Collaboration and relationship building:
Security managers need to build positive working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and external partners. Collaboration and teamwork are essential for effective security management across different departments and functions. We can no longer rely on working in silos as has been the practice for far to long. Over the last few years, initiatives like the CSC and Police and Security Partnerships (PAS) have driven this approach to collaboration to new levels, but it’s still not where it needs to be.
As a manager can you honestly say that you have sought out the neighbouring security teams, managers, identified and met with the police, CTSA, CTPO, DOCO, BID, Servator teams etc., and have a regular stream of information and updates about local issues? These partnerships are vital. As a manager, make sure your contacts web is effective and current.
Adaptability and flexibility has to be a key skill. Security managers/leaders often face evolving security threats and changing circumstances. Being adaptable and flexible allows those in charge to adjust their strategies and approaches to effectively address new challenges. Day-to-day operations, staff logistics, last-minute changes, train strikes, sickness, etc., all these change how the deployment is applied and where the management focus is directed. Remember though, any serious incident won’t happen when you are fully crewed with your best officers and no additional responsibilities.
Communication, risk management and analytical skills:
Effective communication is crucial for a security manager. They must be able to clearly articulate security policies, procedures, and instructions to their team members, as well as communicate with other stakeholders as required. Understanding the importance of communications in response to risk and crisis is vital. Risk management expertise and the need to understand risk assessment and management principles is vital. There are many examples, for example, such as the National Decision making Model (NDM), to allow for considered responses. These models can be scaled to meet all incidents.
Things happen outside our ideal circumstances, and you cannot offer up day- to-day operations as an excuse for not responding as appropriate. I refer back to the evidence and reporting section.
These go in tandem with analytical and problem-solving skills, possessing strong analytical skills to assess complex security situations, analyse information and make informed decisions. Be adept at problem solving, identifying vulnerabilities, and developing effective solutions; this means the ability to identify potential security risks, develop strategies to mitigate them, and implement appropriate controls and measures is a key element. These aspects do impact the day-to-day issues but are an absolute essential in the wider awareness of risk and threats.
Security is a dynamic field, and a good security manager understands the importance of ongoing learning. Ensuring that you have solid collaborations means that you can share best practice, learn from the latest industry developments, attend relevant forums, training programmes etc. and encourage your team members to enhance their skills and knowledge. I have found that the links to good industry contacts assist greatly in personal development; you cannot know everything, or attend every course or meeting, but you can share these to benefit those in your immediate sphere.
Overall, a good security manager possesses a combination of leadership, technical expertise, communication skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement. They should be able to create a secure environment and protect the organisation's assets while fostering collaboration and maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders.
Jon Felix BSc (Hons), MDIP, MBCI, MSyl,
M.ISRM Risk and Threat Advisor CIS Security
www.cis-security.co.uk
CITY SECURITY MAGAZINE – AUTUMN 2023
www.citysecuritymagazine.com
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