Treat everyone you teach, train, coach and lead fairly, but do not treat them all the same. They are all individuals. Each person is unique in his or her life experiences, education, understanding and skill levels. They all have different hopes, dreams, fears, needs, and aspirations, which will vary throughout their training and throughout their career.
It is easy to think you need to treat everyone the same, in order to be fair. Doing so however is a disservice to the student and their development and is actually unfair to them.
While the curriculum and standards are consistent, the journey to get people to those standards will vary from individual to individual.
Have high standards. Let people know what they can expect from you and what you expect from them. Let them know that you believe in them and are there to help them learn, grow, develop and perform at their best. Create a culture of inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety where it is acceptable to ask questions and ask for help. Teach them about the Growth Mindset. Teach them about the importance of attitude and effort. Teach them that resilience is not a trait they are born with, but a skill that can be developed.
Treat them all fairly, do not treat them all the same, they are not.
Take care.
Brian Willis
Winning Mind Training – Dedicated to serving the heroic men and women of law enforcement.
The Excellence in Training Academy – A membership site created for law enforcement trainers willing to invest in their ongoing professional development.
Dare to Be Great Leadership – Committed to helping aspiring and frontline leaders on their leadership journey through a weekly leadership blog and the online Dare to Be Great workshop.
