In my Excellence in Training workshops, I talk about the value of 10 minutes of training a day. One of the first questions people have is, “What topic can you cover in 10 minutes?” Here is a better question, “What topic can you not break down into 10-minute chunks?” Every topic can be broken down into 10-minute bit size chunks to be delivered at the start of a shift.
The next question is, “What is the benefit of 10 minutes of training a day at shift briefing?” There are a whole host of benefits, some of which include:
- 10 minutes a day creates the mindset of ‘every day is a training day’.
- 10 minutes a day allows you to micro dose training throughout the entire year and continually reinforce key concepts covered in annual in-service training.
- 10 minutes a day creates the opportunity to continuously develop critical thinking, decision making and articulation skills.
- 10 minutes a day, 4 days a week, 48 weeks of the year = 32 hours of additional training every year.
- 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week, 48 weeks of the year = 40 hours of additional training every year.
What we too often miss, however, is the reality that those 10-minute sessions at the start of a shift will prime the pump of learning, which will continue over the course of the shift, and beyond. The 10 minutes of training will often end without closing the loop on the discussion around policy, procedures, tactics, or legal authorities. As a result, officers will continue to think about and discuss the topic over the course of their shift. They may also have to look up policy or look up supporting documentation regarding legal authorities. In addition to looking up the material they will have to reflect on what they have read, reflect on the topic of discussion, and determine how the policy or law applies in that context. They will then have to imagine how to articulate their position at the start of the following shift. If those 10 minutes of training result in an hour of additional “learning”, that translates into 192 additional hours of learning if we do it 4 days a week and an additional 240 hours of learning if we do it 5 days a week.
In a time where time and money for training are always at a premium, 10 minutes of Roll Call training a day has the potential for a massive return on investment for the individual officers and for the agency. Are you willing to make the investment? In today’s world can you afford not to make the investment?
Take care.
Brian Willis
Winning Mind Training – Providing practical training to law enforcement professionals in the areas of instructor development, Performance Enhancement Imagery, leadership, and mindset.
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