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The Signal System™

Practical Tools for Enhancing Police Culture and Leadership

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A safe, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture in policing is not only essential, it is achievable. The Signal System™ is a proven, evidence-informed approach that strengthens supervision and shifts workplace culture in ways that measurably improve performance, well-being, and morale.

  • Developed through the University of Calgary
  • Based on research
  • Shaped by five years of real-world testing in a Canadian police service setting
  • Demonstrated results, including shifts in workplace behaviours and  culture

A Proven Approach to Shifting Workplace Norms & Behaviours

Frontline culture is shaped on the ground, not at headquarters. Senior leaders matter, but top-down approaches have limits. What people see from their peers and supervisors is what defines what’s acceptable. The Signal System is built for that reality—we work with trusted frontline members to shift behaviour and redefine what’s normal in everyday interactions.

And it works: findings from an evaluation of The Signal System evaluation in law enforcement showed that a majority of participants (over 85%) came away with:

  • Increased capacity to positively influence team dynamics
  • Increased capacity to manage diversity in the workplace
  • Increased understanding of how discrimination shows up in the workplace
  • Increased capacity to disrupt problematic behaviours
  • Improved capacity to provide feedback and manage conflict in ways that signal safety and belonging
  • Greater ability to self-regulate, model pro-social behaviours, and disrupt problematic behaviour six months post-intervention

Why it Works

Our evaluation findings suggest that this approach works because The Signal System is:

  • Tailored to policing, with content, scenarios, and insights that are relevant to that profession
  • Evidence informed, drawing on research from the fields of behavioural science, social innovation, and social norms
  • Interactive and grounded in the experience and insights of those in the room
  • Driven by peer influence and social contagion
  • Action-oriented, with practical ways to signal psychological safety, belonging, and inclusion

Customized Design Without the Customized Price Tag

We don’t start from scratch—and that’s intentional. Our approach draws on evidence-based content designed with and tested in policing environments. We adapt it to fit your organization, your people, and your priorities, so you get a solution that’s tailored where it matters, without paying for a full custom build. Whether you’re interested in full implementation of The Signal System or targeted support to address specific needs, we’ll assemble a package that fits your goals, budget, and timeframe.

Our Team

Shift is a primary prevention research hub out of the University of Calgary. The team brings together research, design, and facilitation expertise — with a proven track record of engaging male-dominated workplaces to foster positive, respectful, and high-performing cultures while disrupting and preventing workplace harassment.

Elizabeth has worked with Shift for over 15 years, advancing practical, evidence-informed approaches to gender equity and violence prevention. Her work integrates behavioural science with real-world engagement to help individuals and organizations prevent violence and enhance gender equity. As project lead for The Signal System™, Elizabeth helps bring conversations about inclusion and psychological safety to the front lines, while supporting broader policy and systems change. She also designed Changing Contexts, a framework to help practitioners engage men and transform culture in male-dominated settings.

Melissa has worked with Shift for 5 years, advancing innovative approaches to strengthen workplace culture and prevent violence. Her work combines applied research with the facilitation of leadership development sessions for frontline police officers, focused on enhancing team performance, well-being, and accountability. Melissa is passionate about bridging research and practice to create learning experiences that are engaging, relevant, and pragmatic.

Lana Wells is an internationally recognized expert in gender-based violence prevention, social work, and public policy. As the Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, she founded Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Canada’s first primary prevention research hub and the organization behind The Signal System™. Wells has produced over 100 reports shaping policy across Canada and leads national work on engaging men and boys, rural prevention, and early intervention. Her research, leadership, and advocacy have earned numerous national awards and recognition.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Signal System can be adapted to your needs and budget. Options include full implementation, targeted training and support, and working with you to augment your existing training curricula.

Option 1: Full implementation
A full, embedded approach to shifting workplace culture within a defined scope (e.g. unit, district, division, detachment, etc.) that involves:

    • Consultations with frontline members and leaders to understand priorities, pressures, and pain points
    • Identification and engagement of key influencers within specific units, districts, etc.
    • A series of interactive, customized, evidence-based workshops to build the will and skill to shift behaviour
    • Ongoing follow-up through targeted emails with practical tools, prompts, and reinforcement

Option 2: Targeted Training & Support
Focused support to address specific challenges. This involves:

    • Consultation with leadership to identify key priorities and needs
    • Adaptation of one or more policing-specific workshops, including:
      • Enhancing Workplace Culture
      • Preventing and Addressing Sexual Harassment
      • Strengthening Frontline Supervision
      • Giving and Receiving Feedback
      • Enhancing Accountability
      • Getting Beyond the Eye Roll
    • In-person or virtual delivery to your members

Option 3: Augmenting Existing Training
If you already have training, we can help make it more effective. Our team reviews and refines existing materials to ensure they are:

    • Engaging
    • Evidence-based
    • Targeted to a policing audience
    • Designed to reduce resistance and drive results

Feedback on The Signal System has been incredibly positive. Here’s what staff and leaders have said:

“Incredible value. […] There has been a change [here] that is just about palpable. Not only did our folks value the training, but they also actually use the tools.”

[It] strengthened the group internally. You know you are okay to speak out and say ‘Hey man, that stuff’s not good, […] that’s not cool. So please, you know, stop doing it.’ So, it really strengthened not just my team, but the whole district.”

“[We’ve seen] a shift from blaming and criticizing to learning … people feel more included and [can be] vulnerable.”

“The fact that it was actually tailored to [our organization] specifically, that's what had the impact. […] It was honestly probably the best management training I've ever had.”

“Well done. Not preachy. Down to earth information that can be practically put into use.”

  1. Bottom-up culture change: Leaders matter, but culture is shaped on the front lines. That’s where we focus.
  2. Activating ~25% of the network: Research shows that when approximately a quarter of a group consistently models new behaviours, those behaviours begin to spread through the wider network.
  3. Key influencers: We work with frontline staff and supervisors who are liked and respected – because that’s who employees look to when they’re figuring out how to behave.
  4. Employees’ priorities: We begin by addressing the issues employee’s care about, building trust before tackling more sensitive topics like bullying or harassment.
  5. Custom, not cookie-cutter: Content is tailored to each workplace’s realities and culture.

This approach was developed through Shift, a research hub at the University of Calgary that focuses on stopping violence, harassment, and discrimination before they start – which means that we focus on supporting workplaces to build the skills and norms that promote safety, belonging, and healthy interactions. The Signal System is based on:

  • Over a decade of research
  • A three-year collaborative involving researchers and experts
  • Real-world testing in a policing workplace
  • Ongoing testing in other workplace contexts

  • Self-regulation skills
  • Communication skills
  • Active listening skills
  • Recognizing & managing bias
  • Perspective-taking
  • Managing assumptions
  • Taking responsibility
  • Intervening to address problematic behaviours
  • Signalling healthy norms and behaviours

Webinars and Conferences

Learn about The Signal System™ approach from our February 2026 webinar, hosted with the Calgary Police Service.

Learn about The Signal System™ approach from a presentation our founder, Lana Wells, delivered at the Canadian Police Knowledge Network’s Stanhope 2025 Conference.

Interested in Learning More?

For more information, please contact: shift.training@ucalgary.ca 

We can also put you in touch with members of the Calgary Police Service who have first-hand knowledge of our approach.

Shift: The project to end domestic violence