I AM CHIEF,

HEAR ME ROAR!

by

Kimberley Arnold

LEPSL 560 Organizational Theory and Change

Summer 2018
Fellow Investigators! This is a great day! Not only for me, but for all of us, as I am grateful to

be standing here today in front of you, in a department I have been privileged to be a part of for

the past 16 years. A department that each of us has put our blood, sweat, and tears into working

hard for.

In the past, as the majority of you have been here to experience, we were understaffed,

our work schedules were divided - we worked one half of the week or the other - resulting in an

us-versus-them mentality between both sides of the week. There was very little interaction or

cohesion amongst Investigators. Those certainly were not the good ol’ days. When Chief of

Investigations Brian Elias was sworn in, he recognized the need to bring us together in order for

us to be successful. He began with adding overlapping schedules and making staff meetings

inclusive for everyone. Throughout his tenure and with his insights, we have improved the way

we work together. I certainly do not want to look in the rear view mirror. Moving forward, I

believe we can continue to grow as Investigators, people, and a team. As one of the smallest

agencies in the County of Los Angeles, we are a little fish in a big pond, but we have such an

enormous impact on the lives of those we serve: the sad, the confused, the angry, the grieving.

Investigating nearly 10,000 deaths per year has given us a plethora of experience and data, along

with the ability to have an impact on society by studying trends via that data, for traffic accidents

and SIDS cases, for example. We will accomplish something that has never been done before in

our department. For those of you who are interested, you will have the opportunity to submit

articles of your case work for publication to two prestigious peer-review journals that the

majority of us are familiar with, Academic Forensic Pathology (1) and The Forensic Examiner

(2). I want the Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner to take the lead in sharing statistical
information throughout the county, state and nation. Instead of merely churning out case after

case for the sake of “just getting our work done,'' I want to see your hard work be put to good use

for society’s benefit such as trends in illnesses and drug use.

In Gareth Morgan’s book Images of Organization (3), he shares that the most successful

organizations are those “...based on inclusive relationships characterized by trust, support,

encouragement, and mutual respect” (Morgan p. 132). The days of a Chief that sits in their office

ignoring what goes on within the department until tensions are at their boiling point is no longer.

My title is Chief and I welcome the opportunity to continue to work alongside everyone so that

we can begin to build our reputation as a department of innovation and leadership in the field of

death investigation. He adds, “An enthusiasm for work and ethos of sharing problems and ideas

in an atmosphere of free and open exchange…”(Morgan, p. 129). I want you to know that your

concerns are my concerns and your problems are my problems. We will work together for

solutions, remember, we are on the same team. We will continue to make this department great!

Another point he made, “Successful organizations build cohesive cultures around common sets

of norms, values, and ideas that create an appropriate focus for doing business” (Morgan, p.

137). When I hear fellow employees complain about something they don’t like or don’t agree

with within the department, I do not shudder, because it tells me you care about and are invested

in this department, even if you do not realize it. Let’s take those concerns and work with them,

break them down, come to a solution that aids growth for all of us.

I recently had the pleasure of viewing the inaugural speech of Dr. James T. Harris III

when he was appointed President of the University of San Diego in 2015 (4). This was the third

time he has lead a University. He eloquently spoke of what made him successful. He
“...surrounded himself with capable and competent people from diverse background and

experiences” (Harris, 2015). I see that as I look around here today. We have different amounts of

time on the job, we come from different cultures and neighborhoods, we have had different life

experiences. Yet we all see the worst the world has to offer on a daily basis, and continue to

share a need to give the families the answers they so deeply to move toward closure. He spoke of

“...modeling civility, patience and understanding” and having the “opportunity to teach that

listening and negotiation and compromise are not bad words” (Harris, 2015). When times get

tough and morale is low, being gruff or snipey does not foster good working relationships. I think

to myself, Kimberley, would you talk to a grieving family member that way? Absolutely not,

then why would you speak to a colleague in that manner? We’ve all heard, “If you don’t have

anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” I believe this to still be true in my daily

interactions. Be kind in both your actions and your words.

In an interview President Harris gave with Dr. Erik Fritsvold, Associate Professor of

Sociology at the University of San Diego (5), he spoke of getting to know the University and its

needs before implementing policies and making changes, he called it “strategic planning”

(Fritsvold, Harris 2018). He used those who work in the University to aid him in shaping the

future of his school. Know that we are in this together. I shared one of my plans for our future.

Now I want to know from you, what do you think our vision moving forward could be and how

can we make it happen? You might have a vision in helping this department work better for the

community, but do not know the first steps to take. I encourage your input on the direction you

want to see the department take. We are not just layers of command staff giving orders. Dr.

Fritsvold mentioned that Dr. Harris was an “active teacher and researcher regardless of where he
was in the chain of command” (Fritsvold, Harris 2018). For the past 10 years I have been a Field

Training Officer and a member of the Field Response Vehicle Program. I’ve always believed in

being an asset for the department you work for. Like you, I’ve sweated in pack-rat houses in the

summer, I’ve waited 3 hours for a board-up company, and consoled countless grieving families.

One of the most important aspects Dr. Harris covered was his acronym HEART, in summary it

stands for “Honorable and ethic, Empower, be your Authentic self, focus on Relationships,

maintain that human Touch” (Fritsvold, Harris 2018). When all of us utilize HEART, we share a

common thread as we work together days, nights, and the in-between.

Think about what your positive acronym will be and remember you don’t have to hold

the title of Chief to be a valued contributor and make a difference as a team member. Thank you.
 References

1.Academic Forensic Pathology: The Official Publication of the National Association of Medical
Examiners

2.The Forensic Examiner® official peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Forensic
Examiners Institute

Fritsvold, E. Harris, J. (2018). Presidential Leadership & Organizational Culture [Video].

University of San Diego, LEPSL 560, Module 6, Presentation 6.2

Harris, J. (2018). Presidential Inauguration 2015 [Video]. University of San Diego, LEPSL 560,
Module 6, Presentation 6.1

Morgan, Gareth (2006), Images of Organization, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications