Balance in Law Enforcement III - Career Stages
Officers face no "midlife crisis"
It has been suggested that men in their early forties experience the so-called "midlife crisis", which refers to a period of emotional turmoil around issues of family roles, relationship with spouses and work values. But Inspector Davis Kwan Chi-ming and Station Sergeant Chow Chun-ming, both having over 20 years' service with the Force, apparently have not come across any real "crises" so far.
Staff Relations Group and Psychological Services Group (PSG) have spoken to both officers in an attempt to find out whether they are facing any "midlife crises" and what they are doing to cope with the related problems, as well as how they view and sustain their work efforts at the present stage.
During the interview, both IP Kwan and SSGT Chow said they did have some kinds of problems, but the problems could hardly be viewed as crises. The problems that they had in common were mainly communication with their spouses and children, relationship with spouses, spouses' support for their work, and their children's upbringing and education.
Also on their lists are minor troubles with their health. SSGT Chow, from Traffic Kowloon West, had consulted a doctor on a suspected heart ailment, and fortunately it later turned out to be a false alarm. And IP Kwan, from North Point Division, had received treatment for a kidney stone.
Though those troubles had little impact on their health, they took them as a warning that they should pay more attention to their health.
IP Kwan said he saw his minor health problem as a blessing in disguise. He noted: "Somehow after my kidney stone trouble, I started thinking more about the future and security of my family!"
He said he had also applied his notion of setback to his approach to work. "Experience tells me that today's failure is tomorrow's success. Setback at work can eventually lead to success, if nothing is impossible for you!" he added.
Apparently, IP Kwan had also applied this notion to improve communication and relations with his wife and teenage daughters. "I must admit that in the past I was too occupied with my work to pay sufficient attention to my wife and daughters. It was only until one of my daughters had reached adolescency and become more rebellious in recent years that I gradually realised this wasn't quite right and tried hard to make up for my mistake and to care more about her development. Now I've a much more harmonious family!" he said.
SSGT Chow said he had no communication gap with his wife, and attributed this to their common belief in Christianity and his devotion of more time to family. "My wife now seldom complains when I have to work during the big festivals of the year. She often listens to, asks and makes suggestions about my work, thanks to the fact that she is a member of the Enoch Christian Fellowship Hong Kong Police, where she knows more about the nature and difficulties of police work from other officers' wives," he added.
Turning to their work, both officers said they had no complaint and were happy that their efforts had been duly rewarded with promotions. As regards their career developments, they take a different view.
Rising from the rank of PC and promoted to the inspectorate through the Selected Appointment Scheme, IP Kwan said he would prepare for overcoming the main hurdle for his further advancement - the Standard III Professional Examinations, but would treat further promotion with an open mind. "Rather than promotion, I'm now more concerned with proving that I'm capable of getting my jobs done," he said.
SSGT Chow said he was content with having two promotions and would devote his energy and attention to his work and subordinates rather than further promotion. In particular, he said he wished to instil among his subordinates a positive attitude towards work and motivate them to do their best.
As regards self-motivation, both officers share the same objectives - gaining recognition of their work performances by fellow officers and setting a good example to JPOs by discharging duties conscientiously.
"I hate dodging duties and want to have a good influence on others!" said SSGT Chow. "If everybody gets his or her job done, it will help fostering internal harmony and esprit de corps," IP Kwan noted.
Speaking of their priorities in life, both officers put family in the first place, followed by work and personal development.
But IP Kwan added: "Although I put family over work, it's more the quality communication among my family members than the actual time spent. In reality I'm spending more time in the station!"
In conclusion, IP Kwan and SSGT Chow said they had never thought of counting down to their retirement. On the contrary they were well aware of the challenges brought about by the fast changes in society.
They advised fellow officers to accept and adapt to the changes with an open mind and meet the challenges through hardwork and continuous learning.
It has been widely recognised that men in their forties might experience a lot of changes at this stage of life - the most apparent change is the decline in physical health and ability; the others include either new responsibilities at the peak of their career or being stuck on their career path, as well as adjustment in family roles in face of their rebellious adolescent children and aging parents. In view of these changes, some psychologists have suggested the presence of "midlife crisis", in which one would experience confusion and distress and a feeling of being struck down by life in their middle age.
One common phenomenon at this stage is the change in their view of life span. Becoming more aware of their own mortality, they tend to think of their life in terms of "time left to live" instead of "time since birth". They begin to reflect on themselves and restructure their lives in terms of priorities, so that they can spend more time on areas they consider important. Just like IP Kwan and SSGT Chow, the changes in their lives made them begin to show concerns for their own health and put family in their top priorities.
Despite our familiarity with the term "midlife crisis", recent psychological research results have argued against the absolute existence of this developmental stage. Some research findings have indicated that men in their middle age have not reported significantly more dissatisfaction with their work and lives than people in other age groups. In this interview, we have two middle-age colleagues who are free from any crises. As such, middle age is a period of transition, just like the adolescence stage, but not necessarily a stage of crisis. The key to a smooth transition is to know the wisdom in balancing different demands resulting from the above-mentioned changes. From our interview with IP Kwan and SSGT Chow, we can share their wisdom in a fulfilling middle age:
(a) Positive belief - IP Kwan held the belief that "nothing is impossible" and "fate is the combination of effort and chance", which have helped him persist through setbacks and face new challenges. Psychological research supports the idea that people with optimism and positive thinking have a higher chance of success.
(b) Openness to change - resistance to change in developmental stages would only result in one being reluctant to make necessary adjustment, which in turn makes it difficult for one to compete and survive. The first step to a successful transition is to accept the reality and the necessary changes brought by life.
(c) New goals and priorities - one of the factors that make middle-age men feel confused is the loss of previous goals, which either have been reached or are no longer attainable (e.g. promotion). A review of their own lives and resetting their directions and priorities help to reduce confusion and the feeling of being struck down by life.
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For Inspector Kwan, setback at work can eventually lead to success