Policing, like all other industries in the global economy, is ever-changing. New technology, case law, crime trends and public expectations keep us on our toes. There is always something more to learn. Embark on a journey of personal professional development through purposeful study of the principles and practices that govern good policing. Here are three pointers to send you on your way.
1. BE DELIBERATE
Some of the most powerful leaders in the world have at least one thing in common – they read. And they don’t just read indiscriminately. They often develop a regimen that includes a certain amount of time spent reading and a deliberate choice about what they will read. The knowledge explosion of the past few decades challenges us to be very selective in how we spend our time and attention. Using an inordinate amount of time on mindless social media or television will not do much to improve your professional knowledge. It is important you:
- Set aside a specific amount of time to increase your professional knowledge;
- Be deliberate in how you use this time, such as studying topically.
2. BE ORGANIZED
It is helpful to curate what you plan on reading before wasting time to determine whether you should read it at all. Create a folder on your computer for storing all the reference material you come across.
3. USE TECHNOLOGY
The Pocket app allows you to save internet articles and news stories that interest you so you can read at your convenience. Tag articles to organize the content you save. As “The Verge” said when recommending the app, “Stop emailing yourself links and just install Pocket.”
Many police officers spend a lot of time driving. This presents a golden opportunity to increase your knowledge. Some of you don’t like to read or struggle to find time to read. Let your phone read to you by enabling the “speak screen” function on your smartphone. When you open a document, you can initiate this function and the phone will read the document to you. The voice is of course robotic, but the information gets to your brain, where you need it to use it! Additionally, there are thousands of audiobooks and podcasts that will enrich your mind and inform your job performance. Did you know that you can effectively listen to audio content at 1.5 times normal speed? Start listening!
