The Trees, the Forest, and the Gas Lighting Them on Fire

When it comes to the recently released independent investigator’s report on the situation inside the Minot Police Department, we shouldn’t lose sight of the forest for the trees. 

On the one hand, we have the people who do the work of the City. Our employees. The trees.

On the other hand, we have the City itself. The institution. The larger mission. The forest. 

In between the two, we have management. As a back-up, we have Human Resources; we could also think of Human Resources as our forestry department. 

Taken on its own, Human Resources can be broken down similarly. The people doing the work, the policies, the handbooks – those are the trees. The overall health of the organization – the thing all those policies, practices, and handbooks are meant to serve – that’s the forest. 

That leads us to the report. If there’s anything that’s painfully obvious as a result of this outside investigation, it’s that the forest is on fire. Equally problematic, the warning signs that it was smoldering have been there a while.

If you read the report including the attachments, what you gain is a picture where – seemingly – everyone did their job. The chief had a system of discipline. Employees saw something and said something. Human Resources investigated. Reports were generated. Boxes were checked. Letters were sent. Folders were filled. Again – seemingly – everyone did their job.

And still, fire. Worse yet, there’s a pattern. And it’s repeating.

That is the issue that must be addressed. If everyone did their job according to how they’re supposed to do their jobs, then why is the forest burning? Why did we have to call for help? Why are you reading this editorial?

It’s simple. We’re in this situation because management: in the Police Department, in Human Resources, and in the City Manager’s office failed to see the smoke and act responsibly.

Following policies is not the same as leadership. “Not knowing” is not an excuse; it’s a good enough reason to part ways with someone in a leadership position – especially when the forest burns as a result. 

And when we tie it all together, we see something deeper and more insidious: the very systems meant to protect the forest have become the source of its destruction. This phenomenon has a name: institutional gaslighting.

It happens when structures meant to create clarity instead sow doubt. Unfortunately, the independent investigator seems to have missed this larger issue, and as a result is likely fanning the flames. But then again, we should have expected that. 

If you’d like to learn more about institutional gaslighting, we asked AI to explain the concept. You can read about that here. If you’re interested in reviewing the information released as part of the outside investigation, the City of Minot has made those documents available here.