As part of your force police promotion selection process, you may be required to deliver a short presentation before your police promotion interview board. This briefing exercise often features as part of the Sergeant to Inspector and Inspector to Chief Inspector processes, but is increasingly happening on PC to Sergeant boards too.
“The will to succeed means nothing without the will to prepare.” – Juma Ikangaa
Briefing is of course a specific function of the role (described in detail in my role-specific premium guides). So given you are seeking a formal police leadership position, it seems entirely reasonable to assess your ability to deliver a short presentation. Importantly, it offers a significant opportunity to stand out from your competitors.
Many officers panic at the thought of such an assessment exercise. But in this blog, I’ll explain how you can nail it with some simple wisdom and a little practice.
Before we begin, if you want to turbocharge your career and leadership, invest in yourself today to get the best police leadership and promotion support on the market. My premium masterclass and toolkits aren’t a ‘train to pass’ notion. They exist to help great aspiring cops progress their careers, levelling the playing field for those otherwise bewildered by confusing promotion processes and terminology. You’ll use these structured materials not just to achieve the next rank(s), but as valuable ongoing leadership CPD to be a more effective leader when successfully in post.
It Starts with Supervision
Police officers are expected to be effective communicators. This is especially so for supervisors and the police leadership ranks. For many great cops aspiring to police promotion however, the prospect of delivering a formal presentation fills them with dread. It’s a common reason officers come to me for guidance or bespoke support. But as with all my materials, I aim to ‘level the playing field’ with leadership and promotion support, so great police leaders (who otherwise struggle with bewildering promotion processes) can get ahead too.
“What is the best way to deliver a presentation?” or “Which structure should I use?” These are common questions I’m asked by aspiring police officers, and one I cover in depth within my premium masterclass and toolkits.
My response is, there is no single best format/model for effective presentations. The good news is there are a variety of options you can choose from. What matters today if you have a presentation opportunity ahead, is making a start by finding different structures you can experiment with. Doing this well in advance of any assessment will support you in making the most of any opportunity and to be the best you can be. Once you find a model or structure that works for you and you feel most confident with, stick with it!
Effective presentations are thought through and planned long before the day you’ll deliver it. So I’m going to share here just one simple tip I’d encourage you to consider and start thinking about, because it’s one that works, time and again…
The Rule of Threes
“Omne, Trium, Perfectum.” – Everything that comes in threes is perfect
The rule of threes is a good starting point because an effective promotion presentation requires: A Beginning, A Middle and An End.
The rule of threes is a renowned communication aid used very successfully in speeches, advertising and films. This is not only because it ‘connects perfectly’ with the human brain, but also people (i.e. your assessors!) are unlikely to remember a fourth or fifth point.
In the context of preparing for promotion board presentations I introduce this idea very early to candidates. For example:
“What three things do you want to get across or leave in the minds of the panel?”
Humans are ‘wired into’ and very receptive to this rule of threes. Marketers are well aware of and exploit this age-old wisdom and psychology. But good communicators use it too. The UK government are fully aware of such psychological ‘tricks’, having invested £millions into their Behavioural Science team (aka the ‘Nudge Unit’) alone; ‘Stay home, protect the NHS, save lives’ is a recent example output during Covid lockdowns. Political slogans often come in triplets.
Here are three more powerful examples of how the concept has featured throughout history:
- Veni, Vidi, Vici. (I came, I saw, I conquered) – Julius Caesar
- Thinner, Lighter, Faster – Steve Jobs describing the iPad
- Run, Hide, Tell – Public Safety Campaign
Your presentation instructions, scenario or task provided may initially ‘overload’ you. With limited preparation time, it can initially seem overwhelming. This is often by design to see who can handle the pressure, but is where the rule of threes helps as a thinking tool for structure.
Think of a presentation scenario you might be given. If you had to focus on three priorities or issues, what would they be? As with tackling any ‘big’ problem, breaking it down can make it more manageable. It provides a starting point to focus.
Whilst there are no guarantees the rule of threes will lend itself to every scenario, common topics for presentations relate to individual or team performance issues, a complaint scenario by a member of the public, or a critical incident. Alternatively, you could be asked to present on ‘the challenges you see ahead’ as a newly promoted leader, manager and supervisor.
