Episode 28: Transitioning in the Workforce | Retired Capt. Buddy Dodson

EPISODE 28:"Transitioning in the Workforce | Retired Capt. Buddy Dodson"“If you don’t know where you are going, any way will take you there.”-Unknown5 Goals to Transitioning in the Workforce:Transitioning in the workforce, be it Law Enforcement or civilian world is tough. You need to be prepared when making that transition. With these 5 tips from Retired Captain Buddy Dodson (from the Columbia Police Department), he expresses how they helped him in transitioning to work after police retirement. 1. Know where you’re going! (This includes hard research and soft research on the job/position you are taking).2.  Do a self assessment and be honest with your assessment.3.  Have a check 6’r or a mentor (Try and stay away from family as their advice could be biased and/or skewed).4.  Be prepared to operate in the uncomfortable zone for a little while (also be prepared to transition properly from the panic and uncomfortable back to the comfortable zone). You can easily make this transition with education and experience as your guide!5.  Last but NOT least ... Make a 30, 60, 90 day calendar of your expectations and goals. Once the 90 day calendar is complete, transition that to a 180 day calendar. This will help you be transparent with your successes and failures in order to make a plan to address them properly!Thanks again to Buddy Dodson for being on the "Leadership Straight Talk" podcast and his many good tips on transitioning in the workforce!Dean would love to hear from you!Please email him with your comments about the podcast at: [email protected] you!© 2026 Dean Crisp and LHLN (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED).