In last week’s post Adult diapers, use of force, and training I referenced an interview I did for The Excellence in Training Academy with Dave Collins PhD where we discussed Professional Judgement and Decision Making (PJDM) in Coaching. During that interview I asked Dave about the term “Evidence / Research Informed”, which I had heard from some of his colleagues and have begun using myself. He explained that he believes there are three elements regarding evidence and research: My experience is that of these three terms Research Grounded and Research Informed would be … [Read more...]

Adult diapers are called ‘Depends’. The answer to many questions about use of force and training is, “Adult Diapers - Depends”.  Very often use of force questions start with, “Is it reasonable for an officer to……” The answer is almost always “Adult Diapers - Depends”. The reason “Depends” is usually the most desirable answer is that there is little or no detail in the question.  To answer the question regarding whether it was reasonable for that officer to do what he or she did in that moment in time depends on a number of factors including understanding the totality of the … [Read more...]

Too often trainers are looking for THE way, THE system, THE drills or exercises, or THE pedagogical model for training. The problem is that there is no “The Way” or “One Way” to teach or train. I heard a quote in one of the many podcast interviews on coaching, teaching, and learning I have listened to that said, “Everything works some of the time, but nothing works all of the time.” If I could remember the source, I would give them credit. This is in line with the Bruce Lee philosophy of adapting what is useful, discarding what is not and adding what is uniquely your own.  Rather than … [Read more...]

“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.” John Maynard Keynes I know this post will piss some people off, and I can live with that. As a great trainer said while addressing these same issues in a class I was attending at an IALEFI conference almost 20 years ago, “It only hurts if it ought to.”  I am continually disappointed by the inability of some police academies commanders and instructors to let go of old ideas regarding “training”. Recently a LinkedIn post and a news article got my blood boiling.  The LinkedIn post was from an … [Read more...]

In the foreword for the book 'Focused for Rugby', Brian Ashton discussed the role of psychology in sporting performance and stated: “I suspect that for a large majority of coaches and players the mental side of the game - the glue that holds together the technical, physical, and tactical sides of the game under the most hostile pressure - is the least understood and practised”. I believe this is the case for the policing profession as well. If mental skills are “taught” at all it is often in isolation and not integrated into all aspects of training, by the entire training cadre.  Mental … [Read more...]

“At the heart of science is an essential balance between two seemingly contradictory attitudes — an openness to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or counterintuitive they may be, and the most ruthless sceptical scrutiny of all ideas, old and new. This is how deep truths are winnowed from deep nonsense.” Carl Sagan As a trainer you need to be open to new information, new ideas and new ways of designing and delivering training and engaging learners. At the same time, you need to follow Carl Sagan’s advice and apply “ruthless sceptical scrutiny of all ideas, old and new.” Just because … [Read more...]

For years I have heard trainers use some version of the quote, “You will not rise to the occasion, you will sink to the level of your training.” This bothers me for two reasons.  As a trainer, if you believe the statement that you will not rise to the occasion, but sink to the level of your training to be true, then that is on you, so what are you doing to change your training? We can’t continue to use and accept this statement, then turn around and blame the individual officer when he or she fails to perform at a high level in a tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving event. Every trainer … [Read more...]

Even if you are a full-time trainer, you are going to spend time in a class taught by someone else. When that happens, be a good student: Be a good student away from the training room by staying curious and continuing to learn and grow. As a trainer you need to commit part of every day to reading books, blog posts, research papers, articles, etc., and / or listening to audio books, podcasts, interviews, or other sources of information. This learning should be targeted at improving your knowledge and understanding of topics related to what you teach and to improving how you teach and … [Read more...]

In his book Natural Born Heroes: Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance Christopher McDougal, “…begins with a story of remarkable athletic prowess: On the treacherous mountains of Crete, a motley band of World War II Resistance fighters…… and discovers ancient techniques for endurance, sustenance, and natural movement that have been preserved in unique communities around the world.” One of the people McDougall discovered in his research was George Hébert and his Méthode Naturelle—the Natural Method. The credo for The Natural Method is “Etre fort pour etre utile. … [Read more...]

In the policing profession some agencies have FTOs (Field Training Officers) or PTOs (Police Training Officers) for officers who have just graduated from the academy. The job of the FTO / PTO should be to train, coach and mentor the new officers to help them assimilate into the organization, learn how to apply the theory from the academy to the real world of policing and prepare them to be able to function as a solo officer. I say this “should” be the job of the FTO / PTO because that is not always the case. Not everyone is intentional and deliberate about selecting, training and continually … [Read more...]