Verbal Fitness has given me a
several suggestions on how I can improve my professional image with the
public. I feel more confident in my verbal abilities to diffuse and
control hostile behavior and I learned to effectively confront problem
behaviors with my colleagues. Dr. Polansky holds your attention and
encourages class participation and discussion.
Randall Bishop, Deputy Sheriff
Mississippi County, AR
Persuasive Skills is appropriate
for new patrol officers, FTO's and management, and investigators. I hope
to retain the material on persuasive interactions and apply it
as a better way to present myself to others.
Sam Blankenship, Capt CID
Bentonville PD
I enjoyed the instructor's ability to get
you to think. I am sure I will use these techniques at home as well as
on my job, I wish I had taken this course long ago. I Especially enjoyed the
material on how to talk to yourself in conflict situations.
Rodney Riley, Patrolman
West Memphis Police Department
I'm returning to my department and
teaching others how to communicate without having complaints filed
against them. I really enjoyed the Doc's experience in helping the class
deal with others more professionally. Great speaker with a very good
sense of humor.
Danny Lackey, Deputy Sheriff
Mississippi County, AR
This information has really helped me! This is the second time for me in
this kind of instruction and I actually asked to come. You couldn't find
a better instructor in my opinion. He is very good at what he does!
John W. Vickers
Arkansas Highway Police
Dr. Polansky made the class fun and exciting - never a dull moment. He
was knowledgeable, and made the class fun.
Rebecca Medlen
Arkansas Highway Police
I serve warrants and I think Persuasive Skills will help me
detect liars better.
Instructor was entertaining, well organized and knew subject material
well
Helped me to better communicate with others. Dr. Polansky
involved the class with instruction and encouraged questions.
Alexander "Bud" Kilgore
Sherwood PD
Dr. Polansky did an excellent job in
presenting ways to have an effective interview(s) and to conduct
investigations. All information that was taught can be used in every day
both on duty and off duty. Persuasive Skills demonstrated both
basic and advanced methods on dealing with people who are content with
lying.
Chris Adkins
Hot Springs Police Department
Both days were great, the instructor gave
a wonderful presentation.
I believe I will be able to apply the information that I have received
to help benefit our agency. Dr. Polansky presents with energy and wit.
Great job!
William E. Watkin, Jr.
Hot Springs P.D
Will benefit from the idea of using
questions instead of commands to achieve a goal. Great instructor, good
sense of humor, very knowledgeable instructor. Workbook made learning
more interactive. Great job of relating course content to real life
siruations. Wish he had more time to present.
Sonia M Luzader
Hot Springs P.D
Excellent Instructor. Terrific
communication skills. Dr. Polansky knows and understands law enforcement
officers. He involved everybody
Mark H Willis
Arkansas Highway Police
Very Interesting, Informative, and
Professional. In Verbal Fitness I learned different approaches to
get what you want from the general public. He was very professional,
very knowledgeable, and really a nice person!
Dolores Willis
Crossett Police Dept.
Dr. Polansky is never boring.
Mickey Helms
Arkansas Highway Police
My eyes were opened to things I never
thought of using, I think will help a lot.
I can use some of the things I learned to help all of us to get along
better inside our dept. I will also ask more questions from now on and
listen better. The way it was presented really made me think about how I
have been using words. Great communicator, held my attention.
CPI. Lora Beasley
Yell County Sheriffs Dept.
The following comments are from a two-day session on Persuasive Skills for Law Enforcement conducted August 10 and 11, 2000 at the Bi-States Justice Center in Texarkana, USA. These comments are typical of sessions designed and facilitated by Dr. Brian Polansky, Law Enforcement's Communication Professor.
This seminar will be helpful in attempting to change people's behavior. The information from the seminar can be applied directly. The class was informal and never boring. I enjoyed the films and examples. Dr. Polansky was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and kept interest.
Everybody needs to master their own words to help other master theirs. I enjoyed the workbook, the instructor, and the topics. Dr. Polansky was well prepared and enjoyable. I thought the seminar was wonderful.
Dr. Polansky is very knowledgeable, inclusive and enthusiastic. I enjoyed learning about generating voluntary compliance, diffusing aggressive behavior, and coping with deception. The course needs to be longer.
The instructor made the class, with his ability to
present himself, and the material. The information and knowledge that I
gained from the class will help in every day communication. I enjoyed
the way the course was presented, the materials used, and the
instructor's knowledge of the material.
