Last month I wrote about preparing for your mock oral board during your promotional process. The whole key to this series of columns is for you, the candidate, to develop confidence in your abilities. So often I hear candidates state that they are concerned about how to talk before the board or worry about so and so as their stiffest competition. These are not the areas that should cause you the most concern. The only competition you have during a promotional process or any interview is yourself. I will say this over and over, so begin to believe it. You do not have control over anyone else's performance when they are before the oral board or an assessment center, so why worry about it. You do have control over your presentation and that is all that should concern you! Next let's talk about how to talk to the board and the first place to start is when you enter the room.
Entering the Room
When you enter the room, stand tall with command presence. There is nothing worse than watching a candidate timidly enter the room, looking scared stiff. Maybe you are shaking on the inside but demonstrate confidence on the outside. Show the raters that you are in control and confident. I remember there was a deodorant commercial that stated never let them see you sweat, so don't.
Let the raters introduce themselves and repeat their names as you firmly shake their hands while maintaining eye contact. Now, take your seat, pull the chair up to the table, and then place your hands either in a flat position or fingers interlaced or the palm of one hand on the top of the other hand, on top of the table.
Pulling the chair closer to the table is not an aggressive move but merely a move that demonstrates your confidence. There was one Assessment Center that I participated in as a candidate, and the raters placed the candidate's chair approximately six feet from the table. Many of the candidates entered the room, sat in the chair without moving it, and held their interview over six feet from the raters. These raters placed the chair away from the table to determine which candidates had confidence in themselves to move the chair closer to the table and begin their interview.
Do not place your elbows on the table nor form a steeple with your fingers in front of your chin. Try as hard as possible to keep the palms of your hands flat on the table. If you place your hands on your lap, this could cause your shoulders to stoop (and you may not even be aware it is happening) or could display poor posture, which again shows body language that can be interpreted as a lack of self-confidence or low self-esteem. Placing your hands on the table helps promote correct posture throughout your interview. Then, too, if you are like me, and have some Italian blood coursing through your veins, it will be next to impossible for you not to talk with your hands. Try to keep the gestures at a minimum, and be aware of what you are doing with your hands.
While sitting, do not lean back in your chair or cross your legs, as this gives a poor impression to the raters. It makes you look too relaxed and can depict an air of aloofness, or it may be interpreted as "low self-esteem" because you are trying to look too "cool" and imply this testing process is "no big thing." Lean forward with your chest close to the edge of the table and both feet flat on the floor. This will help you remain in a position that will further your command presence at the table.
Opening Statements
Prepare an opening and closing statement. Usually, the Board will begin the session by trying to have you relax. They will say something to the effect, "Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself." This is your time to shine. Tell them what they want to hear. State how many years you have in Law Enforcement; explain your various assignments; highlight those assignments that had command responsibility (i.e. S.W.A.T. team leader, Personnel and Training Officer for the Department, K-9 Officer responsible for coordinating an area search of a crime scene, etc). Then, explain your education achievements and your current education endeavors. Remember to just highlight these accomplishments because you are on a time schedule. Practice this ahead of time so you are comfortable with it. Make it yours but do not memorize it because the minute you stumble, you may have difficulty getting back on course. You are already nervous - don't make it any harder on yourself. Be concise. You will be surprised how much information you can deliver in a short period of time if you plan your statements ahead of time.
Let the Process Begin
When the questions begin, listen to the entire question before answering. Don't think you know the answer and interrupt the questioner prior to him finishing the question because you may guess incorrectly and you will also appear rude. Chances are you will only have to wait a few seconds before the rater finishes his question and then you can proceed to give your answer. When you answer the question, be sure to look at each rater. Look them in the eyes when you talk to them. Do not let your eyes wander or dart around the room; this gives the impression that you are unsure of yourself or do not know the answer. Start with the person who asked the question, and then rotate to each of the other raters. Do this in a flowing motion so as not to look robotic. When you speak, be sure to project your voice so the raters will not have to strain to hear you; but on the other hand, don't shout. Your mouth may be dry; if they offer you water, utilize it. It is placed there for your use, and it won't be marked against you. If you can draw on other answers you have given when answering the current question, it will look as though you can pull together different kinds of information and organize it in a meaningful manner.
