Who will be our next leaders?

April 2nd, 2010

No, I’m not talking about Gordon Brown or David Cameron leading the next government, I’m thinking about our industry and the companies that will be leading the field locally, nationally and internationally, over the next 3,5 and 10 years.

Leadership and management: just another piece of management speak? It’s certainly true that the phrase crops up regularly at seminars and in business publications, but what is undeniable is that successful companies recognise that leadership and management skills are an intrinsic part of what makes them good at what they do.

At the heart of leadership and management is engagement with employees to get the right results for the company, its customers and the workforce so that everyone knows what the goals are, how they will be achieved and what contribution they as individuals can make to the wider objectives and thus the success of the company.

Easy to say, but what does that actually mean? It means that supervisors and managers have to acquire the skills and understanding that enables them to get the best out of their teams. That involves recognising what motivates the various members of the team; understanding individual strengths and weaknesses; knowing how best to exploit different talents and aid the development of new ones; creating a positive and more productive working environment……… the list goes on.

Of course, all companies will claim that they are committed to good management practices, but simply saying the words is not enough. Management and the ability to lead people are skills that have to be learned and then practised and developed over time. It’s probably true that there are some “born leaders”, but it would be a very lucky company that managed to recruit all of its managers from this tiny pool!

So the development of management and leadership skills must surely be part of any company’s development programme, and there are sound business reasons for taking the subject seriously. Richard Punt is a Strategy Partner for Delloitte, which has been researching leadership and management; he says “Just as a recession can expose weak leadership; it also creates real opportunities for those brave enough to take decisive action. It is about leadership and the leader’s ability to both conceive and deliver a vision while managing the priorities of the here and now. The current business environment is creating conditions in which firms can distinguish themselves from competitors, and those that are confident, determined and well lead will emerge as victors.”

It would be a mistake to assume that Richard’s comments apply solely to senior managers with responsibility for strategic vision and direction. Good junior and middle managers who lead their teams effectively can be just as important in creating that distinctive image for the company, particularly in an industry like ours where much of what we do is carried out in the public eye and on our customers premises. Line managers have a critical role to play in engaging the workforce to deliver the company’s objectives, but they themselves need to be engaged and motivated, and that means providing them with the skills and knowledge to be effective leaders.

All businesses plan for the future and, in good businesses, that forward thinking will include succession planning. With the “Baby Boomers” heading for retirement there will be an imminent shortage of very experienced middle and senior managers. Their replacements must be identified, nurtured and developed now if they are to be ready to provide the all-important leadership that companies will need to survive.

Lack of management skills is often identified by employers across our industry as a cause for concern. Similarly, many junior and middle managers tell us that they do not feel adequately equipped to perform their roles to the best of their ability. And yet there is no shortage of relevant training programmes available, from one-day courses to university degree programmes, some offering very flexible learning options. If the problem has been identified, the need for action has been acknowledged and the solutions are available, what are we waiting for?

If I’ve made you pause for thought great, better still if I have spurred you to action, either way please get in touch to get more information on how to take the next steps and what support is available.

On the other hand, if you think you are already using great leadership and management to outperform your competitors then let me know and we’ll make a case study together to demonstrate what can be done, even in these tough times.

Contact Skills for Security on 08450 750 111 or email info@skillsforsecurity.org.uk.

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Taking a step forward

April 1st, 2010

Stuart Galloway, Senior Associate at WSG Associates, discusses his views on the new SIA developments for licence linked qualifications.

As an industry we are again entering into a new era in the development of Licence Linked Qualifications.  These changes begin with Security Guarding, CCTV (PSS) Operators, Close Protection and Vehicle Immobilisers within the first quarter of 2010. Door Supervision is to follow in June 2010, here it is anticipated that we will see the biggest change with the proposed introduction of Physical Intervention.

The model for these changes as a whole is without doubt in my opinion a step in the right direction, in providing a quality and professional pre employment programme, for new entrants to our industry. Under the previous qualifications, learners may have under gone training in Guarding for example only to participate a few weeks later in the CCTV (PSS) Operators training, having already been trained in the generic subject areas such as Health and Safety and Communication Skills for example. The introduction of unitisation with Common and Specialised units, means that repetition of training does not occur, which in essence saves money and provides an improved learning experience for the learner.  These changes seemed to be supported by a recent survey on the WSG website asking “Do you think the new SIA Licence Linked Modular Training will benefit the Private Security Industry?” where 79% stated yes, 16% saying No and 5% undecided.

What I am not convinced about is the introduction of the very limited First Aid content, especially when there are clear guidelines from the HSE within the First Aid at Work (FAW) Regulations about First Aid at Work training. Door staff and Security officers are at the front-line, so they are often the first on the scene when an injury or accident occurs and so are ideally placed to respond to an incident. Yet apparently our industry and its regulators do not recognise the importance of First Aid and are only requiring one very basic assessment within the common unit in relation to dealing with emergencies to be completed for the licence.  This training advises an individual on how to make an appropriate response if present at an accident. In my opinion this is not enough, surely this training is just common sense, anyone knows how to dial 999!  Imagine the following scenario; a security officer is carrying out their assignment instructions late in the evening. They are the only ones on duty, and happen to come across an employee working late at their desk. This employee has just swallowed a piece of food which is stuck in their throat and is choking. While the employee is panicking and gasping for air, the security officer has to then leave him and phone for an ambulance feeling unable to assist as they do not have the appropriate training. Immediate first aid attention can prevent the situation from worsening and may even save lives. This may not be an everyday occurrence, but surely as the Security Officer training states, the primary role of a Security Officer is “Protection of Life”.

