This briefing video is the TBLL interpretation of the study Making It Safer: A Study of Law Enforcement Fatalities Between 2010 – 2016 that was put out in 2017 by COPS and the NLEOMF. There is also a clip on passenger-side approaches referenced from Gordon Graham and Lexipol. Overall, the suggestions provided are fundamentals of safe policing, but a reminder every now and then can be helpful to save a life.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ideas to share or suggestions for improvement. Your thoughts or comments on this blog are always appreciated either below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
There are two foundational principles of the Nextgen Field Training Model that are addressed by the way in which the phases are established:
Create a field training model with a clear distinction between training and evaluation.
Build both training and evaluation phases in a manner consistent with the crawl-walk-run experiential learning format.
PHASES OF THE NEXTGEN FIELD TRAINING MODEL:
Phase 1 – Foundational Training
Phase 2 – Exposure Training
Phase 3 – Cleanup Training
Phase 4 – Evaluation (Previous FTO)
Phase 5 – Evaluation (Independent FTO)
Solo Phase – Evaluation (Assigned Supervisor)
KEY CONCEPTS OF TRAINING PHASES 1, 2, and 3:
Primary goal is for FTOs to train the OIT as a TEAM in preparation for the evaluation phases and solo capability.
No scoring on Observation Reports (OR). This establishes the concept that learner effort and being willing to jump in, try something, and risk making mistakes is more valuable than learner correctness.
Integration, reinforcement, and debriefing of decision-making utilizing the PRIDE Adaptive Decision-Making Model and Policing Priorities. Focus on training deliberate action – Train OITs to know what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Phases 1, 2, and 3 are set up in the crawl, walk, run experiential learning format.
As exposure to tasks increases, the role of the OIT transitions.
Learning -> Trying -> Doing.
As exposure to tasks increases, the role of the FTO transitions.
FTO -> Coach -> Mentor.
As the OIT transitions through the learning phases, the reliance upon the FTO should lessen and the OIT will be expected to utilize other resources available to them to answer questions in preparation for the Evaluation Phases.
Proficiency Training Tasks are not assigned to specific training phases in order to stimulate interleaving, effortful retrieval, and spacing in OIT learning.
The Phase 1 Trainer is the Foundational Trainer. The goal of the Phase 1 FTO is to establish the OIT’s foundational knowledge/skills and then begin increasing their exposure to patrol experiences.
The Phase 2 Trainer is the Exposure Trainer. The goal of the Phase 2 FTO is to expose the OIT to as many patrol experiences as possible. Repeated exposure, especially to infrequent CFS, is encouraged and beneficial to the OIT’s learning. Take the experiential learning opportunities as they present themselves.
The Phase 3 Trainer is the Cleanup Trainer. The Phase 3 FTO focuses on getting exposure to CFS that Phase 1 and 2 were unable to get and/or provide additional repeated exposures.
All Proficiency Tasks must be signed off before the OIT can move to Evaluation Phase 4.
Phase 3 may be eliminated for lateral or waiver officers to accelerate their field training, but they will still be expected to demonstrate proficiency on all Proficiency Tasks during evaluation.
KEY CONCEPTS OF EVALUATION PHASES 4 and 5:
Primary goal is to EVALUATE the OIT’s ability to perform at a solo capable level.
Since this is an Evaluation Phase, observation reports are scored in comparison to the Standard Evaluation Guidelines definition of a solo capable officer.
All Proficiency Tasks are signed off and show OIT has had training and experience in these areas.
Scoring observation reports only in the Evaluation Phases helps to remove scoring inconsistencies since the FTOs are only scoring officers that have received ALL of the pre-requisite training and should be solo capable.
OIT is acting as a solo capable officer with the FTO there primarily as an evaluator. FTO evaluators will still provide training on infrequent tasks the OIT comes across during these phases. Scoring will reflect this appropriately.
Phase 4 Evaluator will be the same FTO, when available, the OIT had while on Phase 1. If the Phase 1 FTO is unavailable, then Phase 2 FTO will be the next choice for Phase 4.
This provides a bridge into the evaluation process for the OIT. (Crawl)
The OIT starts their evaluation process with a familiar FTO, squad, and district.
Phase 5 Evaluator will be an independent FTO that has not worked directly with the OIT.
This is to build the OIT’s self-reliance to assist in their success when they are solo.
The independent evaluator also limits potential biases in the OIT’s success or failure.
At the end of Phase 4 or 5, if an evaluator feels the OIT has not had enough exposures to be able to comfortably decide on the OIT moving forward, they may request an extension. This does not negatively impact the OIT and provides additional time for the OIT to demonstrate solo capability.