When you first begin to talk, your voice may quiver due to nerves. Don't let this bother you, just overcome it. Clear your throat, take a deep breath, and continue speaking. Don't tell the panel that you are nervous; they understand this because they have been in your position several times. When you begin to answer their questions, keep your hands away from your mouth so as not to block your answers. Also make sure you don't do anything to distract the panel, such as tugging at your ear, pulling strands of your hair and winding them around your fingers or cleaning your fingernails while you are answering their questions.
Remember, you are not writing a report, so don't answer in the form of a report. When you are asked a question, respond in a clear smooth cadence such as you would experience in a regular conversation. Don't chop it up with cop-slang or sound like you're testifying in court. For example, if you are given a hypothetical situation where you are in charge, and a disturbance occurred, don't use the following terminology to answer the question: "After receiving a call of a P.C. 415, I responded to the location in question and immediately made contact with the victim and necessary witnesses. I put out an APB and then deployed my personnel to circulate through the neighborhood in an attempt to locate the perp and other individuals who may have witnessed the incident, etc."
As you can see, this type of answer does not flow and makes you sound very stiff. Tell the raters exactly what you would do at the scene. Explain that upon arrival you would evaluate the situation, effectively utilize your available manpower to contact witnesses, maintain a perimeter to contain the area and attempt to locate and arrest the suspect or whatever else you felt would be necessary to complete the scenario. My point here is to keep your answer to the point and avoid unnecessary articulation and cop slang.
What if I Don't Know the Answer?
Tell the truth! The raters do not expect you to have an answer for every question; they are attempting to determine your breadth of knowledge. If you try to fake the answer, the raters will know and will mark you down accordingly on your final score.
One time when I was taking an Oral Board exam, the rating panel asked me for the definition of MBO? I gave them a blank stare and, in my mind, I immediately thought that I had blown this competition because I had no idea what those initials meant. I looked at each rater and told them, "Gentlemen, I don't have a clue what MBO stands for; but I can assure you that when I leave this room today, I will look it up for my own edification." What I eventually found out was that MBO stands for Management by Objectives, which was a new buzz term utilized by Tom Peters in his Search for Excellence book. Thankfully, I was chosen for the position and when I spoke with the raters after the process was completed, to determine how I could improve myself for the next promotional opportunity, they basically told me certain areas of my presentation that could be tweaked - but what really hit home was their assessment of my MBO answer. Each rater told me they were impressed with my honesty in explaining my lack of knowledge in this area. They mentioned that many of the candidates tried to bluff their way around the answer, which really hurt them in the final ratings.
So, basically what I'm saying is that if you don't know the answer to the question, tell the raters the truth and explain that you will find the answer as soon as the process is over. Hopefully, there will only be one question where you will have to explain yourself in this manner; but whatever happens, do not let this incident throw you off-balance. Maintain your focus on the next question that the panel will be asking. Remember, you can't un-ring a bell - what happened has happened, so let it go and move on to the next question. It's not the end of the world, and you still have time to impress the raters with your other answers. Remain positive; look what happened to me!
Elvin Miali
El Miali,a retired chief of police, started his law enforcement career in 1967. In 1986 he was appointed Chief of Police of the Fountain Valley Police Department in Orange County, Ca. He was Police Chief for 17 years, prior to his retirement in 2003. Chief Miali participated in many oral boards and assessment centers and observed how difficult it was for many officers to do well in the promotional process. He wrote a book entitledUnless You're The Lead Dog, The Scenery Never Changes. Chief Miali knows what the administrators of police agencies want from their candidates, Learn more about Chief Miali and his book through his Lead Dog Promotions web site or contact him by e-mail by clicking on his name
