Do you think of yourself as a Subject Matter Expert, or a Subject Matter Resource?  One definition of an Expert that, I believe may be problematic for trainers is: One with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject. The word that concerns me in that definition is “Mastery”. I believe mastery is a journey, and not an end state. When you start to think of yourself as a Master, it can be easy to stop doing the work that got you to that level and as a result stop learning and growing.  One definition of Resource is: a source of supply, … [Read more...]

I had a conversation with a law enforcement professional a couple of months ago who was looking for some insights on getting into a career as a speaker and trainer.  I expressed that personally I think the first key is content. You need to develop quality content that will help people overcome challenges and obstacles, reframe negative experiences, improve their wellness, grow and develop skills and talents or achieve their goals. Your content may address more than one of these areas. I shared two key questions from Seth Godin regarding content development: Who is it for?What is it … [Read more...]

Too many of the discussions in law enforcement circles today are still focused on frontloading training and education and then putting officers in a holding pattern for the rest of their careers.  Many of these discussions are hung up on the debate about whether or not to require applicants to have a university or college degree to get hired. Lets focus on hiring the best candidates, the ones who possess the character traits you are looking for, exemplify the values of your organization and are committed to serving their communities as a law enforcement professional. Some of them with … [Read more...]

In one of his daily blog posts Seth Godin wrote about “Hiding ideas”. Hiding ideas  Some people hesitate to share an idea because they’re worried it will be stolen. In general, these people are afraid of success, not failure. An idea unspoken is a safe one, which not only can’t be stolen, but it can’t be tested, criticized, improved or used in the real world. I have written before about the concern some trainers have of “people stealing my stuff”. “Stolen” implies that you take someone else’s material and claim it as your own without giving credit to the original source. … [Read more...]

This is an often-asked question at trainer conferences and instructor development schools. Traits that most often make the list are passion, credibility, knowledge and humility.  I am going to suggest it is Curiosity. I believe trainers are in one of the most influential leadership positions in any organization and this is why Curiosity is the same trait I wrote about last year for the Dare to Be Great leadership blog about as the most important trait for leaders.  Why Curiosity? Curiosity keeps your mind, eyes and ears open to new ideas and better ways to … [Read more...]