At the end of Phase 4 and 5, if an evaluator feels the OIT is not solo capable, they can initiate a Performance Training Plan to work on those specific issue(s).
If a Performance Training Plan is initiated, that Evaluation Phase will not count and the OIT will still need to pass 2 Evaluation Phases before moving on to the Solo Phase.
OITs will only be given one Performance Training Plan after they reach the Evaluation Phase.
Interpretation of Evaluation Phase Results
Both Evaluators Pass OIT. -> OIT moves to Solo Phase on assigned patrol squad.
Evaluator’s Disagree on Passing OIT. -> OIT receives a Performance Training Plan to address Evaluator’s specific concerns and then must pass another Evaluation Phase.
Both Evaluators Fail OIT. -> OIT is removed from the program.
KEY CONCEPTS OF SOLO PHASE:
Primary goal is to EVALUATE the OIT’s ability to perform at a solo capable level while operating on their assigned patrol squad under the supervision of their assigned sergeant.
To get to the Solo Phase, the OIT must have been passed by 2 Field Training Evaluators.
If the OIT is successful in the Solo Phase, they will be fully released from the Field Training Program by their assigned sergeant and will be considered a solo capable officer. The patrol sergeant receiving the new officer has final approval for releasing the OIT.
If the supervisor has significant and specific documented concerns about the OIT’s ability to perform at a solo capable level, a Performance Training Plan will be initiated. An FTO will work with the OIT on their assigned squad to complete the PTP. The OIT will then repeat a Solo Phase Evaluation with their assigned sergeant.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ideas to share or suggestions for improvement. Your thoughts or comments on this blog are always appreciated either below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
This TBLL Training Video is a decision by decision debriefing discussion based upon an officer involved shooting that occurred in Fort Collins, CO in 2016. Some minor details of this situation were changed to stimulate certain conversation points. TBLL does not try to provide the “correct answers” to this incident in the video. This video is meant to be played during a briefing or roll call to stimulate conversation among officers and supervisors in the room. Being on the same page regarding decision-making and tactics is critical to safe and professional responses to dynamic situations. Below is an outline for leading the training discussion…see the video HERE or click the title below. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYb-29rFp_E)
If you have any questions or thoughts on this training video, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your thoughts or comments on this blog are always appreciated either below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership. Our email is tblleadership at gmail.com.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
SETUP: At 1920 hours, you are dispatched to a family fight at 919 N. US Highway 287 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The reporting party called 911 stating that her husband, Jerry Jackson, is outside of her home threatening her with a knife. He is described as a white male in his 60s wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans. Jackson is pounding on the windows of the home trying to get in. Dispatch advises that your call is being upgraded to a subject with a weapon call. (Hot Tone) Shortly thereafter, you and a second officer arrive together and approach the front driveway of a large property. You immediately see a subject matching Jackson’s description and make contact with him… (Fort Collins OBC Video 1 Starts)
Fort Collins OBC Video 1
Shows officers arrive and make first contact with the subject.
Debriefing Questions for the Squad (Pause Video)
Risk Assessment: What is the danger? How much danger? Who is in danger?
What do you predict the subject will do next?
What would you do in the next few seconds?
How much of a threat would you consider the subject right now?
Fort Collins OBC Video 2
Officers observe knife, begin giving commands, and start working a plan.
Debriefing Questions for the Squad (Pause Video)
What important observations have you made so far?
What would you do in the next few seconds?
How would you describe the subject’s behavior to this point?
How much of a threat would you consider the subject right now?
Fort Collins OBC Video 3
Officers attempt TASER deployments, subject keeps moving closer, and they give warnings they will shoot.
Debriefing Questions for the Squad (Pause Video)
Is there any information you would like to have, but don’t currently know about this situation?
What do you predict is going to happen next?
What would you do in the next few seconds?
How much of a threat would you consider the subject right now?
Fort Collins OBC Video 4
Officers shoot subject and begin post shooting process.
Debriefing Questions for the Squad (Pause Video)
Were there other options available to solve this problem? (Move a car between officers/subject? Hit with car? Pepper spray and charge with a shield? Get creative, but reasonable and acceptable within policy…)
How would you justify this decision?
What would you do in the next few seconds?
What concerns do you still have regarding this situation? (Securing subject safely, rounds that may have gone down range, status of victim, medical aid, etc.)
Fort Collins OBC Video 5
Officers work out a post-shooting plan and render emergency medical aid.
Debriefing Questions for the Squad (Pause Video)
What did you like best about their response after the shooting?
