Larry Borodkin, Vice President at PRADCO, discusses their work in assessing and coaching executives, managers, and key individual contributors in the public safety sector. PRADCO specializes in pre-employment and promotional assessment, management development, and executive coaching. They work with fire departments, police departments, regional dispatch centers, hospitals, universities, and other safety forces. Larry explains how they use psychological assessments to evaluate candidates and identify their strengths and weaknesses. He also discusses the importance of assessing soft skills. intangible characteristics, and technical skills.

In this part of the conversation, Larry Borodkin discusses the unique characteristics of the public safety model and the differences between hiring for public safety roles and other industries. He also talks about the importance of individualized coaching and the need to understand and motivate each person based on their specific needs. Larry emphasizes the value of listening and relating to subordinates and shares a book recommendation on being a learner rather than a judger. In this conversation, Larry Borodkin discusses the importance of leadership in public safety agencies and the role of mentorship in developing effective leaders.

He emphasizes the need for leaders to focus on their people's success and gain satisfaction from their achievements. Larry also highlights the shift in leadership mentality from command and control to a focus on developing and supporting the people in the organization. He shares insights on the promotional assessment process and the importance of assessing leadership traits rather than just technical skills. Larry concludes by emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership and the need for leaders to get the best out of their people.

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Sponsor

01:09

Overview of PRADCO and Their Work

09:23

Approach to Working with Departments

15:32

Importance of Comprehensive Assessments

31:14

Larry's PhD Research on Validity Generalization

37:26

Choosing to Work with Safety Forces

38:25

Training and Qualifications for Psychological Assessments

38:35

The Unique Characteristics of the Public Safety Model

40:43

Individualized Coaching for Public Safety Personnel

45:09

Motivating Individuals in Public Safety

50:51

Being a Learner vs. a Judger

01:05:24

The Importance of Listening and Relating to Subordinates

01:19:09

Focusing on the Success of Your People

01:21:07

The Shift in Leadership Mentality

01:24:11

Assessing Leadership Traits in Promotional Assessments

01:26:08

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

01:41:21

The Role of Mentorship in Public Safety Agencies