Thinking 

37:10 – Facilitating a DME – Choosing an Event 

41:06 – Using DME to Stress Test Your Team 

44:10 – Facilitating a DME - Roles and Responsibilities 

48:44 – How DMEs Affect Culture 

51:49 – Building Trust Through DMEs 

55:16 – The Need for Critical Thinking in Organizational Leadership 

59:50 – Using Close Calls and Body Worn Camera Footage to Create Proactive DMEs 

Books Recommended  

Swans, Swine, and Swindlers: Coping with the Growing Threat of Mega-Crises and Mega-Messes, Can M Alpaslan and Ian I. Mitroff – ISBN:  9780804771375 

The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research & Managerial Applications, Bernard M. Bass – ISBN: 7770957532 

Thinking Collaboratively: Learning in a Community of Inquiry, D. Randy Garrison – ISBN: 9781138824317 

The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right, Atul Gawande – ISBN: 9780805091748 

The Laws of Human Nature, Robert Greene – ISBN: 9780525428145 

Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman – ISBN: 9780374275631 

Legacy: 15 Lessons in Leadership, James Kerr – ISBN: 9781472103536 

The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More With Less, Richard Koch – ISBN: 9780385491747 

Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger – ISBN: 9780521423748 

Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice, Sharan B. Merriam and Laura L. Bierema – ISBN: 9781118416310 

Six Simple Rules: How To Manage Complexity Without Getting Complicated, Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman – ISBN: 9781422190555 

An Introduction to Theories of Learning, Matthew H. Olson and B.R. Hergenhahn – ISBN: 9780131147225 

Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth At A Time, Jeffrey Pfeffer – ISBN: 9780062383167 

Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance In A Complex World, Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe – ISBN: 9780787996499 

Contact Info 

Capt. Toby Darby 

tdarby@catotraining.org 

Lt. Josh Wofford 

jwofford@catotraining.org