That alone highlights the massive opportunity you have right now to choose any or all of these as practice topics and to start developing and rehearsing your presentation skills.
Practice Makes Perfect
“It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.” – Wayne Burgoff
There are three stages when preparing your presentation:
- Think it through
- Structure & write it
- Practice & review
You have the potential to deliver a great presentation. The key to doing this confidently and with impact is experience. That comes from practice. This is such an important issue. It underpins success because:
- Your presentation skills will develop with practice.
- You’ll develop your own distinct personal style through practice.
- Practice will ensure you have your content and timing right, while enhancing your confidence.
The volume of promotion candidates who say they have not practiced their presentation skills before the day of their assessment surprises me. Imagine how your favourite movie might have looked if the actors hadn’t read the script or practiced their lines until they arrive at the shoot. Imagine for a moment how not practicing might feel. Contrast that with having practiced for a few hours beforehand and how much more confident about your own ability you would be.
Of course most candidates don’t do this, which is precisely why I encourage every one of my clients to do so. As a result, they grow in confidence and enhance their ability to nail their ten-minute presentation.
Did you clock the Wayne Burgoff quote above? I find it resonates with motivated individuals on what it takes to perform well. Some are initially disheartened by it, especially those minded to only improve themselves sporadically. It’s certainly a harsh reality check! But I believe it inspires individuals to raise their game ahead of the challenge of promotion ahead. Especially since I know of some officers who take it so seriously, they practice longer than that.
Does it REALLY Work?
“There is only one proof of ability: action.” – Marie Ebner-Eschenbach
After some signposting and support, focused individuals have delivered presentations to family members, close friends and in some cases their dogs! In doing so, they literally transform their confidence, building skills and awareness, sometimes to the point of finishing bang on ten minutes without using a timer!
Some are kind enough to provide feedback to me on what worked for them from the options I detail in premium support materials. Here’s a snapshot of just a few examples from countless police promotion candidates who successfully navigated highly competitive processes:
“Just to let you know I passed my Sergeant’s board; practice presentations made a huge difference to my success.” – Rachael
“Steve, I passed my Inspector Board achieving top marks in the presentation, interview and briefing exercise! Your Masterclass transformed my preparation and was a light bulb moment. I should have done this years ago.” – Jamie
“I passed the Sgt board, the presentation went well, couldn’t have gone any better” – Craig
Does this sound like a desirable outcome to you? Well, it’s easier than you think when sticking to the rule of threes…
1,2,3… Easy as A,B,C…
“Sometimes not much is just enough.” – John O’Callaghan
To familiarise you, here’s how your promotion presentation task usually looks:
- You are given a topic to present to the panel members. It will be aligned to the rank and role competencies in your force framework.
- You have 30-45 minutes preparation time.
- You’ll generally receive writing materials and a flip chart.
Keeping to the rule of threes, these three tips should help…
- KISS – Keep It Short & Simple, whichever structure you choose
- Hone it to 10 minutes. You may lose marks if you overrun or finish too soon.
- Less is more. A short presentation can take more thought and effort than a longer one.
“If you really want to do something you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn
For more options, tools and techniques, download your personal copy of my Interview Success guide. In it, I cover an array of specific structures and techniques to hone your presentation to 10 minutes and use valuable preparation time effectively.
So instead of entering the preparation room worrying about what the scenario might be, you can be proactive. Being equipped with options, techniques and a bespoke approach, you’ll feel reassured and confident. And be assured, it works time and again in promotion boards and selection processes.
“Hi Steve, I finally passed my Inspector board, I achieved very high marks on my presentation, SJT and my interview.” – Scott
I hope you found this helpful to your ambitions and let me know how you get on preparing your presentation. What structure will you use?
Kind Regards, Steve
Seeking police promotion? Want to get a massive head start right now? Hit the ground running with your personal digital promotion toolkit, and/or my market-leading Police Promotion Masterclass. There’s nothing else like it to effectively prepare you for success in your leadership aspirations. You can also contact me to arrange more personal coaching support. Or try my podcast for your ongoing police leadership CPD covering a range of fascinating subjects.