What could have made their response better?
What items still need to be addressed in this incident?
Fort Collins Shooting OBC Video played straight through. Final thoughts from squad?
The Rest of the Story
Larimer County District Attorney determined this was a justified shooting.
Key Findings in District Attorney’s Statement
Told multiple people he was going to make the police shoot him.
Officers took all reasonable steps to disarm and mitigate the situation.
Commanded 18 times to drop the knife.
Multiple warnings they would shoot.
Attempted use of the TASER.
Rendered Emergency Aid immediately.
NOTE: These “reasonable steps” applied to this set of circumstances specifically and will not necessarily apply to all shootings.
This is why understanding the Priority of Time is vital to good law enforcement decision-making. Understanding when you do and do not have time available to make decisions is critical.
Daniel Goleman wrote the book Emotional Intelligence back in 1995. The key concept behind emotional intelligence is that the better you understand and manage your emotions and the emotions of people around you, the greater your chances of success. In other words, make emotions work for and not against you. Whether it is during a call for service, traffic stop, conversation with a trainee, or an interview for a special assignment, your level of emotional intelligence is a key factor in how those situations play out.
The concept of emotional intelligence has a direct correlation to field training. The best field trainers are ones with high emotional intelligence because they not only control and utilize their own emotions effectively, but also those of their trainee and the other people involved in the calls for service they respond to. Emotionally intelligent officers can read people’s emotions and the atmosphere of a room as easily as other people read a book. This is an amazing asset to wield because it assists in their predictions about what will and will not work best in any given situation.
There are 4 domains to work on in order to improve your emotional intelligence and gain this edge for yourself…
1. Develop better self-awareness of your emotions.
Knowing what you feel, why you feel that way, and how those feelings are either helping or hindering you is the first step to developing better emotional intelligence. Take the time to slow down your thinking and explore why you feel the way you do whenever you have a strong emotional response to something. Why are you feeling anxious about a decision? What is causing you embarrassment, jealousy, or anger? Why do you love your significant other?
As you answer these questions, you start to realize that your brain is simply responding as it has been programmed to do for thousands of years. Emotions are an internal self-preservation system regulated by hormones and endorphins. They are meant to help us avoid danger and seek out things that help us survive. The problem is that we are responding to a 21st Century world with a “caveman” response system. Why do you think we get that feeling to punch a computer when it isn’t doing what we want it to? Or swear wildly at a car that just cut us off? When you develop the ability to pinpoint the root causes of your own emotions, then you’ll be ready to focus on improving the next domain.
2. Develop better self-management of your emotions.
Once you improve your ability to identify why you are feeling the way you do, now you begin to be able to better manage your emotional responses to stimuli. The ability to manage your own emotions gives you the following superpower – emotional adaptability. Emotional adaptability is the ability to adjust your emotions from the current state they are in and redirect them in another direction that is better suited for success. For example, simply take a sentence and replace the words “have to” with “get to.” Do you have to pick up the kids from school or do you get to pick up the kids from school? Do you have to be a field trainer or do you get to be a field trainer? Just a simple turn of phrase like this can completely change your emotional response to the situation or circumstances.
Scientific research has proven that when you have an overall positive outlook you have a greater chance of success at whatever you are doing. Want to improve your emotional self-management and adaptability? Here are 3 quick and easy ways to do it…
Write notes of appreciation. Whenever you show appreciation for something, not only does it make you feel better by recognizing it, but it also makes the person you are recognizing feel good. That starts a cycle of positive reinforcement. Even something as simple as a Post-It Note that says, “Great job interviewing that DV suspect yesterday” can go a long way towards motivation.
Take the time to reflect on things in your life that you are grateful for. Each night before bed or each morning before you start your day, take just 5 minutes to write down 3 things that you are grateful for in your life. I started doing this about 3 years ago and I cannot begin to tell you how much I have benefited from this practice.
Take the time to develop a strength. Whatever you are passionate about, be sure to give yourself opportunities to spend time doing what you love to do – hike, mountain bike, collect butterflies, shooting, wood work, fishing – whatever it is make time to do it.
3. Develop better social awareness.
Social awareness is the ability to understand how other people are feeling in the moment. It is empathy, paying attention to others, listening to their words, understanding why they feel the way they do, and finding a common ground. The ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes and understand their perspective, not necessarily agree with it, is what social awareness is all about. How does your OIT feel after a difficult call or after making a mistake? Understanding that can greatly improve your response and how the conversation goes afterwards. If you are reading this right now and thinking, “this is bullshit,” you have just proven that this could be an area for improvement for you. 🙂
This same concept also applies organizationally. Do you have the ability to see how organizational decisions effect the big picture or do you just look at how it affects you? Can you put yourself in the shoes of your sergeant or lieutenant and understand where they are coming from? It is this ability that often defines the great from the merely average leaders within an organization.
