Last week, I spent some time speaking to Devon and Cornwall Police’s Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell, for another inspiring and exclusive podcast interview. If you aspire to Sergeant, Inspector, or more senior ranks in policing, you’ll find meaningful guidance and insights in this conversation with one of the UK’s most senior police leaders.
I’m grateful to Jim for making time available to share some thoughts on policing and career progression in the service. There’s something for everyone in this podcast discussion, especially if you are interested more generally in policing issues as Jim kindly responds to a few questions around the policing zeitgeist.
Currently the force’s Acting Chief Constable, Jim offers bespoke advice and valuable insights for aspiring listeners. Our discussion covered a range of issues and Jim was very generous in his responses. In this blog, I outline some key highlights and embed the FREE podcast itself below for your listening pleasure. See my website for dozens more inspiring police promotion and leadership podcasts like this.
The Scars of a Policing Career
I started by asking about some of the defining highlights of his own police career. Jim graciously alludes to personal and very positive memories, following this with some of the less positive aspects that can also be part of a career in policing, such as dealing with tragedy and trauma, stepping into somebody’s life at their most vulnerable point and pointing out the huge difference policing can make in those moments.
“Policing can leave scars; some of those scars fade over time and some of them don’t.”
He reflects on being a career detective, including a force Senior Investigating Officer (SIO). Jim alludes to memories and sentiments from his duties and experience in the SIO role, which keep him connected to and grounded in policing, especially now as Acting Chief Constable.
The Value of Compassion
There are various ‘new’ values being espoused across policing and appearing in different force Mission, Vision and Values statements. Such is life with local force tailoring of the CVF! For example, there’s Caring (Staffordshire), Kindness (Greater Manchester) and in Devon and Cornwall itself, Compassion.
I asked Jim whether he thinks this is a sign of a change in policing culture?
“I do, I really welcome it and I think it is much needed” says Jim.
He then expands on why he believes compassion is such an important value within policing, connected as it is to “how we treat each other inside the organisation”. Then also “how that plays out in how we treat people outside the organisation and how we deliver services to those who need our help, particularly women and girls. I think care, compassion and respect are really important for us to focus in on.”
Time to Think Differently on Neurodiversity
“Brilliance that is different.”
The conversation here also touched on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) particularly the awareness and approach towards Neurodiversity within policing.
“If we can get that right more consistently, the value that comes with that brilliance that is different, and how that can shape how we deliver services is truly, potentially groundbreaking. But we have to be up for the conversation, it’s not going to happen by accident, and you have to commit.”
DEI and neurodiversity are subjects I’ve covered extensively in my blog, important as they are to police promotion and your leadership skills generally.
Going for Promotion?
“Don’t ever view promotion as a measure of success.”
I asked what advice Jim would offer to an aspiring officer young in service (as many now are) aiming to progress their police career via promotion…
“My first piece of advice is do it on your own terms. Don’t ever view promotion as a measure of success or indeed quality or competence”.
He qualified this further by adding,
“What I love about policing, having spent a while in in it now, is you see brilliance all around you every day and that brilliance occurs at all kinds of levels of the organisation. Absolutely some of it is connected directly to leadership, accountability, the power of influence over others but some of that brilliance… there’s no formal rank or authority there but influence and impact and outcomes are just as valuable, just as important, just as critical to how we deliver our services. Success should never be measured by rank or authority. There’s a role for everything in policing and it needs to come together to work effectively.”
Listen in for further insights as Jim adds,
“Go into any promotion and particularly the first one with your eyes wide open and know why you are doing it… together with having a healthy attitude to failing (which you will)…”
“…fail well, fail positively.”
“I remember a Superintendent’s board and I didn’t even get through the paper sift. It’s how you react in those moments.”
“It’s quite easy if you flunk a promotion process to blame the organisation, e.g. ‘it’s not me, it has to be the process, it has to be the organisation, it wasn’t fair’, ‘I didn’t get my evidence out, they didn’t give me a chance to get my evidence out’, ‘others have had more of an opportunity’, and all of us have probably been guilty of that at some stage, and that’s the natural human reaction. But fail well, why I say that is because in every one of those moments, there is huge learning. In order for you to get to that learning, you have to react in a way that is positive and constructive. Not the other, and I’ve seen people do both.”
Jim talks more about emotional reactions to promotion setbacks compared to more positive ‘growth mindset’ approaches.
Future Changes to Promotion?
The College of Policing are proposing a new Sergeant and Inspector Promotion and Progression process (SIPP). This is partly because legal exams for promotion are perceived as a barrier to enhancing diversity. Given Jim’s considerable experience and involvement in various promotion selection processes, I posed questions about “what changes do you think could be beneficial and why? Is there a ‘holy grail’ promotion process?”
Taking the last question first Jim states:
“Do I think there is a holy grail process? No, I don’t.”
This is because behind every process is human beings. Jim expands on this and even with “dialling down” any flaws, there is no such thing as a perfect process. He alludes to good recent discussions at the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) about the Sergeant and Inspector exams, whether any changes are needed to make these more accessible, more tailored to actual need rather than the same massive syllabus that needs to be navigated at each rank. Questions and discussions are also ongoing in force as to how we support promotion candidates better, including giving out questions in advance and not just relying on an interview, presentation, or both. Jim continues,
“Let’s have an operational briefing exercise so those that have the skills that lie in their ability to analyse information, to assess threat risk and harm, to prioritise and then to articulate a plan against a clear set of criteria rather than those who can just answer questions effectively in shaping their own evidence. There’s more we can do, more ground we can cover in getting to that holy grail, but we’ll never reach it Steve.”
Crossing the Rubicon to Superintendent and More…
For those looking to make the “stretch” jump, crossing the Rubicon so to speak, from the police Federated ranks e.g. Chief Inspector to Superintendent rank, Jim shares his view including describing the thinking and approach for Superintendent rank as including being a “boundary scanner”. Intrigued? Listen in to find out more!
For more information about Devon and Cornwall police, see at my video summary of the latest PEEL inspection report embedded below. Note that Devon and Cornwall Police are currently running and advertising for Superintendent promotion, so this podcast may be particularly relevant if you’re currently seeking promotion in this attractive coastal force!
I hope you enjoy this exclusive and inspiring interview. I’d like to thank Jim once again for his time. These inputs from senior leaders have a real impact on officers around the country (as you’ll see mentioned regularly in my testimonials). For example, already since publishing this podcast last night, I received the following impactful message and insight from an aspiring officer within Devon and Cornwall:
“I listened to the podcast with Jim Colwell last night as I was putting my son to bed. On reflection, I decided there and then NOT to apply for promotion this year as result of his guidance and to enjoy the tangible moments where I am in my career now. I’ll instead defer and make a more considered decision next year.”
Kind Regards, Steve
Want to go further right now? Hit the ground running with your promotion preparation. Get your personal digital promotion toolkit, and/or my Police Promotion Masterclass. You can also contact me to arrange personal coaching support.
I’ve listened tonight to a BBC Spotlight interview with James Colwell.
The Devin and Cornwall Force remains in special measures. The acting Chief Constable stressed the “pressures” on his Force……. But.. like all senior salaried public servants with a generous “ gold plated” pension failed to acknowledge the impact that the failure of the organisation which he leads has huge negative on “the little people “ that pays ( in every way) for all of this. Pips on the shoulder require more than PR guff.
Is this the standard that we (who pay for a failing ) service can expect? Rank Success…. Doesn’t feel like it to me.