In Law Enforcement, On-the-job (OJT) training is very important because the more experienced officers and supervisors know and understand much more about the job than the less experienced officers. Working with people can be extremely difficult because people come to the job with their own attitudes and personalities. Because of these hurdles, we must provide training regardless of the different personal perceptions.

My current manager provides OJT to me every day on how to become a good supervisor. I'm learning a lot but it's not always easy to communicate with him. My manager has a perception that he has such a superior attitude about others that he can't see that the training is going in the wrong direction. His style of training comes off as arrogant and, at times, a little condescending. The way in which he communicates is not always effective. He needs to treat all people, including the public, with respect by not saying whatever he wants to say.

Trainers should start from the beginning by remembering their first day on the job. If you start from the top of the hill, you are training down verses training from the bottom up. I would get more from this on-the-job training if he covered topics from a starting point and gradually expanded the topic to include more complexed information. Also, when I ask him to give me examples of how he uses the technical procedural information in his daily job, his response can be short. He knows his stuff, however, he just doesn't always communicate that knowledge in a friendlier way. The good news is I'm trying to be more self-aware when I communicate with officers who report to me.