Take a few moments to read and reflect on the following quote.
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
OK, you may be thinking, nice touchy feely quote but what does this have to do with training law enforcement officers? The message in this quote has everything to do with training, regardless of who you are training. The challenge to you is to step back and attempt to objectively assess how your officers truly feel during and after your training sessions.
Do they feel like their previous knowledge, life experience and skills are valued? Regardles of whether they are recruits or experienced officers they all bring strengths and valuable life experiences to the training session.
Do they feel like you care about them? Do they feel like they are the reason you became a trainer?
Do they feel like they can learn and become proficient at whatever you are teaching?
Do they walk out of your class feeling more competent and confident than when they walked in?
Do they feel energized and excited about the next opportunity to train with you?
Do they feel like they can apply the skills, tactics, or principles in the real world and be successful?
Now there are trainers who will begin to answer these questions with the words, “Well they should feel…” STOP. Nobody cares how you think they should feel. The question is how do they really feel? If they were provided the opportunity to speak openly and honestly about how they really feel as a result of training with you what would they say? I know of academies where officers graduated feeling afraid to go out on the street and do their job. That reflects a huge problem with the training. The problem is that egos get in the way and too often the trainers want to write it off to “the type of people they are hiring these days.” Those trainers need to get their head out of their butt, or get out of training, or both.
If you do not know the answers to the above questions you need to find a way to have someone confidentially debrief people individually after your training and then provide you with honest feedback on how people truly feel. Debriefing them individually will avoid group think and allow each officer to speak openly and honestly. Get the person conducting the debriefings to also ask the students for feedback on what could have been done differently to enhance their learning experience so it is seen as a learning opportunity not a bitch session. When you get the feedback, be prepared to accept it without judgement and without attempting to justify your actions. Too often our immediate response to feedback is to be defensive, or worse, go on the offensive and blame the student.
Once you have the feedback take action to ensure you are providing the best learning experience for your people. Their lives and the lives of many others depend on it. And remember:
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
Take care.
Brian Willis
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