4. Develop better relationship management. (The key to being an awesome field trainer!)
The final step to improving your emotional intelligence comes in your ability to influence, mentor, coach, lead, and inspire others. It is about nurturing relationships through the 4 C’s of influence – Contact, Communication, Connection, and Commitment. Contact is the amount of time you have to spend around another person. As you spend time around them, communicate, interact, and learn about them. It is only through communication that you find ways to connect. What do you have in common? Once you build a connection, that is when you get a commitment from them to trust what you have to say and be accepting of your influence. It is this influence that makes an FTO memorable to an OIT. Everybody can remember fondly the FTO that you felt was truly invested in your success and wasn’t just going through the motions.
We, as law enforcement, spend hours and hours shooting, driving, and practicing defensive tactics. But, if you really want to develop a skill that will put you in the upper echelons of successful police officers, it is the skill of emotional intelligence that needs to be developed. When you think about it, policing is about 20% tactics and 80% communication, but we train in the exact opposite of that fact. The best part of this whole thing is that the domains of emotional intelligence are complimentary. Meaning that any improvement in one automatically helps to boost the others.
Stay safe and take care of each other. Thank you, as always, for everything you do to train the new officers of this department. It is greatly appreciated.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership and culture development tactics. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time.
Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help. Continue reading our Twitter feed and check out our other blogs for tactics on creating positive culture. Share your thoughts or comments on this blog below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
Almost 10 years ago, the Below 100 Program was brought to law enforcement agencies everywhere. That program emphasized that by following its 5 key tenants, US law enforcement agencies could reduce the total number of line of duty deaths in a year to less than 100.
The 5 Principles of Below 100 are…
Wear your seat belt.
Wear your vest.
Watch your speed.
WIN – What’s Important Now?
Remember: Complacency kills.
All of those are crazy, simple ideas have had and continue to have a positive impact on reducing the overall number of law enforcement deaths each year. But, there was one thing that kept bugging me as a law enforcement trainer and it was the question, “What’s Important Now?” I love the concept of it and have even had the opportunity to discuss it in a training course taught by Brian Willis of Winning Mind Training who contributed that question. But there was just something about it…
To take that question to the next level, I believed that we could look at the common patterns used in answering it and develop a simple set of priorities that could be used to assist officers in their decision-making during high stress incidents. If these basic priorities could then be trained across an entire agency, we would have a force multiplier when it comes to decision-making all being on the same page. It was through studying and researching these patterns that the Policing Priorities were developed based off of ideas shared by other exceptional trainers, like Lou Hayes, and my own research regarding decision-making.
To assist in spreading this concept throughout my department, I created this briefing training video. These priorities are excellent for breaking down, discussing, and justifying decision-making at every level of the organization, during any call for service, and in every discipline of training.
The Policing Priorities are…
Priority of Life
Priority of Stabilization
Priority of Time
Priority of Apprehension
The link below will take you to the Policing Priorities Training video. Feel free to discuss it, try to break it, and test it out. We have found that they are applicable to every call for service we respond to. Whether it is an alarm call, traffic collision, burglary in-progress, pursuit, officer involved shooting, or an active killer, they apply.
To continue building these decision-making fundamentals into the foundation of my department, the Policing Priorities are taught during Post-Academy, reinforced throughout Field Training, utilized during training modules, and then additionally reinforced with video debriefs of our own on-body camera videos demonstrating positive uses of the Policing Priorities.
If you have any questions or thoughts on the Policing Priorities, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your thoughts or comments on this blog are always appreciated either below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership. Our email is tblleadership at gmail.com.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
What is more important when it comes to being a good field trainer – Performance or Trust?
Before you answer that, let’s explore why I’m asking the question. Author and speaker Simon Sinek works regularly with the Navy Seals. During one conversation he asked them how they select who gets to go to the elite Seal Team 6 or promoted since they are all considered to be the best of the best. To answer that question, they drew a graph like the one below. (Simon Sinek Performance vs. Trust Video)
On the vertical axis they wrote “performance” and on the horizontal axis they wrote “trust.” Performance was defined as their skills and knowledge on the battlefield – shooting, tactics, orienteering, planning, endurance, etc. Trust was defined as how they are off of the battlefield – teamwork, integrity, respect, humble, etc. The Seals explained that they take each candidate and rank them on both of these criteria to see how they compare. Over time, they discovered the following…
There were two candidates that were obvious. If the person was a Low Performer/Low Trust (LP/LT) they didn’t want them and if the person was a High Performer/High Trust (HP/HT) they absolutely wanted them. But, there were only so many candidates that were that clear and obvious.