I am both a supervisor and Law Enforcement Trainer. I
run into plenty of knotheads and need all the help I can get. Polansky
used a good variety of materials. He used good stories to reinforce
topics and was sincere.
Very informative. Dr. Polansky did a great job! It is
very important for Law Enforcement officers to be able to communicate
well. The topics were interesting and Polansky is a great instructor. He
got the class involved and made the class fun.
I enjoyed the enthusiasm of the instructor. He teaches
the best way to communicate and how to be able to better assess
situations. He explains clear ways to set goals and show a love for his
work. He did a great job instructing.
In my job I constantly deal with the public. This
course helped give me insight into other people. I enjoyed learning
about the psychology of dealing with difficult people in law enforcement
and out. Polansky has a great sense of humor, and interacted well with
the class.
I learned about dealing with verbal interactions versus the use of force. The seminar was informative, and I learned new usage of verbal skills. Polansky is very well versed.
Excellent presentation and material! I enjoyed the
content and the instructor's speaking style. The course needs to be
longer.
This course is helpful to anyone in every aspect of interaction with others. The speaker was interesting and gave good information. The course needs to be longer to present more detail. The presentation was well done.
I believe the tactics explained will help keep
resistance down when talking to a combative subject. I enjoyed how the
instructor interacted with the class, his attitude, and activeness.
I deal with the public most every day I work. After
this class, I think I will be a lot more careful how I talk. I enjoyed
the whole class. I enjoyed how Dr. Polansky keeps his class fun, his
great story telling. He teaches where everyone can understand.
This was a very interesting class and has showed me
where I need to improve. This course has also introduced me to ideas
that will be very helpful. By using these skills, I should be able to
deal with people with a much better outcome in the future. This course
pointed out real life problems/solutions. All solutions were
reasonable/down to earth. It made me see a lot of my mistakes. Polansky
made the class interesting. He took time to answer questions and
explained things thoroughly. He used real life situations as examples.
The course could have lasted another day to go more in-depth on these
important topics.
When helping inmates and jail detainees, who are
upset, I will be able to talk to them much better now that I have had
this course. I enjoyed the instructor and the workbook. Polansky is a
good speaker and he really knows the materials.
This was a very informative and very helpful course.
Dr. Polansky had a positive enjoyable environment. The material was well
planned and he was never dull. The seminar provided me with an important
piece of equipment that's not carried on the duty belt. I feel this will
benefit the agency and me in all phases of my duties.
This was good training. I would like to know more. I
work with difficult people. This will help them to comply. The
instructor was enthusiastic. He gave us learning tools and the knowledge
of how to apply them. I enjoyed Dr. Polansky's energy and his working
knowledge as well as his use of visual aids. The course needs to be two
days longer!
This information has really helped me! This is the
second time for me in a course with Dr. Polansky and I actually asked to
come ASAP this time. You couldn't find a better instructor in my
opinion. He is very good at what he does!
Anonymous Comments from
Verbal Fitness for Patrol and Community Policing
Little Rock Police Department
This course should have been offered long ago. It will help me relate to and react to other people more easily. I enjoyed the instructor, the way information was presented, and the information itself. The seminar should be longer. I enjoyed the instructor's personality and his ability to communicate.
Valuable information that deals with situations that you will definitely encounter in this profession. I enjoyed the instructor's enthusiasm, the valuable information, and the amount of usable information. The course needs more time, maybe some role playing with situations. Dr. Polansky related well to people, was motivated and entertaining.
I especially enjoyed these aspects of the course: the goal of law enforcement, officer's compliance options, and sources of social power. The seminar could not have been better. Brian was great. He was knowledgeable, well prepared and involved all class members.
Dr. Polansky was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the issues discussed in this class. He did a wonderful job! The way we respond or react to a person's behavior plays a significant role in the overall outcome of the situation. This class should be offered to every member of the department, including supervisors and administration. I enjoyed the instructor's enthusiasm, detailed material, and relevant, useful information. I think the course would be better if we had more time. I enjoyed the instructor's knowledge, enthusiasm, and experience.
Very well taught. I think this course should become part of the LRPD training. I learned new ways to approach a situation, that might help in promoting a positive image on the department and diffuse a potential confrontation. The instructor was very informative and the information provided was helpful. This needs to be a longer course. Dr. Polansky was very dynamic, professional, informative, and knowledgeable. You couldn't ask for a better instructor.
