Forty years ago, Doug Wicklander, CFI, CFE, and Dave Zulawski, CFI, CFE founded Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates (WZ) in Chicago, IL with a goal to bring non-confrontational interviewing methods to the investigative industry. Since that time, there has been a series of progressive changes in the curriculum, the business model, and the brand; but one thing always has remained – the commitment to developing relationships and providing practitioners with modern solutions. The history of WZ instilled the foundation of credibility and integrity of the brand, while the outlook provides inspiration and guidance for the evolution of investigative interviewing techniques across the globe.
Looking Back
The team at WZ is indebted to our client base, providing us the opportunity to be a partner in the career development of many investigators and the resource for training in agencies and organizations internationally. Since 1982, WZ has trained hundreds of thousands of investigators across multiple countries on non-confrontational interviewing techniques. In the early days of the organization, instructors would carry with them large projector systems, a complete audio setup, and a case of VHS tapes containing video examples to demonstrate the teaching concepts. These training seminars, many hosted by law enforcement agencies or private sector companies in the United States, became a standard in required training for officers or employees. The “Wicklander-Zulawski” training evolved into a leading staple in the investigative industry, and a proven alternative to confrontational tactics. We are consistently humbled by the messages we receive from those who attended WZ’s training decades ago and provide testimony to the impact the organization has had on their career.
Navigating the Route
We understand the importance of looking back because we know that where we’ve been is how we arrived at where we are. However, over the last four decades, there existed a necessity for change and adaptation to the needs of the client. With a growing demand for training outside of the United States, WZ has expanded geographically to have a global footprint with offices in Latin America and Europe. The WZ staff has significantly expanded since 1982, with a full support team based out of Aurora, IL, and an instructor team that is growing rapidly.
The compass of WZ’s navigational path over the last several decades has been listening to the needs of investigators and understanding the obstacles they face in their daily responsibilities. Over a decade ago, the organization created specific training for Human Resource professionals tasked with employee relations investigations which has grown into a highly demanded program. WZ has continued to diversify its content offerings to include Organized Retail Crime, Open-Source Intelligence, Conflict Resolution, Lead Homicide Investigations, Trauma-informed interviewing, and more. These courses reflect WZ’s commitment to providing solutions for the changing needs of investigators across the globe.
The other influential voice in our navigation has been that of the academic community, providing insight into needed detours and construction on our path. In recent years, WZ has taken a dedicated approach to collaboration with researchers and advocates for reform in investigative interviewing. This has been an impactful step in our journey as the curriculum we provide is consistently evolving to represent both the practitioners’ needs and the evidence-based research that surrounds it. As thought leaders, we identify the importance of providing modern training to practitioners that is soundly rooted in both practice and science. WZ has made several changes as a result of academic collaboration, including the removal of confrontational tactics from our curriculum, and increased implementation of methods such as the Cognitive Interview or the PEACE Model.
Driving Forward
There is a reason that the rear-view mirror is much smaller than the windshield, although it’s important to know where you’ve been, our focus is consistently on where we want to be. As we reflect on our history, we are humbled by the committed support of our clients and the relationships built over these years. Equally, we are inspired and excited to grow at an exponential rate in our mission to evolve the investigative interviewing industry through innovative and evidence-based practices. We renew our commitment to being thought leaders with the input and collaboration of practitioners, academics, and advocates.
As we navigate through the future, we have several waypoints along the path that we are proud to bring to our community. Our in-person training programs will continue to diversify and expand across the globe, while we will simultaneously continue to leverage technology to provide multiple deliverable options to our clients. We plan to grow our online, asynchronous training options available to the industry providing clients with an efficient and impactful learning experience. As always, WZ will continue to listen to the needs of the practitioner and develop new training programs as we partner with our diverse base of subject matter experts.
From an advocacy standpoint, we plan to continue to be the voice of the practitioner in legislative reform to ensure that investigators are still afforded the tools necessary while also being held to a standard of evidence-based approaches. We look forward to continued partnership with the academic community as we support targeted research studies and take an in-depth look at our training objectives. As recently announced, we also commit to developing our curriculum to meet a high level of professional standards and seeking accreditation to ensure our clients are getting consistent, quality, evidence-based tools.
The Passengers
We could not celebrate this milestone anniversary without the support of our incredible staff, including our instructors and support team who are fully committed to providing high-quality service to our client base. We have also been fortunate enough to collaborate with incredible thought leaders in the academic community, who have respectfully and transparently assisted us in the evolution of our curriculum. Likewise, we appreciate the advocates who have allowed WZ to represent the voice of the practitioner in the movement to reform interview or interrogation standards across the globe. Most importantly, we would like to recognize those who have trusted us to provide training to their teams over the past forty years. Each member of the WZ team takes pride in their passion to mentor and develop others, this is a driving factor in our path forward and we thank you for giving us that opportunity.
David Thompson, CFI, is the President of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc. (WZ). He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of WZ, as well as strategic planning and the evolution of interview and interrogation content. David has also served as the Director of Investigations giving him the opportunity to manage a variety of cases while conducting interviews and consulting on investigations ranging from theft and fraud to sexual harassment and homicide. As a speaker for WZ, David has created customized training programs, presented at seminars, hosted a variety of webinars as well as conducted live broadcasts of training.
