In the security industry, especially at the front-line level. There is a lot of conversation around physical skills. Hard skills include handcuff, Use of Force, and Baton training.
Yet, no matter your security role, you consistently engage with people. This type of communication could be the public, other teammates or managers, and other departments. All too often, communication can break down at this level and is very rarely addressed.
In this post, we will be discussing the value of soft skills. What soft skills and why these skills are a crucial part of any security professional tool belt.
What Are Soft Skills
Soft skills are non-technical skills that depend more on the staff members' traits and professional character. Soft skills can include emotional intelligence, values, and work ethic.
As much as these abilities can be taught and practiced, the outcome is based on the security professionals' pre-established beliefs and core character.
This post is because most organizations value soft skills because you can integrate better into teams and more successful collaboration and contribute to a more positive and motivational work environment.
1. Communication Skills
Communication often falls into three categories. Verbal, Non-Verbal and Written. As a security professional, you use all three of these every day. Some soft communication skills could be active listening, asking meaningful questions, being aware of your voice, and ensuring an open tone.
It is also vital when dealing with friendly members of the public as well as complex individuals. Soft skill communication is essential when interacting with people who need clear guidance or direction, yet ensuring the individual does not become defensive or argumentative as a response.
2. Adaptability Skills
Adaptability is adjusting to new or changing circumstances while reacting positively. As a security professional, you would want to meet your client's or employer's changing needs with curiosity, a positive attitude, and to remain calm, especially when challenged. Adaptability is vital for professional working relationships since it helps you communicate in different styles and can help others feel supported.
3. Teamwork Skills
Teamwork is essential for security professionals. Teamwork skills involve creating and maintaining cooperative relationships. Yet, being able to manage disagreements and conflicts is often why security professionals are requested into situations. Understanding and appreciating other people's suggestions or ideas is the key step toward negotiations. Accept compromise, make occasional sacrifices for the team's good, and view success as a shared achievement.
4. Creativity Skills
Security professionals are often required to create new ideas, explore unconventional possibilities, and invent solutions. Security clients often depend on this level of creativity to solve new, increasing risks to their properties.
5. Time Management
Time management is a habit and a tendency that results in the efficient completion of tasks. Security professionals with solid time management often work more independently and help co-workers remain focused when facing multiple tasks and deadlines. Planning, delegation, decision-making, and organization are critical to successful time management.
6. Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills are the characteristics that make security professionals trustworthy, pleasant to be around, and sensitive to other people's needs. Interpersonal skills include empathy, patience, friendliness and humility. Interpersonal skills are in increasing demand within the security industry as they build trust and professional image and often become leaders when confronting challenges.
7. Attention to detail skills
Attention to detail is the ability of security professionals to remain aware, consistent and accurate in fulfilling their security responsibilities. You are assumed to have this skill as a security professional, yet very few security professionals do. Attention to detail is your ability to think critically, detect patterns, and perceive irregularities. Often, these are the areas where security professionals find incidents and places of concern.
8. Work ethic
Work ethic is how security professionals define their responsibility towards their organization and clients. Security professionals with a strong work ethic consistently put forth their best effort, emphasize professionalism and help co-workers accomplish their goals. A strong work ethic includes discipline, integrity, dependability and a commitment to the job.
9. Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving skills help employees analyze obstacles and determine the best way to resolve them. Security companies and clients often depend on security professionals who practice these skills, including persistence, brainstorming, troubleshooting and lateral thinking. Some common areas security professionals problem-solve include technical issues, interpersonal conflicts and organizational challenges at the security and protection level.
10. Leadership Skills
Leadership skills help set the example for other security professionals and make critical decisions. You do not have to be a manager to demonstrate leadership skills. Leadership Skills are methods of interacting and communication that include trustworthiness, reliability, mentorship and confidence.
Conclusion
As a security professional, there is much more to the security role than only Observing and Reporting. In our ever-changing job market, opportunities for higher security wages, increased responsibility and promotions exist. As the industry starts to change, the security professionals within have to be able to adapt and adjust to meet the client's needs and demonstrate professionalism.