Page 58 - December 2017

A warrior mindset for promotional exams
No matter what organization you belong to, prepar- ing for a promotional exam can be an excruciating ex-
e
an effort to score one-tenth of a point high- er than your competition, so you can achieve the next rank. Most importantly, studying for
away from your family. But preparing for a promo- tional process isn’t part of the exciting career you signed up for.
When you know an exam is approaching is to start with the right mindset. As part of our training, we know that we fight like we train. Therefore, training to win is essential. For promotional testing, however, candidates take one of two paths. Those who consistently score high on exams have expressed the warrior mentality when it comes to testing. They understand the sacrifice as well as the phys- ical, mental and social demands. They discuss their strategy with their support network and outline roles and responsibilities during the time they will be studying. Because of this programming, re- duced stress and an increase in quality study time lead to better retention and higher scores.
On the other side of the coin, others are afraid of failure. They be- gin their study strategy by focusing on the negative aspects within their lives that will hinder their time with the books. This mindset provides an avenue of escape for them to use as a crutch when their scores are not as high as others’. It is this mindset that our subcon- scious will focus on throughout the process, and it will lead to low- er retention and a decrease in quality preparation.
After accepting the proper mindset, the next step is to decide on
a path that will assist you in achieving success. Often, this leads to selecting a professional group that will assist you with your prepa- ration. Many organizations offer resources to assist you, but you need to find the organization that fits your needs and has a similar mindset as you. Many officers seeking out groups will look to see how the group will direct them to achieve the rank they need. In turn, they rely on the group as their primary source of information and therefore set
themselves up for failure.
Successful candidates continually state that they utilized
erience. Often, the source material for the exam doesn’t pertain to your particular agency. You may spend countless hours reading, memo- rizing and working out complex scenarios in
p
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JIM HARRIS
a promotional exam takes a great deal of time
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their study group to assist them in their endeavors and to sup- plement their efforts. That strategy allowed them to use the group as a guide that would coach them while they studied. They utilized the group’s resources, study guides, videos, flashcards and other facets of the class – but only as an addition to their own efforts. These are the individuals who strive for success and crush their competition.
Once you have the right mindset and have selected the group that will assist you in achieving your goals, it is time to start prepa- ration. Successful candidates never wait until the test is formally announced to begin their preparation. Those who obtain the top scores of promotional exams consistently say that they began to study months before the test was announced. This strategy led to reduced stress during the preparation process and, in turn, greater retention of information.
These three simple steps, along with many other tactical study strategies, will assist candidates in enhanced preparation for their exam, increased retention rate and decreased stress – the keys to obtaining the promotion that they deserve. d
Jim Harris has been a police officer for 23 years, is a graduate of FBI NA Session 265 and the owner of the J. Harris Academy of Police Training.
PROMOTIONAL
Testing
58 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2017