The One Skill Most Candidates Overlook
I have said it before and I will say it again. The single greatest skill you can develop for a promotional oral board is Public Speaking.
I started building that skill in high school through classes in improvisation and drama, then sharpened it through college courses in public speaking and debate. Over the years, teaching, panel discussions, and representing my agency at community meetings taught me how to quickly form a response that was not only on topic, but represented the interests of both the community and my agency. When you speak regularly in front of people, you stop freezing under pressure. You start forming real responses to questions you never saw coming.
Community meetings are one of the best oral board training grounds available to any officer. You show up, face an unpredictable audience, answer tough questions on the spot, and represent your agency professionally. That is exactly what an oral board asks of you.
If you are preparing for a promotional process right now, start speaking. Find a study partner and trade questions back and forth. Search for opportunities to speak in front of a group of people. Volunteer to present at roll call or provide in-house training. The specific venue matters less than the repetition.
Public speaking is a skill. Skills are learned. Start now.
This piece first ran in The Edge, my newsletter for law enforcement professionals. Subscribers get it first.
It goes out every two weeks and covers promotion strategy, career performance, and leadership. New subscribers also receive The Oral Board Edge, my guide to winning your next promotional oral board.