The industry is making advancements with further Physical Intervention training for door supervisors, so why aren’t we now making the same strive forward with First Aid for other security staff? Enhanced training would enable security personnel to provide on-the-scene attention and provide emergency first aid procedures straight away.

The SIA has helped to raise standards within the industry but I do not believe that the current First Aid requirements are of a high enough standard. We need to ensure that staff are fully trained to carry out their duties to the best of their ability so they can offer a professional, high standard of service to all clients. We cannot change the current structure of the qualifications, but the security sector can push forward and we should strive to offer services that are above the basic level of standards specified by the SIA.

Do you agree with Stuart or do you believe the licence-linked qualifications are adequate for the security industry? We would like to hear your views…

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The future is – training

April 1st, 2010

It is official; the Government has announced that we are now technically ‘out of the recession’ – OK so it’s only a measly last quarter growth of 0.1% but hopefully it’s the ‘first green shoots of recovery’. Well, this may be the case but many organisations still fear for the future of their economic stability and future growth.

Of course economic downturns are always bad news, but it’s also true that “Out of recession grows opportunity” and, therefore, it is important that companies focus on moving onward and upward, and are ready to take advantage of the opportunities when they arise.

A key element in being prepared to take advantage of opportunities, and one that is too often overlooked, is your workforce. It is your people who give you competitive advantage, and investing in employee development through training is the key to all successful organisations. Even in these difficult trading conditions, many companies within the security industry (many of them your competitors) are being proactive in ensuring that they are investing in their employees, to build the best trained workforce, ready to adapt to the future challenges and respond to the opportunities.

Study after study has proved the benefits of investing in training and, although there is an initial cost, employers soon reap the rewards. You not only create people who can do the job better, but you get happier clients, you can command higher prices, enjoy improved morale among your workforce, lower staff turnover, increased loyalty and attract better quality applicants – those who are looking for careers rather than just a stop-gap job.

I would like to take this opportunity to discuss one particular area of training that is a particular passion of mine: apprenticeships. Skills for Security has been offering high quality apprenticeship programmes in the security and fire systems sectors for many years, and have had great pleasure in seeing those apprentices grow, develop and progress their careers  - in some cases setting up their own systems installation companies. The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) recently dedicated a whole week celebrating the talents and skills of apprentices and demonstrating the value they provide to organisations – so why isn’t every company grabbing the new talent that is available at such low cost.

Perhaps you still believe some of the myths surrounding apprenticeships?  If so I would like to take this opportunity to address some of these head on:

Myth number 1 – ‘Apprentices just make the tea and sweep the floor and are not really of much use to my business.’

This is incorrect; properly managed and supported apprentices deal with a wealth of different tasks and deliver real returns to your bottom line. They are working while they learn. 80% of employers who employ apprentices agree they make their workplace more productive, and 81% of consumers favour using a company which takes on apprentices.

Myth number 2 – ‘Many employers are concerned that they will lose their apprentice to alternative employers once they are qualified. ‘

Apprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that has invested in them. They have chosen this method of learning and have committed to progress their future career. 88% of employers who employ apprentices believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.

Myth number 3  - ‘I have an employee who could be an apprentice but I have to wait 6 months for them to be able to start their training, because of the academic year. ‘

You don’t have to wait until the traditional September intake to enrol your employee on an apprenticeship scheme. Actually we work with many colleges and training centres to make sure that they can accept students throughout the year on either day or block release, so you can start your training as soon as possible.

Myth number 4 - ‘Apprenticeships are not recognised as academic training.’  

The objective of an apprenticeship is to offer practical work-based training, but the programme is made up of a variety of elements. The apprentice attends college or a training centre for one day per week (or if it suits your business better, blocks of release a week at a time) to study systems theory, whilst practical skills are learned in the workplace, giving you the best of both worlds. With regards to academic recognition, the Government is certainly recognising that the skills learnt and developed through an apprenticeship scheme are valuable, and this is being demonstrated in their consideration to give University tariff allocation points to level 3 and 4 apprenticeships, enabling them to be on par with A-levels and provide progress onto Foundation degrees.

Myth number 5 – ‘I can’t afford to train an apprentice as it is very costly.’

The Government offers employers free training for 16-19 year old apprentices and a significant part of the training cost for older apprentices. There are also a number of additional Government initiatives currently available, offering monetary incentives to assist with employing an apprentice, so actually it may cost you either nothing or very little. One in five employers is taking advantage of the extra support currently available and hiring more apprentices to help them through the tough economic climate.

 So, why should the systems sector take notice of apprenticeships?

Don’t just take my word for it – Study after business study has proved the benefits companies in our sector gain from training.

With nearly a million young jobless, we have a pool of talented and enthusiastic workers waiting to commence employment, we don’t just have a moral duty to support these young people, there is also an economic argument too. 83% of employers who employ apprentices rely on the apprenticeship programme to provide the skilled workers of the future. Apprenticeships develop a workforce that has both the technical knowledge and the practical skills that your business needs and your customers demand. We need employers to consider the apprenticeship scheme, to harness fresh new talent and thereby help to produce the next generation of skilled workers for the industry.

Skills for Security will be happy to provide advice and guidance for anyone interested in how the systems apprenticeship scheme works and practical support so you are free to manage your business. Please contact the apprenticeship team on 08450 750 111 or email info@skillsforsecurity.org.uk.

* Statistics courtesy of a survey compiled on behalf of NAS details at www.apprenticeships.org.uk

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