CHAPTER 18: WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?

Question 1

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

If the supervisor is seeking a fast track to promotion, he may have to face the challenges of _______ at a new, bigger department.

Answer 1

starting over

Question 2

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Leadership career planning always should start with an open and honest discussion at home concerning the changes, good and bad, that promotion will bring. A good leader is not ______ at work. He should not be at home, either.

Answer 2

selfish

Question 3

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Experience, training, and __________ will contribute to the campaign. Deter-mining where one wants to go and how to get there is a big part of the task, as well. The supervisor needs a more specific goal in mind than “getting as far as I can as quickly as I can.” He also needs to have some idea of the timeframe he is thinking about.

Answer 3

formal education

Question 4

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Planning a career is not unlike planning any other _________: mile-posts can help the traveler get there.

Answer 4

long journey

Question 5

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

The idea is to construct a thoughtful plan for what should happen next throughout a long and continuously upward career progression. There doubtlessly will be dead ends and _______, but the trip should continue in the same general direction.

Answer 5

detours

Question 6

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Considering the amount of time that today’s professional spends at work, failing to plan _______ for that part of the future is an unpardonable sin. The supervisor who only recognizes his error in failing to plan out his career when he is 20 or 30 years farther down the road of life may be more than a little bitter about his lack of attention.

Answer 6

adequately

Question 7

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

The supervisor intent on career advancement should be mentally
and emotionally prepared not to get the prize on the first try. Few well-known homerun hitters blasted the ball out of the park on their very first time at bat. Many promotional candidates do not win the sought-after position the _______ out, either.

Answer 7

first time

Question 8

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

The sharp supervisor interested in career advancement always will remain _______ enough to handle the good and bad surprises of the job

Answer 8

flexible

Question 9

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

He wants to climb, but he will do it by the rules. He will not resort to shortcuts, trickery, ____ play, or cheating. The first-line leader who wants to get ahead is good-natured and helpful to his subordinates, peers, and bosses. But he does not “brown nose” or pander to get there.

Answer 9

foul

Question 10

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Most people, police leaders included, can see through the fakery of a bootlicker. In a good organization, that indi-vidual will not get ahead. Loyalty is expected. Enthusiasm is wonder-ful. Competence is absolutely required. But ________ cheerleading and hero worship of one’s boss are death to career advancement in a quality law enforcement organization.

Answer 10

insincere

Question 11

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Hard work and _______ will get the upwardly mobile supervisor where he wants to go. There are no shortcuts for the ethical leader.

Answer 11

talent

Question 12

TOUCHING ALL THE BASES

The supervisor intent on planning intelligently for the future will
be willing to invest some time in _______ the possibilities. Unless he has some sort of ogre or other dysfunctional personality as his own superior, the first-line leader might start by seeking his boss’s advice on career goals.

Answer 12

researching

Question 13

TOUCHING ALL THE BASES:

Most leaders are willing to discuss their own up-through-the-ranks
experiences with interested subordinates, if for no other reason than it gives them an opportunity to talk about their favorite subject: _________.

Answer 13

them-selves

Question 14

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS

Just as there are many things the supervisor intent on climbing the
_________ ladder must do, there are a number of career killers he must avoid. One of the first requirements for a supervisor who desires a job with greater responsibilities is to see to it that he is doing an excellent job of handling his current tasks. Bosses know that most of the time what a person is doing now is a good indicator of what he will do in the future.

Answer 14

advancement

Question 15

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS

The supervisor intent on organizational advancement will avoid
coming to management’s attention for the wrong reasons. He will never criticize his organization or its leaders in ______. That is a car-dinal rule. He will not run with a group of rabble-rousers, gripers, and malcontents.

Answer 15

public

Question 16

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

The ____ thing he wants is to be seen as a problem child himself.

Answer 16

last

Question 17

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

Everyone makes mistakes. That reality is a part of the increasingly complicated profession of law enforcement. The advancement-minded supervisor will _______, do what he can to fix or mitigate them, and then move on without losing his positive outlook.

Answer 17

admit mistakes

Question 18

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

A subordinate leader who takes a temporary setback in stride without losing his upbeat outlook or his work ethic may be marked for advancement even ahead of the employee who never messed up at all but __________ in going by the book.

Answer 18

risked little

Question 19

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

Good leaders recognize that the best _______ sometimes result in unintended consequences. They realize that they make mistakes, too.

Answer 19

intentions

Question 20

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

The supervisor intent on organizational advancement also will take
every opportunity to do ___________ in front of diverse groups. He knows he will get more competent with practice, and with in-creased competence comes increased comfort.

Answer 20

oral presentations

Question 21

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

The promotion-bound leader will ________ for those “meet the press” moments rather than avoid them.

Answer 21

volunteer

Question 22

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

Once again, _______ makes for a more polished presenter who is more likely to get noticed for the right reasons.

Answer 22

practice

Question 23

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

The supervisor’s best approach for _________ a teacher and mentor
is also the easiest and most honest one. He will approach the chosen individual, express his interest in advancement, and ask for guidance.

