Unfortunately, no. My program is for those who will be supervising others, not for those testing for detective.

An oral board question should contain some specific language that explains the word "problem". For our purposes, what does the phrase "problem lieutenant" mean to you?

Thank you for your kind words.

You are too kind, thank you.

@@billreillyfpd It's true, you're the police promotion GOAT zen master. 😎💯 Hope you're enjoying retirement. You deserve it ! 👍✌️

Thank you so much!@@jdtown6585

Maybe. There are thousands of police agencies in the US, which means that the testing process is not uniform across the country. Ideally, clear testing rules are in place and the test is used fairly. Yet, even with a fairly applied testing process, Personnel Rules may allow the command staff to pick and choose among the top scorers (this is often referred to as the 'rule of 3' or the 'rule of 5'). I would not be surprised to hear that some command staff members know who they want to promote before a test is given; but outright ignoring the test is very uncommon in my experience.

Thank you!

You are welcome. Wishing you much success!

WTF are you even talking about?

Thank you! And please stay safe!

Thank you for your kind words, Jermaine. I have retired from one-to-one coaching but you will find another resource at this link: finests.com/resources/ You are always free to contact me directly through the following link and I will let you know if it is something with which I can assist you: finests.com/about/

Thank you for the suggestion.

I have been at this a long time and this is the first time I have encountered that question being asked at an oral board. My answer would be along the lines of "I am very confident in my writing style because I have developed what I consider to be an adaptive writing style. By that I mean I adjust the structure of my writing, the choice of my words, and the written content to fit the overall objective of my message being understood. I also take into account the capacity of my audience and make sure I adjust the complexity or simplicity of my message so that the message is likely to be understood by all. When appropriate, I seek to include examples to drive understanding. By having a style that is adaptive to my message and my audience, I increase the likelihood of successfully conveying my meaning. And that is how I would best describe my writing style." Of course, that is my answer. The answer you provide would have to be an honest description of you and your style. Does that help?

I will add it to the list. Which supervisor testing rank would you like to see the question worded for?

@@billreillyfpd currently testing for Sergeant. Thank you for the help, came out #1 on the first interview. Final one on 11/28 🙏🏻

@@speedfreak9342 It's not likely that I will have one posted prior to 11/28. However, I am curious about your question. I see decriminalization of marijuana and bail reform as command staff level issues. How do you think it may appear at your final interview? And, If you would prefer to take this off KZbin, feel free to contact me through my website: finests.com/about/

@@speedfreak9342 Because I will not have a video demo available before your final interview, I will share a few points that I would focus on if I was asked about bail reform and decriminalization of marijuana as a sergeant candidate. (1) Our job as police is to enforce the laws set by the legislature regardless of whether or not we agree with those laws. (2) As a sergeant, you recognize that these changes are likely to be unpopular with your officers and you will maintain an open dialogue allowing officers to air their concerns while emphasizing your expectations for their performance, (3) You will monitor the performance of your officers to assure they meet department expectations regarding the changes that are in place. (4) You will be cognizant of the frustration and morale issues that these changes may create and you will affirm positive performance while being proactive in preventing performance that is contrary to the new laws. Hope the helps. Happy Thanksgiving!

@@billreillyfpd Chief, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to help w/that specific question. That is a very well rounded answer which I will practice over the weekend. I’ll keep you updated on how I make out on 11/28, sitting at #1 currently. Thank you again!!

As I always insist, you must be honest. I would need to better understand what you mean by "forced to resign" as well as what type of position to which you are referring. For example, was it a leadership or supervisory position in your agency? In another agency? Or was it a frontline sworn or civilian position? Context as well as understanding your audience and their expectations are very important in communication. Feel free to supply more info if you like.

Yes sir, I was a Patrol Captain but due to my leadership style, which was more of a coaching and mentoring rather than a fire first and ask questions later.. I was resigned from my position.

@@santosgonzales2021 That is very helpful. Let me start by saying that it is impossible for me to know the whole story regarding your separation, therefore what I am suggesting here is a broad generalization. If you are going to develop a message that will be laser-sharp for your situation, you should consult with someone who specializes in crafting such messages (I am not suggesting that be me, as I have retired from one-to-one coaching). Also, I am not certain that I fully understand "was resigned from". Without going too much deeper into your past, I see this as having gone one of two ways for you; (1) you chose to resign, or (2) they compelled you to resign with an ultimatum that left you with a lose-lose situation. Either way, I am going to loop back to honesty. If you chose to resign due to not being compatible, that is relatively easy to explain. If you were compelled to resign, that is not necessarily insurmontable unless you were charged with serious violations of policy. Either way, finding an employer who is a good fit for your values and style will be my first recommendation. There are plenty of police chiefs and leaders seeking participative leaders who have coaching and mentoring as their primary style. When you interview with those leaders, tell the circumstances honestly and focus on your values and how the decisions you made were in the best interest of the agency. I strongly suggest you keep your telling of the circumstances factual and avoid opinions that cannot be verified, as those may be seen as self-serving. In communicaiton, there is no magic bullet to influence, but there are approaches that are more effective than others. Does that help?

@@santosgonzales2021Damn. Sorry to hear. This is why i have yet to leave my current department and try to promote elsewhere. You never know who you're going to get as your next boss. But I'll soon be retirement age anyway, so that's when I'll take the plunge. Did you end up landing in a decent spot?

For your first question, I would like to really know why you want to be a sergeant. Ideally, your genuine answer will be about contributing to your agency at a higher level so your experience positively influences the performance of the officers you will be supervising. As for why they hire you over others, this is an inventory question. In other words, what have you done with your education, training, and professional development that has you standing out as the better choice than your competitors. I will stress that for both of the questions you raised, your response must be honest; if not, down the road, you and your agency are likely to have discontent.

Jeff, just this week I posted a demo response for 'why do you want to be promoted".

Thank you for your kind words, Garry. The main difference between a manager and a supervisor pertains to administrative tasks. A supervisor is primarily - although not exclusively - concerned with the performance of personnel. Giving direction, setting expectations, assigning tasks, etc. and then assuring that those expectations are accompished to desired standards. Managers will often have supervisory responsiblities as well as administrative control over non-personnel resources such as budgets, equipment, inventories, etc. Does that help?

@@billreillyfpdOutstanding, thank you much! I will continue to follow your guidance.

John Bruce Carrier Bruce, you are exactly right. Too often this type of situation is ignored instead of effectively addressed. Rarely will a situation correct itself without effective supervisory involvement.