It was the next choice were the Seals discovered they were initially making mistakes in their selection process. Their next choice initially was the High Performer/Low Trust (HP/LT). The person who was a “rock star” in training and on the battlefield, but outside of that they weren’t really liked or trusted. The quote the Seals used was, “I would trust them with my life, but NOT my money or my wife.” This caused many, many issues within the ranks of one of the most elite special forces units in the world.
What was their fix?
After analyzing where the mistakes were occurring, they reorganized the hierarchy of their entire selection process. Instead of taking the High Performer/Low Trust Seals, they prioritized taking the Moderate Performer/High Trust (MP/HP) individuals. They then would equally consider even a Low Performer/High Trust (LP/HT) candidate in comparison to a High Performer/Low Trust one. This was done because after years of various difficulties and failures, the Navy Seals discovered that Performance can be taught, learned, and improved. Trust can only be earned and is a much more valuable commodity when making such decisions of significance.
How does this relate to Field Training?
First, no one that works with you is going to care if you have the most tickets, most arrests, find the most drugs, take the most calls for service, or get the coolest assignment; if they don’t trust you. Do things often that build trust – back up other officers, help with impounds, take paper when you know they are down a lot . . . in other words, help other people out sometimes. That not only will help those around you, but will also make a huge difference when it comes to testing for special assignments or promotion.
Secondly, the same concept applies to the OITs (Officer-in-Training) you are training. It is great if they are a natural cop and are kicking butt through FTO (Field Training Officer), but if they are showing behaviors that make your level of trust in them diminish, then you should be cautious. Would you trust your money and spouse around them? If not, try to articulate why and document it. The FTO Program would rather remove a low trust OIT than have them make it through and be a pain for the next 25 years or until they cause a significant integrity issue of some kind.
Lastly, as a Field Training Officer, you will find that your ability to train and the success of your OITs is directly related to the level of trust you build with them during the short time you have them for training. Here are 3 tips for quickly building trust with OITs…
When you first meet them, introduce yourself and explain that everything you from here on out is for their benefit to make them a successful solo capable officer. If you say it with conviction, they will believe you and you will immediately be establishing a rapport built on trust; even if you have to get on them about something.
Be up front about the expectation for them to make mistakes. Explain that you would rather see them take initiative on a call for service and make a mistake; rather than, hang back waiting watching other officers do the work and not make a mistake. If you are going to be upset and/or frustrated with an OIT, be upset/frustrated at the lack of initiative, not the mistake. Training can fix the mistake. Initiative is built on trust.
Take the time to introduce yourself. Tell them about your family, life outside the PD, struggles you’ve experienced, and successes you’ve had. Then ask them about who they are. What is their family situation, what did they do before coming to SPD, why do they want to be a cop, what has been the hardest for them in FTO so far, how are they adjusting to shift work, etc. You never know where those conversation will go. OITs have to know you care about them before they will ever care about what you have to teach them. TRUST > PERFORMANCE
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ideas to share or suggestions for improvement. Your thoughts or comments on this blog are always appreciated either below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
One of the greatest misconceptions about training is that it must be complex or difficult to have value. This is typically one of the largest hurdles for trainers to overcome because the training ideas they have don’t seem “cool” enough. This perceived lack of coolness then prevents them from doing any additional training outside of what they have been doing.
Simple training repeated regularly has the greatest positive impact on adult learning and performance success. It is the deep understanding of simple training basics that allow the learner to be creative and adaptive in their problem solving. Please do not confuse the word “simple” with being synonymous for “easy.” Easy implies that the task does not require effort to be done; simple means that it is merely not complex. Therefore, simple training ideas can have an extremely positive impact on learning.
If you have an OIT that is struggling with any concept like orientation, report writing, officer safety, handcuffing, interviewing, etc., then be sure to first be utilizing the 3 R’s to make the information you are trying to teach stickier…
REPEAT
It is silly to expect an OIT to learn something just because you said it once.
It is also silly to expect them to learn it if you only say it the same way every time.
The more important a concept is, the more times you should expect to say it and the more of a variety of ways you should have to teach it.
RECOGNIZE
When the OIT does what you have been teaching, recognize it.
Point it out to them so they realize they have done what you have been repeating.
This builds the importance of what you are teaching because now they know you are looking for it and pointing out their usage of the concept.
