If you aspire to promotion in West Midlands Police this year, you won’t want to miss this podcast episode introduced here. As with my other blogs and podcasts supporting promotion candidates in specific forces (e.g. PSNI, Police Scotland and GMP), this one’s bespoke to your force and timely for upcoming promotion processes.
I focus on the exciting career progression opportunity you have coming up, with both the Inspector and then Sergeant processes imminent, and how to prepare. I’ve embedded this premium podcast episode below, along with a free sample intro, but read on for some quick insights…
Daunted by Promotion?
“You’re not lost. You’re just early in the process.” – Gary Vaynerchuck
In this podcast I share insights and tips to support, challenge and respectfully provoke your thinking. The aim is to assist you to get ahead of the curve, improve the odds of your success, and make the best use of your limited time to get ‘match fit’. It will surely be another highly competitive selection process in West Mids, for both internal candidates and transferees.
Countless unsuccessful candidates can rightly lay the blame for failure at the door of ineffective time management. It generally takes longer to prepare for a promotion opportunity than many aspiring candidates anticipate. A simple truth, yet often overlooked or unwittingly ignored.
Promotion processes can also seem daunting, compounded by uncertainty around what the process entails, the expectations of candidates, and role awareness. As a promotion and leadership coach supporting thousands of aspiring cops with career progression, I notice there’s also widespread lack of knowledge around the relevance or fit with competencies, e.g. Emotional Awareness.
“Hi Steve, just thought I’d drop you a line to say thanks. I listened to your podcasts religiously for months on end and purchased your digital toolkit in preparation for the Inspector promotion process this year. I found out yesterday I passed first time and scored full marks in the interview! Your tips around structure and wider reading really assisted me.” – Sam
Many officers I speak to are under the impression that they don’t need to know the CVF. As I demonstrate with the Venn diagram title image and expand upon in the podcast, this is completely wrong. You will be assessed against the CVF.
Success is Closer Than You Think…
The outcome you want is closer than you think. In this episode, I allude to small actions taken in advance of your selection process. For example, reading to raise your awareness, drafting your supporting evidence against the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) and thinking about your Continuous Professional Development (CPD). All these will enhance your chances of success.
You may be operating on wrong information. Or maybe it’s simply that no-one has shown you the tried and tested ways to prepare effectively for an opportunity like the one you have ahead. Many officers do say to me upon stumbling upon my content, “I can’t believe I’ve only just heard about Rank Success”. So count yourself lucky you’re in the right place, you found it!
You’ve done much of the hard work already in studying for and passing the exam. You made progress, gaining traction and momentum. You have what it takes to do that again for the competitive stage. As a promotion coach and mentor I believe in the potential of every aspiring leader, especially (as is often the case) when individuals may not always believe it at the start of preparing. That’s particularly understandable when you are considering questions early on:
- What experience do I have?
- Am I competent or incompetent?
- What leadership credibility do I possess?
Effective Preparation…
Effective preparation is about raising your awareness, boosting your confidence and then delivering the best version of yourself on the day when it matters.
It’s OK if you are not there yet. That’s where my police promotion and leadership podcast, blogs, YouTube videos, and Sergeant and Inspector promotion toolkits come in. All will supercharge your preparation and help you make the best of the time you have, between shifts, family or other life commitments.
I’ve even done bespoke summaries of important force reports, such as West Midlands’ latest PEEL assessment video above.
“Hi Steve, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the content you publish on Rank Success. I’ve relentlessly listened to your podcasts and blogs for the past 6 months in preparation for the Sgts Boards. I am pleased to say I found out this week that I have passed first time. I don’t believe I would have been so prepared without it. You highlight so much “food for thought”. The fact you provide so much for free is astonishing, and proves you truly care about helping others. I will of course pass on your details and recommended you to colleagues.” – Rachel
For the upcoming Inspector process, West Mids Police publicly advertise their process and have provided guidance to candidates. The process can be summarised as follows…
- Application form
- 10 minute presentation on problem-solving (plus 5 minutes Q&A session), called an ‘Operational Briefing’
- 1 hour Interview
The guidance states WMP are looking for those with real strengths in performance, people and partnerships for the current Inspector process. Considering these against the role of Inspector and the CVF behaviours you’ll be assessed against will stand you in good stead, as per this simplified Venn diagram…
In my various toolkits, you’ll find further helpful materials to help you each step of the way. Such as example application evidence of what good looks like, guidance on completing application forms well, structures and guidance for effective briefings/presentations, plus extensive interview preparation and practice questions. Not to mention explaining the CVF in clear English. It’s all geared to helping you attain top marks at every stage.
There’s just so much available to support your aspiration. Want another, completely free resource? Then why not start now with your very own Chief Constable’s guidance and insights! In this free podcast interview, CC Craig Guildford QPM kindly shared some time to discuss his expectations of West Mids leaders.
I’ll leave you with some parting thoughts from Mr Guildford, which he conveyed to me part his expectations of your leadership…
“It’s not just about getting a task done, it’s about how you approach your staff. What’s your personal style? Do you understand your staff? Do you understand their strengths and weaknesses? Do you understand how they communicate? Are you able to get the best out of them?”
I wish you the very best in your upcoming process, and if you’re serious about getting ahead with the fastest route to success, why not check out my premium Masterclass and toolkits.
Kind Regards, Steve
Seeking police promotion? Want a MASSIVE head start right now? Hit the ground running with your personal digital promotion toolkit, and/or my market-leading Police Promotion Masterclass and CVF explainers. 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.