Supervisors in security guarding companies are usually responsible for a small team of individuals carrying out similar tasks. They must, of course, be familiar with the work being undertaken and should be competent in it themselves, otherwise it’s difficult to judge whether the quality of their work is good enough, or to ascertain if tasks are being completed in the best way.
Very often, it’s simply because a security officer shows flair for the job that they’re promoted to a supervisory position. Is being competent sufficient grounds for making someone a supervisor over others?
We’ve all heard the expression ‘over-promoted’, whereby an individual is appointed to a role where they find themselves out of their depth. This can be the case where someone is particularly good in their current position but is then ‘rewarded’ with a move to a new role requiring totally different skills.
When this happens, security businesses can – and often do – suffer in three different ways. First, they’ll lose someone who’s both happy and successful in their work. Second, the host organisation will lose out by turning that person into someone who doesn’t perform well, and is therefore unhappy.
Third, in many cases there can be loss of discipline among the workforce due to the fact that the supervisor is largely ineffectual.
Combination of tasks
Being a supervisor certainly isn’t an easy option. Indeed, the role can be hugely demanding in that it combines front line operational responsibilities with those of the managerial kind. In effect, it’s two jobs in one. Supervisors have to be decision-makers, planners, overseers, delegators, problem solvers, crisis managers, people managers, coaches and – if we’re honest – carriers of the can when anything goes awry.
To discharge their responsibilities effectively, the supervisor needs certain skills and knowledge. The commonality between the two is that both have to be learned. We are born with innate abilities – the ability to draw breath, to open our eyes, cry and move our limbs, but at birth we have no knowledge of ourselves, nor indeed the world around us. We have to gather that knowledge and store it in our brain for future use as we grow and experience life.
Similarly, we have no skills when we’re born. We can move our limbs, but we have to learn the skill of walking. We can make sounds, but we must learn how to talk.
Given that both skills and knowledge need to be learned, is it sufficient – or justifiable – to afford someone the degree of responsibility discussed above and yet expect them to accept that responsibility without being trained? It certainly isn’t good for the individual, and it certainly can’t be beneficial to the business.
Key skills for the role
What, then, are the key skills demanded of the supervisor? First, technical knowledge – what tasks need to be completed and when? It’s difficult to supervise people if you don’t understand what they’re doing. Then there’s the need to know company policies and procedures, ensuring that all work conforms to the individual employer’s guidelines. Knowledge of company priorities will also assist the supervisor in delivering short term business objectives.
In this increasingly regulated world of ours, an understanding of the implications of laws relating to the security environment – as well as more general employment and Health and Safety legislation and practices – is nothing less than essential. Importantly, supervisors must also be familiar with the principles of leadership if they’re going to succeed in managing their teams.
Supervisors undoubtedly have a role to play in controlling costs pertaining to overtime, waste reduction and fleet running costs. Therefore, they must understand their responsibilities and what they can do to control financial outlay.
Turning to the skill sets required to perform this hugely important role, top of the agenda is people management skills that will ensure the individual talents of team members are both recognised and exploited. There must be an understanding of how different management approaches will work with different personalities and how effective teamwork may be stimulated.
Frequently, the supervisor will be the first point of reference for end users of the guarding service. They most certainly influence customers’ perceptions of the contractor. Do your supervisors have the necessary customer service skills, awareness of the consequences of poor service and how good service might well be overshadowed by poor presentation?
Training and mentoring staff
Training and mentoring staff forms part of supervisory responsibilities. We all know the maxim that the better the teacher, the more we are likely to learn, but exactly how many supervisors have been taught coaching and mentoring skills?
Supervisors simply must be effective in managing their own and other peoples’ time by way of ensuring that work is prioritised and deadlines met. Have your supervisors ever been on a time management course?
Allied to time management, project management training is also beneficial. Supervisors play an important role in contributing to job planning, and then overseeing – and possibly adjusting – operations to meet the objectives of the original plan.
In a similar vein, communication skills are crucial in today’s business world. An understanding of the benefits of using different forms of communication for different situations, the need to communicate properly and in an appropriate fashion, both vertically and horizontally, internally and with the market/customers.
Of course, there are certain natural qualities that contribute to effective supervision, but no-one is born a supervisor. Even the most talented of individuals need to be taught essential skills and knowledge if they’re to contribute to the success of the business.
Given the importance of the supervisor’s role in the guarding sector, can you afford not to invest in their development?