Excellent course! It should help with the numerous citizen contacts made. The course was relevant to the profession, presented well, and useful outside our occupation. The course needs more time, couldn't cover all topics. Dr. Polansky is a motivational, sincere, good speaker.
We need more classes like this to help our communication with the citizens. It makes me realize that when we become officers we forget peoples needs. Dr. Polansky was a very excited, good, teacher. Very important information, he knows what he is talking about. The course needs more time, more days, and more info-little time. Dr. Polansky is a well established, excellent communicator and kept me interested.
This course exceeded my expectations based on past experience. I believe it is important to emphasize communication skills, both personal and professional. I enjoyed the topics, the instructor, and the workbook because it made us interact. The course needs more time. Dr. Polansky was down to earth. He made everyone comfortable, and he has excellent communication skills.
The seminar provided me with new avenues of approach in hostile encounters. I enjoyed the course content, instructor's attitude and energy. The course needs more time, another day of class. I enjoyed the instructor's attitude and the speed of introduction of information.
Outstanding presentation! New information to develop my skills. I enjoyed the pleasant environment, open discussion, and literature (note taking was valuable and easy to understand). Dr. Polansky is a good speaker, a good listener, and very knowledgeable.
The seminar provided much needed information and skills for all officers. The seminar was simple, concise, and very helpful. It needs to be longer - 2 days! Dr. Polansky was enthusiastic, had knowledge of the subject, and captured your attention.
Dr. Polansky has the ability to talk to people so it will not offend people but gets the point across. The seminar provided information and skills that will help in being able to speak in public, to supervisors, and to get the response you want. I enjoyed the instructor. The information was very useful. The seminar needs to be longer. Dr. Polansky was outgoing, a great speaker, and knew his material.
Dr. Polansky certainly gets your attention and maintains an interesting class throughout. He is very motivated and has a good personality. The course needs more time and more topics (expand on existing ones).
The class needs more time. It was very helpful. I enjoyed the teacher, the way he talked, and his knowledge of the subject. Everyone in this department needs to take this class!
North Little Rock Police Department
Team Leadership and Coaching
Sgt. Luise Armstrong, NLRPD
Very knowledgeable of the subject matter. He was comfortable and
humorous in his presentation. The seminar provides very valuable tools
directly related to improving dealing with the public. The R.E.A.C.T.
strategy will help me to communicate more effectively.
Sgt. Robert C. Griffin, NLRPD
Energetic and enlightening. I gained better communication skills. We
need more of this kind of seminar. Complementing is the lecture that I
think will help most in my efforts to communicate more effectively.
Sgt. Harold Elliott, NLRPD
Good speaker, very energetic. If applied, you can't help but improve
your communication skills. It made me realize that some of my
department's problems aren't just with everyone else. I expect the
lecture on giving more praise, and the strategies for confronting
problem employees to help most in my efforts to communicate more
effectively.
Sgt. Joel Cooper, NLRPD
"He's O.K." Today's seminar helped me gain better
communication skills! Everything about the seminar was good. Asking more
questions will help me be a better communicator.
Sgt. Kim Almond, NLRPD
Dr. Polansky was very knowledgeable. The seminar will help in my
personal life also. The seminar needs to be longer.
Sgt. Janice Jensen, NLRPD
Dr. Polansky was informative, entertaining and had high energy. I would
like to see role playing in the seminar. I enjoyed the lectures on
alternatives - persuasion.
Patrol Sgt. Phillip L. Tackett, Jr., NLRPD
Very much a people person and easy to understand. The seminar helped in
understanding myself and how to make my employees work and feel better
about themselves. I will use the theories in this seminar.
Sgt. Kenneth Kincade, NLRPD
Excellent. This seminar helped in learning how to get along with others.
I will use the complementing strategy.
Sgt. Joe Bradley, NLRPD
Dr. Polansky is insightful, interesting, and friendly. I have learned to
communicate better. I wouldn't change or add anything to today's
seminar.
Sgt. Tina Smith, NLRPD
Very informative. The R.E.A.C.T. strategy will be beneficial.
Sgt. T. Latina, NLRPD
Dr. Polansky was interested in the student's improvement/success.