The Changing Role of Security Supervision

By: Charles Thilodeau, CPP, CSS
March 2001
Reprint Protection News

Throughout the foreseeable future, security supervisors will have to deal with many changing trends. To continue to be effective, supervisors must be flexible and capable of maintaining their perspective in the face of these rapidly changing conditions.

Supervision has traditionally been a juggling act of keeping pace with the tasks of planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, leading, motivating and coaching. Although supervisors have always been responsible for balancing the needs of the employees with the needs of the organization, today’s supervisors are additionally faced with the demands of work force diversity, workplace violence, tight budgets and downsizing, new technology and overbearing government regulations.

Workplace controversy caused by society’s work ethic changes, which are taking place at an alarming rate, have a negative impact on productivity and employee attitudes toward their employers and fellow employees. New and more serious consequences of both internal and external adverse behavior threaten the stable, relatively predictable environment of our work sites. Risk management complexity and problem resolution procedures involving the security department today seem to exceed security expectations of just a decade ago, with the threat of law suits and government regulatory agency sanctions at the top of the threat list.

Shifting employee expectations, changing employee attitudes regarding behavior and authority, employees demanding to participate in decision making through participatory management, the need for acquiring and developing human resources, and the demand for higher quality performance outcomes are but a few of the pressing issues facing supervisors of the new millennium. Based on these supervisory perplexities, that offer nothing but unfavorable choices, the inescapable requirement for security supervisors is leading edge training and educational certification programs. That is where the IFPO fits in.

The IFPO is dedicated to the development and delivery of leading edge private security training materials. For instance, the 2nd edition of the IFPO Security Supervisor Training Manual is about to come off the presses with 23 new chapters. These new chapters deal directly with the above mentioned issues. In addition, the Certified Security Supervisor certification, (CSS), is by far one of the most prestigious levels of accomplishment any security supervisor can obtain. It proudly announces to employers and perspective employers that the holder of this certification is sufficiently trained to be a security supervisor. In fact it may be adequate proof that the holder of this CSS certification is the most qualified person for the position or promotion being offered.

The bottom line here is this. If you or anyone you know is interested in staying on top of this fast paced demanding occupation of Security Supervision, be aware that the IFPO is the key to helping you mitigate your day-to-day workplace challenges. Be sure to obtain a copy of the new IFPO Security Supervisor Training Manual when it comes out and sign up for the CSS certification if you have not already done so.