Over the years I have been involved in many promotional exams and from various agencies. It was always curious to me how the candidates reacted to the news that they made his or her goal and was now a part of the administrative body of the agency.
This should be one of the happiest days of your career. Celebrate with your family and friends and thank them for their support. Be sure to avoid gloating. There is a clear line between gloating and celebrating. Now, get ready for fun and a greater responsibility in developing your personnel and your Department. Remember, attitude is everything! Keep a positive outlook no matter how bad things may seem. Anyone can complain, but it takes a really strong person to rise above the din of complaints and maintain an upbeat, positive attitude. You are now a Department role model for your officers. You are also their mentor, cheerleader and confidant. You are special because out of all the candidates that interviewed for this position, you made it! How special is that?
You are no longer their peer but having said that, you must never forget your roots. Even as a Chief of Police, I always remembered that I started as a patrolman. This was my basis in Law Enforcement, where I was taught how to be a police officer. Listen to all of your personnel because oftentimes they have some great ideas for solving many of your problems. Never let the position go to your head.
You worked hard for this position so enjoy it and never be ashamed or apologize that you were chosen over someone else. There will always be someone who does not think you deserve the position; don't let them rain on your parade. They are usually the whining, sniveling malcontents who really didn't do anything to improve themselves for the exam or made the inane statements if they don't want me the way I am then they can forget about it and I usually did. I always believed that you must respect a person in order for their opinion to mean anything. People that tried to put me down or stated that I didn't deserve a position were not on my top 10 list to begin with so their opinion didn't matter to me - nor should it matter to you.
The job is yours because you were the best candidate for the job. Congratulations!
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
