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Supervisory Mentoring


Professional Standards
Tactical Communication

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

Sergeants’ Mentoring Initiative – 8 Hour Course

Expanded Course Outline

 

 

 

 

  1. Introduction and Demonstration of Mentoring Techniques
    1. Facility
      1. Restrooms
      2. Room temperature
      3. Food locations
      4. Breaks
      5. Class length
    2. Student and Instructor Introductions
    3. Course Overview
      1. Rationale for Sergeants’ Mentoring Initiative
      2. Opportunities for increasing wisdom via mentoring
      3. Corrosive effect of temptations, pressures and power on line officers’ decisions and conduct
        1. By Corrosive effect, we mean the many examples of unethical behavior exhibited by law enforcement personnel that is routinely displayed in the media.
      4. Most effective tool to combat erosion of standards is mentoring, via recurrent discussions with personnel, not merely via “lecturing”
      5. Sergeants’ role as mentors, sergeants’ potential as the best-possible mentors
    4. Review of “Sergeants’ Mentoring Initiative Resource Guide” (181 page workbook which will be provided to each student. Course instructor will continually have students refer to workbook for clarification of course terms and group scenarios)
      1. Table of Contents
      2. Introduction
                  a. The Threat
                  b. The Fundamental Premise – Mentoring and Ethics Leadership
                  c. Terminology
      3. Presenter Techniques
                  a. What Do We Mean by “Mentoring” and “Ethics”?
                  b. How Do I Decide What Material to Use?
                  c. How Do I Introduce the Material to My Group?
                  d. Trust in Supervisors Depends on Their Trustworthiness
                  e. Acknowledge the Risks and Challenges in Law Enforcement
                  f.  Keep the Discussion Practical
                  g. Presentation Techniques to Practice
                  h. Presentation Techniques to avoid
                  i.  Introduction to the Group Discussion Approach
                  j.  Ethics Skills
                  j.  How to Deal with the Inevitable “Push – Back”
                  k. “Can’t We Please Let Up Now?”  -- A Mentality We Can’t Afford
                  l.  Overcoming Discouragement
                  m. Sergeants, Inc.
                  n.  Inspiring Leadership about Ethics in Others
      4.  Resource Material About Law Enforcement Issues
                  a. How the Resource Material is Organized
                  b. Honesty
                  c. Power
                  e. Use of Force
                  f.  Anger
                  g. Attention to Duty
                  h. Pride, Arrogance and Counter-Culture
                  j.  Disgrace
                  k. Corruption
                  l.  Respecting Human Dignity and Rights
                  m. Off-Duty
                  n. Intervention – “Officer Needs Assistance”
       
    5. Demonstration of a situation narrative from Resource Guide by instructor
      1. Instructor will utilize a situation narrative from the Resource Guide (Off Duty Conduct for example), and demonstrate to the students (who are simulating personnel you will find in a station briefing for example) how a briefing should be conducted.
      2. Instructor will model adult learning techniques to be utilized during station briefings.
      3. After the demonstration is complete, students and instructor will critique the process and record the pros and cons of the demonstration of a flip chart.
         
  2. Adult learning concepts
    1. Obstructions to learning
      1. Mental filters
        1. Instructor will list barriers to learning supplied by students during facilitated discussion.
    2. Techniques to “get through” filters
      1. Instructor Led Facilitated Discussion of techniques used in prior demonstration
        (Adult Learning Concepts demonstrated in Section I C above), that will help students deal with obstructions to learning).  These include but are not limited to:
        1. Involving participants by asking questions
        2. Providing a “safe” environment (safe to speak their mind)
        3. Making the scenarios emotional
        4. Making the students think
        5. Monitoring and guiding subsequent discussion
        6. Concluding a discussion you’ve encouraged
           
  3. Leadership as a sergeant
    1. Defining leadership. Instructor will lead a facilitated group discussion regarding definitions of leadership.  Topic of discussion will include:
      1. Distinguishing mere leadership from great leadership
    2. Instructor will record leadership definitions on flip chart
      1.   Relating the definitions to law enforcement
    3. Defining “ethical leadership”
      1. Define the word “ethics” clearly
      2. Explain the fundamental premise of the Mentoring Initiative
        a. Sergeants roll to lead by example, and
            continually mentor subordinates in “ethics”
      3. Responsibility of sergeants for ethical leadership
         
  4. Group exercise about ethics skills
    A.   Students will be directed to page 37 of “Resource Guide”
          1. The student will be exposed to seven different statements regarding “Ethics Skills”
          2.  Students will be broken up into groups of 3-4 to a table
          3.  Students will be given opportunity to add to this list of statements
          4.  Instructor will lead class facilitation regarding these statements
     
  5. Demonstration of situation narrative from Resource Guide by instructor
    1. Instructor will pick a situation narrative from the Resource Guide and demonstrate to the students how the process should occur.
      1. Instructor makes mistakes deliberately re adult learning, communications, messaging, etc.
    2. Require group members to identify and explain mistakes they observe
      1.  Reinforces for the students what they are “NOT” supposed to do.
       
  6. Review of Resource Guide “Presenter Techniques”
    1. Part I—Presenter Techniques
      1. Trust between supervisors and subordinates
      2. Keeping discussions on track
      3. Presentation techniques to practice and those to avoid
      4. Responding to recalcitrance, push-back, etc.
      5. Inspiring leadership about ethics in subordinates
         
    2. Part 2—Resource Material
      1. Eleven categories of issues
      2. Introductory notes for each issue, concepts to work into discussions
      3. Situation narratives and exercises
         
  7. Practical Application (Demonstration)
    1. Instructor divides students into two-person presenter teams
      1. Each team is assigned a situation narrative (from resource guide) to review and use with rest of group (approximately 10 – 13 remaining students).
      2. Presenter team takes fellow students through a simulated briefing or training session, encouraging and guiding a discussion among the students about the situation, decisions, and issues contained in the narrative assigned to them
      3. Each team (approximately 6 – 7 teams) will be given the opportunity to participate in the practical application.
    2. Instructor takes notes on each team’s technique and leads the group in a post-briefing critique. Instructor will determine if the two-person presenter teams have effectively demonstrated their ability to lead the group discussion. Those teams not demonstrating the competency will be remediated (conduct another group exercise until competency is demonstrated).
       
  8. Conclusion
    A.   Review of Course Concepts
          1.  Facilitated discussion
          2.  Objectives learned
    B.   Concepts to be implemented
          1. How can concepts be utilized
          2. Additional strategies for implementing concepts
          3. Continually refining mentoring skills

C.  Distribute Course Survey