Answer 23

securing

Question 24

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

In talking with an experienced law enforcement leader who is also a mentor, the supervisor can learn a lot about that individual’s route to his present post. How did he get there? What did he do and avoid doing? What __________ did he pick up along the journey that an attentive listener can avoid having to learn the hard way?

Answer 24

painful lessons

Question 25

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

Some may proffer examples of prac-tices to avoid. The observant supervisor can learn something from each one. The individual who listens more than he talks can assemble
priceless _____ that will help him immeasurably on his climb.

Answer 25

data

Question 26

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

Career planning for the law enforcement leader of the twenty-first century should include ______ for life beyond the badge.

Answer 26

planning

Question 27

THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS:

There is solid evidence that keeping one’s mind active and focused often helps keep the brain healthy late into life. By remaining active both mentally and physically, today’s contributing police ________ will be tomorrow’s contributing police retiree.

Answer 27

supervisor

Question 28

GOING ALL THE WAY:

The vast majority of American law enforcement agencies employ
25 officers or fewer. There are thousands of small-and medium-sized law enforcement agencies in the United States. So, there are potentially a lot of top leadership jobs out there for the person willing to relocate.

Answer 28

Texas and California have plenty of small agencies

Question 29

GOING ALL THE WAY:

In other words, the supervisor can count on losing some _______ as the price for advancing to the peak of the organizational pyramid.

Answer 29

job security

Question 30

GOING ALL THE WAY:

The supervisor interested in becoming the head of a law enforce-ment agency must be willing to devote a lot of personal time to the effort. He will need to stay up with current events in the __________ that he is interested in. The news can tell him when a top job is open—or about to be—and why. Professional journals such as the IACP’s The Police Chief carry CEO position announcements from around the nation. For the supervisor focused on a particular state or region, oftentimes municipal, county, and state organizations maintain websites describing current top job openings.

Answer 30

geographic area

Question 31

GOING ALL THE WAY:

In addition, the websites of professional organizations like the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive Research Forum often list open _______ positions for law enforcement agencies around the country.

Answer 31

executive

Question 32

GOING ALL THE WAY:

Executive search consultants are good people to know for the indi-vidual wishing to lead an agency one day. The wise police supervisor will keep an up-to-date resume on file with some of these people and make telephone or e-mail contact with them periodically. The best executive search consultants pride themselves on their “______” of top-notch chief executive candidates. An industrious supervisor interested in a chief executive’s job will be in that file.

Answer 32

stable

Question 33

GOING ALL THE WAY:

Two excellent books, _______ __________ and Managing for Success: A Police Chief’s Survival Guide are available from the Police Executive Research Forum. Each should be in the serious competitor’s personal library.

Answer 33

Command Performance

Question 34

GOING ALL THE WAY:

The importance of a good resume cannot be stressed too much.
The resume and its accompanying letter of introduction often will determine whether or not the candidate gets an interview with the hiring authority. Resume reviewers can be _______.

Answer 34

RUTHLESS

Question 35

GOING ALL THE WAY:

Additionally, there are several common sense guidelines that the supervisor can rely on in assembling a resume that stands out—for the right reasons:
• Twelve-point type is best.
• Arial, New Roman, or a similar type face is easiest to read.
• Omit photos and personal information such as hobbies, place of birth, and number of children.
• Cite the most recent work experience and work back in chronological order.
•
• Never use a generic resume; tailor it to the desired executive position.
• Try to keep it to a maximum of three pages.
• Do not use a lot of graphics or artwork.
• Proof, proof, and proof again for spelling errors and other mis-takes.
• Tell the truth and do not exaggerate accomplishments.
• Be sure that personal contact information is provided and is correct

Answer 35

DO not over use the word “I”

Question 36

GOING ALL THE WAY:

He may want to use this brief time to ________ the three or four main things he wants the interviewers to remember about him after he has left the room. Again, he will devise his closing statement to fit the local situa-tion and the positive role he will play in addressing it.

Answer 36

reemphasize

Question 37

SUMMARY

Challenges and even opposition are likely to be ________ en route, but the effective supervisor is a stranger to neither. He should not underestimate his own abilities in seeking advancement. By making contacts, gathering information, and seeking advice from reliable sources he will close the gap between himself and his next career advancement post.

Answer 37

encountered

Question 38

SUMMARY

He will volunteer for greater responsibilities and prepare himself to assume his boss’s job one day. He will not ________ the possibilities or his own abilities.

Answer 38

underestimate

Question 39

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Career planning for the supervisor begins today and continues for the rest of his or her working life.

Answer 39

today

Question 40

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Targets and _____ may change over the length of a career.

Answer 40

goals

Question 41

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Planning for the future requires hard work, including the willing-ness to continue one’s ______.

Answer 41

education

Question 42

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Serious errors in personal or professional life can _____ a career plan, but many missteps can be overcome.

Answer 42

derail

Question 43

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Finding the right mentor can _____ the supervisor’s opportunities for career advancement.

Answer 43

boost

Question 44

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Volunteering for extra _________ assignments can help the supervisor glean the added experience he needs for advancement.

Answer 44

leadership

Question 45

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Assuming he wants the job, becoming head of a law enforcement agency is not beyond the reasonable expectations of the __________ career planner

Answer 45

industrious