REINFORCE
Everybody loves a little positive reinforcement.
When you recognize the OIT has done what you have been training, always following it up with a statement like, “I saw how you did ___________. Great job! That is exactly what we have been talking about regarding your officer safety.”
The key is to make the reinforcement specific to the behavior you want. “Good job” by itself does NOT cut it because the OIT may have no idea what exactly was good.
It would be silly to assume that because you repeat, recognize, and reinforce once that the OIT has mastered the concept. Keep repeating the 3 R’s about the major concepts you want the OIT to learn throughout the time they are with you.
Here are 3 simple ideas for repeating concepts you want an OIT to learn. . .
NO COST QUIZ – Develop 3 to 5 questions to ask your OIT about key concepts/situations you have been discussing over the last couple of shifts. Write them down and give them to the OIT before briefing, just after briefing, during a break, or at the end of your shift to write out their answers. These questions can be about any concept you want to reinforce. This is a simple training idea that you could use each shift or a couple of times each week to reinforce your point(s). There is no cost to an incorrect answer, but it gives you the opportunity for a conversation.
OIT LEARNING JOURNAL – Ask your OIT to obtain a notebook specifically for the purpose of being their OIT Learning Journal. (I know . . . it is a stupid name, but the concept is sound.) Either just after briefing or at the end of the shift, ask the OIT to think back to what they did the previous shift. Have them write down the 3 to 5 most important things they learned during that shift from memory.
IMAGINE PERFECTION – FTO asks the OIT to imagine the perfect traffic stop, shoplifting call, domestic violence investigation, DUI investigation, etc. Then have the OIT write out the process for handling that situation perfectly in 10 to 15 steps. Limit the number of steps so that the OIT is focusing on only the most important aspects of handling the situation they are considering. Once complete, FTO debriefs OIT’s steps with them and draws comparisons to OIT’s performance on previous similar calls for service. FTO should also play the IF/WHEN/THEN Game with the OIT and ask if different variables change, how the OIT would respond. This technique is especially useful for OITs that are having difficulty remembering repeatable processes or forgetting key steps when under stress of real-world situations. This helps them to adjust from standard linear thinking to more adaptive thinking as they respond to your variables.
Each time you make the OIT remember back to something they did over 24 hours ago, you are repeating that information and utilizing the instructional concepts of spacing, interleaving, effortful retrieval, and desirable difficulties. Training effectively can sometimes be both simple and easy. Now, just be sure to recognize and reinforce each time the OIT exhibits the desired learning in the field.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time.
Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
In a controlled study, a group of fifth grade students were each given a puzzle to solve. Half of the students who solved the puzzle were praised for being smart. The other half who solved the puzzle were praised for the high level of effort they gave. The students were then given the option to select another puzzle of their choice. One puzzle was similar in difficulty to the one they had completed successfully and the other one was significantly more difficult. The students were told they probably would not solve the more difficult puzzle, but would learn more from trying to solve it.
What puzzle do you think the “smart” kids chose?
What puzzle do you think the “effort” kids chose?
A majority of the students who were praised for being smart picked the easier puzzle. 90% of the students praised for their effort picked the difficult puzzle. Why do you think that is?
The study concluded that when we praise strictly for intelligence or correctness, the students got the message that being “smart” or “correct” is the key to winning the game. Therefore, they choose easier tasks to complete to keep the praise coming while avoiding new or difficult tasks. This is common because intelligence is typically perceived to be out of our control. Since it is outside our control, being viewed as “not smart” or “incorrect” gives the student no way to respond to potential failure because they see themselves as a victim of their supposed limited intelligence.
When praise for intelligence/correctness has been the primary method of praise, you will hear excuses like “I haven’t been taught that,” “That isn’t the way I was shown before,” and “That isn’t how I learn.” All of these excuses are made from a victim mentality and are a self-preservation technique to keep from feeling dumb/embarrassed for being incorrect. Notice how each of the statements point the blame for the failure away from the student.
However, when we emphasize praise primarily for effort, the students see learning as a variable they can control. They may have been incorrect in the knowledge or action, but praising them for taking on the task and putting forward their best effort leads to more learning. This also gives them a simple solution for responding to failure – PUT IN MORE EFFORT!
When we routinely praise for effort, you will hear student questions like, “How can I do better?,” “Could we try this next?,” and “Can we do that again?” All of these questions show the student taking responsibility for learning and having a willingness to put in more effort.
