Protection and Communication - why executive protection/close protection is doing it all wrong and what you can do differently!

I will just get right to the point. Communication is the essence of our over-all culture, and a key element of what drives business. I think we can all agree that it is what’s driving the world to move at record pace, whether we like or not. 

Therefore, lack of good communication can be a “deal breaker”. In the close protection and executive protection field this is highlighted on a daily basis. Operationally, teams need to be able to communicate without delay; and minutes and seconds can be critical. Moving in motorcades, advances, and client/principal movements, seconds matter, and can quickly change the over-all success of an operation.

Communication is VERY high on the list of importance during the planning phase of operation. And at the corporate level, literally millions of dollars are budgeted to ensure operational communication success.

As a corporate EP/CP Manager, I managed the day to day short notice international/domestic travel and support needs of my Principal and my team. I had to operate in a continual “hyper-mode” (you can thank my wife for the term). This mode consisted of responding to ALL communication with seconds, 24/7. I did this because the stakes were high. If I missed a call or a text, I or my team could in fact miss our own Principal’s movements by just a hare's breath. Quite literally there were times when I would see a text, forward it along, and at that moment our Principal would appear around the corner, waiting for my guys to greet him. One missed communication and your whole team falls flat on their face.

I can’t count the times that I or my team would arrived at a requested location, or to the car or plane, just seconds before our principals. Knowing that if that email, text, What’s App or phone call had come in 5 seconds later, we would have not made it. 

 I think you get the point. Quick, efficient communication is paramount for success. 

So why does this model break-down, and come to a screeching halt outside of actual operations?

This brings me to the “Non-Operational” side of things. This is where most people fail to succeed, and I have also fallen into prey to this complacency at times.

When you work in a fast-paced, high stress industry, it is very hard to be 'on' all the time. It is mentally taxing, and any normal human is going to need a break!

That being said, there is an odd dichotomy in our field, where the same attention to detail and responsiveness that is a basic assumption in the work environment, literally goes out the window when it comes to the more fundamental business development side of things.

This is where its get tough, depending on the amount and flow of operations. We all have had times where we are traveling for a week or so, and had to “check out” of normal chatty comms with our family and buddies. This is normal, and those of you who have worked in this business for a while will get it. You have to focus to do your work, and to do that you've got to tone down your normal communications to focus on the work ones that will help you stay employed.

It’s what we do when things calm down, or what we don’t do…..

I will be the first one to say that I times, I've got to just tune out, for my own mental health. But, I also know that I've got to balance my need for down-time with the ever-present, and I would argue, equally important time to remain responsive to work contacts and requests.

It’s the non-operational communication that makes the difference, and truly defines who we are, and the way we are perceived in this industry. You are the only one who is aware of the detail you just finished late last night, or the month-long trip you just returned from. The rest of the industry in the meanwhile is operating on word-of-mouth referrals, late night phone calls and emergency connections to ensure that principals are covered and teams are adequately supported.

This is not a judgment. It's a fact of life that any of us in this industry have to balance.

I was recently at a national security conference and it reminded me of how important effective communication and networking is in the general terms of career success.

For the most part, the executive protection/close protection field (guys and gals) are not known for being very cordial, or for their openness. We are viewed as being very guarded and secretive. I had a former Director who took great pride in referring to our security detail as 'thugs or spooks' (trust me, we did not see eye-to eye). But I generally understood his bias.

I was reminded of this at our latest national conference, where indeed, the secretive/segmented, and yes, competitive field of Executive Protection/Close Protection was just no-where to be found, other than just a few companies that have rejected the old communication models of the past. And trust me, those companies stand out.

Unlike other security industries that thrive in the public sector and communicate openly, the Executive Protection field just falls flat on its face in the open market.

It reminds me of one of my favorite movie lines in “Cool Hand Luke” with Paul Newman. As the Camp Warden says “Gentleman! What we have here, is a failure to communicate”.

For the most part, our industry sucks at effective communication. 
I'm sure you've observed this by now.

I fully understand that to a degree, the lack of open communication is closely related to the majority of EP/CP backgrounds. To have an interest in this field, you are by nature a 'certain' kind of individual (I myself am one, so don't take this as an insult).

However, you’re not in the Police Service, Military/S2, CIA, NSA, FBI, SWAT or any other government service (at least not anymore). These institutions generally operate in closed silos, and don’t need to advertise for business, or communicate with outside entities. 

The private sector for the most part in the last 10 years has shifted from this old way of thinking, and good ol' boy mentality. This means if you are a company or contractor and want to work, you need to learn how to put yourself out there, and communicate with people outside of your closed silo.

Look at the past and current executive protection industry in US (termed close protection in rest of the world) and think of how a successful company would effectively operate within that field. Can you imagine any other industry that would succeed utilizing the traits below as an effective business model?

·      Secrecy and no communication

·      No advertising

·      No returned phone calls, emails or any communication with outside entities

·      Not attending or participating in associations or conferences

I'm sure some of you may be smiling by now, but really...does this sound like a recipe for success?

Don’t be the one who waits until you’re looking for work, or are unemployed to start communicating and networking. And trust me, it will come off that way. No good, experienced person just mysteriously appears at the age of 40. I can assure you that the rest of the industry and clients say, “Who are you and where did you come from”.

Don’t fall into the old way of operating like many of our predecessors in the security or EP/CP industry. You know what I'm talking about. Secrecy, hiding in dark corners assuming a red phone will ring in your secret room with a gig...those guys are a dying breed and will die on the vine. Don’t die with them…..

So what am I saying, what should you be doing?

Here’s a few things to start…

·      Put yourself out there and communicate outside your immediate circle

·      Think of yourself as a Brand, and communicate that way

·      Treat your security business like a Brand and communicate that

·      Communicate with known industry professionals

·      Get over yourself, and put your self-esteem issues aside, and communicate

·      Quit thinking you know everything, and don’t need to communicate

·      Answer emails and return phone calls (and please don't wait until you’re un-employed or just need something)

·      Reach out to people you don’t actually know (you never know, they might be nice). The rest of the world actually has a name for this. It's called 'networking'.

·      Get a dose of humility and civility and communicate effectively with peers and the unknown

 Am I being a bit facetious. Yes. Sarcastic. Yes. But do I want to help you? Hell yes, I truly do!

Whether it used to be this way, or not, the reality is that Executive/Close Protection is now a business like most other businesses. We the practitioners need to adapt to the changing expectations of the business world, and from my perspective I just don't see that happening quickly enough.

I want you all to be employed. I want you all to have great jobs. But if you can't present and communicate effectively, then all my great intentions can't help you.

Communication is not just for the job you are on right now.

It's not just for movements and advance work.

Communication is necessary for your career. Period. Help others, help you. Manage your communications well. Take a break when you need to, and take care of yourself. But once you've recouped from work, get back in there! Respond to people as quickly as you can. Stay in connection with others in our field. Attend industry events and courses. I'm telling you, it matters!