RCMP Officer Candidates (OCP) and Senior Executive (SEDP) Board Preparation
Having chaired and sat on numerous OCP and SEDP promotional boards as a senior officer in the RCMP I have seen the excellent strategies used by the successful candidates and the mistakes of those who were unsuccessful. As a coach I have had the privilege and honour to work with numerous Officer Candidates and Superintendents preparing for a Senior Executive Boards of which, the vast majority have been promoted to the next level.
The key to being successful at the OCP Board is effective preparation. The mistake that most people make is believing that they can be successful based solely on their knowledge and experience, but anybody who has sat on a Board will tell you that that is not enough. Communication is the key. Without the ability to effectively “tell your story”, demonstrate confidence and build rapport with the Board members, candidates risk the chance of missing an opportunity to be recommended for a commission. When working with candidates to optimize their preparation we cover subjects such as:
- Preparing and delivering a powerful introduction;
- Preparing their examples to ensure that they are at the right level and that they meet the required anchors for the competencies;
- Using the STARE technique effectively in delivering their responses;
- Creating the right mindset/state prior to and during their interview;
- Building rapport with the interviewer/board members;
- Harnessing their anxiety;
- Seeing their success through visualization;
- Techniques to optimize the recall of their examples for the Board;
- One on one rehearsals on the delivery of examples; and
- Mock Boards with retired and serving officers can be arranged in the NCR.
An important part of the package I offer to candidates is coaching to become an effective and ethical executive in the organization. Through specific exercises, review of their own experiences and armchair discussions candidates are coached and mentored to adopt an “executive mindset” toward issues.
