For Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, DACC is recognizing our staff and giving the public some insight into their values, experiences, and daily routines. Here, Carson/Gardena Animal Care Center Manager Chris Valles shares how daily briefings reinforce the ACO mission and encourage team building.
Every day the Carson/Gardena team meeting for daily briefings. It’s a small but meaningful step to ensure that we begin each day as a team and strive to do our best to serve our communities.
Safety, questions/concerns, and guidance are always at the top of my agenda. If we have a new officer, we make a concerted effort to get to know them and take an interest in their goals and experience. That level of involvement shows that on this team, we care about one another’s growth. In this picture, the officer in all black is a new hire. We have all included ourselves in her progress, ensuring she knows there is a certain comradery at DACC. We all are invested in creating a path for success for her with the Department because her success is our success.
Our briefings allow for open discussions, giving officers the opportunity to be heard and to give any feedback. We share strategies, tips, and constructive criticism, all ultimately helping us to handle the calls we receive in a timely and efficient manner. I have a personal interest in all my officers and their professional development. We all take pride in the patch on our shoulder and the badge on our chest. The standard at Carson/Gardena is high, but we think there is always room for improvement. Meeting everyday helps us explore ways we can better serve the community and the animals entrusted to our care.
I like to start the day off with an inspirational quote or statement, and during the briefing I held this day I quoted Admiral William H. McRaven,
“If you want to change the world, start off with making your bed.”
“If you want to change the world, start off with making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that’s made, that you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better .”