Success at learning is less dependent on intelligence than it is on grit, curiosity, and effort. The essential ingredients to creating great police officers during training are providing them with challenges, praising their effort while handling them, and then teaching them how to overcome those challenges. The rest is up to the learner and their EFFORT.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ideas to share or suggestions for improvement. Your thoughts or comments on this blog are always appreciated either below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
*** Parts of this blog were paraphrased from the excellent book “Make it Stick” by Peter C. Brown with some of my own additional thoughts. I highly recommend this book to all trainers. ***
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. It is undeniable that law enforcement is a unique working environment and one in which the word positive is not always easily associated. Law enforcement is not just about laws and policies. It is about the community – victims, civilians, officers, and even the criminals. So, bringing the word “positive” more frequently into law enforcement is a necessity because policing is about people. This belief must be a core value of any Thin Blue Line Leader before delving into a deeper list of qualities.
Leadership comes in many different styles. When it comes to developing one’s own style of leadership, it is most common to emulate leaders that had a significant influence on you either personally or professionally. These role-models of leadership won your heart and then were able to influence your mind.
Here are 10 qualities that define a Thin Blue Line Leader . . .
WINNING RESPECT – Getting people to listen.
1. Competence – Being competent should be a given. Knowing basic and advanced techniques along with any specialty knowledge/skills you possess starts building your officers’ views of your competency. Do not assume that reputation alone will carry you. Accurately recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses will assist you in developing your competency across the board. A TBL Leader proves their competency from call to call and shift to shift.
2. Integrity and Honesty – Most people would say that integrity and honesty are the same thing, but let’s define it more specifically. Integrity is when your actions match your words. Honesty is when your words match your actions. Law enforcement officers are constantly in situations and circumstances that test their integrity and honesty. A TBL Leader exemplifies this by holding themselves and their officers to a standard that is above reproach.
3. Initiative – Do not stand still. Leaders with initiative constantly ask why something is the way it is, can it be improved, and what can I do to help. Just assuming that things are fine because “that’s how we’ve always done it” leads to stagnation and mediocrity. Regardless of the time and effort required, the TBL Leader is always looking for innovative ways to improve themselves, their officers, their department, and their community.
WINNING HEARTS – Getting people to believe.
4. Servant – This is not to be confused with subservient. A servant leader recognizes that as a leader they have taken on the responsibility of being selfless for the good of their officers. It is no longer just about your career, but lifting up your officers in their careers. TBL Leaders find ways to make their officers’ jobs easier by providing them with resources, training, and guidance.
5. Authentic – Be yourself. Arrogance and false bravado will build a wall between you and your officers that will make leading effectively much more difficult. Share your experience openly from both law enforcement and your personal life. Talking about things like your marriage, children, hobbies, or pets allows those you lead to gain insight into your belief structure. If you make a mistake, own up to it and set the example by seeking to improve. You are still human and no one, regardless of your rank, expects you to be perfect at all times. TBL Leaders recognize that when it comes to being authentic, you get what you give.
6. Supportive – Being supportive starts by opening your ears. As a leader, you have to listen, recognize, validate, and only then act. Clear communication with your officers will give you all the information you need to proceed with a course of action. Standing up for your officers, when in the right, is a must because TBL Leaders are the glue that holds a team together.
7. Passionate – Passion should be encourage and never discouraged as long as it is appropriately directed. By setting a clear vision and mission for your squad, the leader creates focus and defines what winning looks like. Police officers like to win and the more they win, the more passion that is generated. TBL Leaders do not fear passion; they work tirelessly to create an environment that generates and feeds off of it.
8. Rewarding – Catching your officers doing something right should be an on-going goal of a leader. Too often, excessive amounts of time and energy are wasted searching for things that are done wrong and rewarding what gets done right gets overlooked. Obviously, serious malfunctions in officer safety or investigations need to be addressed, but there is always a way to address this so it does not destroy the officer’s morale or belief in the mission. TBL Leaders realize that rewarding officers positively reinforces and defines the behaviors that you, the leader, want to promote.
WINNING MINDS – Getting people to change.
9. Learner/Educator – Learner and educator go hand in hand. A leader must be a life-long learner. Personal experience will only hold out so long before you are just repeating yourself over and over. Taking the initiative to seek out new information and experiences will allow you to continue growing. Then, as the leader, you must be willing to share and teach what you have learned so the development of those you are responsible for can continue. No one is an expert in everything. Use your network of resources within the department to find experts in areas where you are weak. The TBL Leader recognizes the great value of learning, but realizes that it is most valuable only when it is disseminated.
