Engendering Staff for Professional Development

The security industry has within its community individuals possessing a passion for its forward progression as a viable business entity. Many of its personnel demonstrate traits and characteristics sought after for leadership roles. As security consultants evaluating a business for its organizational integrity or efficiency, we are charged with assuring the business demonstrates sound practices, the capacity for profitability and encompassing competent leadership to direct its success.

Leadership for many security organizations can be found within its subordinate ranks. The differentiating component for the selection of those personnel exhibiting the capacity is the selection of those staff members with the demonstrated ability for leadership and transitional traits for success as a leader.

“The presentation of your capabilities will yield a harvest of appreciation as to your value.” These words hold significant value for individuals with transitional skills, talents, and abilities that comprehend leadership and the organization’s overall goal. Some people can assume a leadership role more naturally than others. However, we naturally possess these traits that are more adaptive and transitional into this valuable role. The selection process allows us to appreciate those transferable skill sets that can be built upon, and become the catalyst for success.

Continuing development for leadership is not an instantaneous process; to the contrary, this process is ever evolving. This process can span a life time. One of the critical roles that facilitate smooth evolution into leadership is the mentoring by seasoned veterans who bring to the table a married of experiences that will assure success is more attainable. Leadership is not only gained from hands on experience, tutelage and/or mentoring, successful leaders are also those who have gained appreciation of formal education. The knowledge acquired in academia introduces us to the ability to conceptualize, plan and generate solutions through multiple view points. Moreover, formal education continues the maturity of decision making for leaders and learning the application through real world scenarios.

There is no greater reward as a leader than the natural progression of deserving individuals. As upcoming leaders they are sure to encounter scenarios of indecision and times of anxiety for the unknown, however they must gain a since of confidence in their training, their ability to direct and most importantly in the knowledge that others have total confidence in their leadership. This is not an easy process, it will introduce challenges, but the rewards will outweigh the difficulties and generate gratification that is beyond measure. The development of future leaders is extremely important to the security industry. But, what is more important is for organizations to instill in staff members that their development into leadership is a crucial part of the organization’s growth and vital to its success.

Bernard S. Robinson
Managing Director, Principal
Robinson Security Consultancy
bsrobinson@robseccon.com

Situational Awareness and Security Competency

One of the key factors that evaluate the level of organizational efficiency in its security operations is the ability of the organization to instill in its personnel the significance of environmental dynamics. The educational processes of personnel of how these variables impact the approach to a given scenario and how its resolution is weighted heavily upon organizational training and industry knowledge. A training concept, Situational Awareness (SA), involves being aware of what is happening around you, to understand how information, events, and your own actions will impact your goals and objective, both now and in the very near future.

Gaining in-depth insight on this process is a valuable knowledge-base of an organization’s emphasis on continual security training of heightened security discernment. Comprehending the needs of the client(s) in conjunction with the proper application of expectations versus reality renders successful goal attainment. A security professional must continuously demonstrate clarity and relevancy of the current sate in order to manage tactical situations. Moreover, it is just as vital to communicate to the client(s) what is functionally appropriate for the level of security desired.

When evaluating this method, it becomes essential that the more enlightened the security professional is to the environmental dynamics, the increased probability that sound decision making will be the end result. The consequences of failed or inadequate SA techniques can be detrimental to an individual and/or group’s ability to appropriately function within a given environment, thus its ramifications can be irreversible. To posses comprehensive, error free and the most up to date SA is critical when engaging technological and situational perplexities and decision making becomes the focal point.

When new information or situations arise, professionals must be able to be flexible in delivering solutions and understand consequences of decisions in order to take appropriate action in critical situations. For the security professional the application of SA can be a difference maker and a developer of loyal consumers for quality service.


References:

Dostal, B. C. (2007). Enhancing situational understanding through the employment of unmanned aerial vehicles. Army Transformation Taking Shape ...Interim Brigade

Combat Team Newsletter, No. 01-18. Retrieved November 7, 2007, from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/call/call_01-18_ch6.htm

Fracker, M. L. (1991b). Measures of situation awareness: Review and future directions (Report No. AL-TR-1991-0128). Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH: Armstrong Laboratories.

Moray, N. (2004). Ou sont les neiges d'antan? ("Where are the snows of yesteryear?"). In D. A. Vincenzi, M. Mouloua & P. A. Hancock (Eds), Human performance, situation awareness and automation: Current research and trends (pp. 1–31). Mahwah: LEA.

Security Training for ALL staff members

ABC's Good Morning America captured on video (link below) very frightening but yet common security incidents at two hotels. This happens all too often because the understanding of security is under-represented. Security belongs to ALL staff members at any facility. In the video, housekeeping, valet, bellman all were the targets for a crafty and relaxed con by security analysts. Hotels and other facilities that interact or house guests should readdress security training. The emphasis should be placed on procedures. Follow procedures and protocols for ANY and ALL guests related issues. This is absolutely a deterrent for any potential crime.

In the video, clearly ALL staff members were too trusting that could have been potentially fatal in both cases. But, not only is hotel staff (housekeeping, valet, bellman, etc.) should be trained, but executives and top managers so that all understand the importance of security, not only for our guests, but for employees and the company. Marketing should be aware of such incidents to advertise or communicate security efforts to existing and loyal customers. Front office could perhaps emphasize safety upon check-in and communicate hotel policy for requesting entrance without a key. If everyone is involved, exercising security processes will not only benefit the guests, but will encourage safety stewardship.

Re-examine your security procedures and perhaps hold quarterly/semi-annual refresher courses for everyone. Better Safe than sorry!


References:
Hotel Security GMA video

Documentation critical in Security liabilities

One key component of security operations and its efficiency regarding service delivery is documentation. This area directly and indirectly impacted by documentation and its contents are not only protecting information deemed proprietary; the documentation generated can be used in civil and criminal court proceedings. Therefore we must assure its accuracy and thoroughness for recalling incidents and abnormalities that impact operations of the department, division, and/or organization as a whole. A point of emphasis to note, in order for security operations to be a vital component of business operations, processes directed toward problem resolution must be redirected from the reactive methodology often observed, to cultivating and fostering a proactive philosophy in all aspects of conceptualization, planning, training and implementation. This point of emphasis is especially vital in the area of documentation.

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