Leadership in the security arena

The security industry is now embarking on a period of change and development the like of which it has never seen before. The Private Security Industry Act looks set to change the face of manned guarding in the UK, with licensed officers and a move towards five-tier policing the likely outcomes in the longer term. Similarly, organisations that serve the industry are having to change too.

One of them is SITO, the industry's National Training Organisation (NTO), which – due to Government dictats – is soon to be 'reborn' as one of a handful of Sector Skills Councils ('Skilling time', SMT, December 2001, p26-28).

Management training in context

To its credit, the security industry's NTO has found time amid this maelstrom of change to devise what is ultimately a flexible and comprehensive training course suitable for a host of security managers.

The three-day 'Supervisors Training Course' has been designed for all personnel with the operational responsibility for managing security staff, and follows directly from a 'test' pilot course administered last autumn by SITO's training manager Tony Bainbridge.

It consists of eight modules in all, administered in-house via a PowerPoint presentation or covered by managerial attendance at one of SITO's standard regional courses. In essence, the course is designed to "develop within the supervisor a thorough knowledge of the operational aspects of supervising teams, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the supervisor on site".

The basic attributes all managers need were neatly summed up at last November's SITO National Conference: commercial awareness, excellent communication skills, trustworthiness, the ability to lead and motivate, delegation and organisational ability. The definition of an ideal manager is certainly subjective, but these are the core skills.

The supervisory role explained

First of all, the SITO course explains the exact role of the supervisor, defining the job function and the major responsibilities involved.

Different methods of communication are covered in the second module. What exactly is effective communication, and what are the barriers to it? This course will tell managers exactly what they need to know, outlining the rudiments of effective verbal and written communication. Report writing is often the central part of a manager's job, and should never be taken lightly or seen as a chore.

A core skill of any security manager is the ability to lead, and lead by example. SITO offers a concise definition of leadership here, looks at the main leadership qualities a manager will need and – crucially – covers several motivational theories that were tried-and-tested in the November 2001 pilot.

Module Four – simply entitled 'Teamwork' – reviews the theories behind team and/or group interaction, the importance of effective teamwork, the different roles and responsibilities within a security team, the so-called 'five stages' of team working and how to improve team performance.

This course aims to pinpoint the best times on when – and when not – to delegate and examines in some depth the attitudes affecting security managers’ abilities to pass down some of their tasks to others

Delegation and performance reviews

At one time or another most managers have to delegate. The advantages of delegation are obvious (for one, it frees the manager's time

for other tasks including health and safety management and fire protection duties), but when – and when not – to delegate is sometimes less obvious.

The SITO course aims to pinpoint the best times to do both, and examines in some depth the attitudes affecting managers' abilities to pass down some of their tasks to others.

Regular performance reviews of their security officers should be a central tenet of any manager's job. Sadly, this is a requirement and skill that is all-too-often overlooked. For those of you involved in conducting staff appraisals, what do you feel are the factors affecting a successful review? There is a fine line between criticism and feedback.

You'll also need to know how to prioritise tasks when receiving a complaint about one of your officers. Module Six of the 'Supervisors Training Course' shows you how.

Customer service and problem solving

The cost of poor customer service is often inestimable, and should never be taken for granted. You and your security team are often the public face of the company or the organisation for which you work, so every effort must be made to determine from the outset the qualities needed to provide fast and efficient help and advice to site visitors and clients, etc.

Thankfully, Module Seven of the SITO course offers some basic building blocks.

Equally important is an individual manager's ability to deal with problem solving. Want to know the basis for making a sound decision? What are the areas to be avoided in making those decisions? The last module provides a structured approach to decision making that's of great value to any practising professional.