10. Translator – As a leader, being a good communicator is vital, but more important than communication is the ability to receive information and translate it into support for the vision and mission of your team. As a first-line supervisor, you are the translation conduit between information coming from upper staff and those on your team. The way in which you respond to and present the information you are given will dictate your officers’ response to it. TBL Leaders recognize the power of translation and are clear and direct in their messages.
These 10 qualities define a Thin Blue Line Leader. Thin Blue Line of Leadership can be reached at tblleadership@gmail.com for any questions, comments, or suggestions. You can Like us on Facebook now, as well.
KEY POINTS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED ABOUT LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability is the actions, attitude, and effort necessary to merge expectations with performance.
Understanding who controls the expectations and who controls the performance is key to understanding leadership accountability.
Leadership accountability is all about ME. It start with ME. It sustains with ME. It grows with ME. It can be ended by ME. My ACTIONS, ATTITUDE, and EFFORT.
Before I can even begin to discuss control versus influence, we must be on the same page regarding the Dynamics of Human Interactions. Whether we are discussing leadership accountability, use of force situations, handling a “routine” call for service, or any other leadership situation, the same three components always come into play.
As a leader, I must understand these dynamics in order to truly comprehend what I control and what I influence in the world around me. The most significant mistakes ever made in leadership commonly originate from a leader attempting to control something they do not truly have control over. If they had merely asked themself, “How can I influence this?” interaction with this other person or circumstance, the situation may have turned out much differently.
In every interaction we have as human beings, there are three basic components: ME, the OTHER PEOPLE involved, and the CIRCUMSTANCES that bring us together.
Of these three components, it is vital that I recognize and understand there is only one of these that I have true control over – MYSELF. I cannot control the other people that are involved and I cannot control the circumstances that brought everything together. So, within myself, the things I truly have control over are my actions, my attitude, and my effort.
What actions do I have the ability to take? Options?
What attitude is the best approach for the situation? Mindset? Role?
How much effort is necessary to properly handle this situation successfully?
If I take responsibility for and own my actions, attitude, and effort, then I also have to accept that I control my Reactions to the external components of these Dynamics of Human Interactions. As information comes in from Other People, Circumstances, and their Interactions, I must accept that I have NO control over them at all. I can only control my reactions to the information coming in through the actions, attitude, and effort I CHOOSE to respond with.
But, this is not easy. I, as a human being, am an emotional and reactionary creature by nature. It has been programmed into me over thousands of years to survive. Sometimes those survival instincts are beneficial and sometimes they are not. When my survival instincts tell me to strike back quickly, act in a manner that is solely based upon self-preservation, and is the path of least resistance, then I must find a way to freeze the moment and remember what I control. This is especially true in leadership situations.
I must accept I cannot CONTROL Other People, Circumstances, and their Interactions. As a leader, I must also accept I can INFLUENCE them. By recognizing that my actions, my attitude, and my effort are the tools I possess to positively influence them, I can begin to see leadership situations in a much different light. The greater my influence, the greater my leadership. The greater my leadership, the more vital it becomes for me to act consistently to maximize my influence.
How do I maximize my influence in regards to leadership accountability? Practice personal accountability day in and day out by controlling that which I can control. I can set clear expectations that provide a vision of the future, not just repeat rules and policies. I can provide training, instruction, coaching, counselling, and mentoring. I discipline when necessary to educate, not punish. Finally, I recognize good work and positively reinforce it every chance I get. All of these are methods are ways for me to influence those I lead and the circumstances I am a part of through my actions, my attitude, and my effort.
Whenever I find myself feeling stressed while handling a leadership situation, I hit my mental pause button and change the internal question I am asking myself from “How can I control this?” to “How can I influence this?” Suddenly, the feelings of stress and anxiety begin to dissipate and I begin working the problem using what I can control – MYSELF.
The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ideas to share or suggestions for improvement. Your thoughts or comments on this blog are always appreciated either below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership.
Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!
On the vertical axis they wrote “performance” and on the horizontal axis they wrote “trust.” Performance was defined as their skills and knowledge on the battlefield – shooting, tactics, orienteering, planning, endurance, etc. Trust was defined as how they are off of the battlefield – teamwork, integrity, respect, humble, etc. The Seals explained that they take each candidate and rank them on both of these criteria to see how they compare. Over time, they discovered the following…
It was the next choice were the Seals discovered they were initially making mistakes in their selection process. Their next choice initially was the High Performer/Low Trust (HP/LT). The person who was a “rock star” in training and on the battlefield, but outside of that they weren’t really liked or trusted. The quote the Seals used was, “I would trust them with my life, but NOT my money or my wife.” This caused many, many issues within the ranks of one of the most elite special forces units in the world.
Thin Blue Line of Leadership 