Trust is the one thing that is highly critical to team success. If you have ever managed security guard teams with members who didn’t trust each other, you’ll know how challenging and draining it can be. They’ll rarely cooperate with each other, share information, and/or battle over rights and responsibilities, however qualified and trained they might be.
With trust built in the teams, they can reach the highest levels of productivity and effectiveness. When they trust each other, they can achieve any goal together. As a leader, it becomes your responsibility to ensure that in your security guard teams. So, here are another seven ways to make it possible. To go through the first part of the blog, click here.
Praise Your Security Guards
Everyone loves to be praised. Security guards are no different. Learn to give credit to them when it is due, regardless of their role within the security guard team.
Just a “well done” or “great job” for the guard tour reports they’ve created using the mobile patrol app can lift the whole team’s morale and encourage them to work harder. When you fail to appreciate your team, you are bound to be stuck with security guards frustrated with their job.
Stop The Blame Game
Playing the blame game is one of the sure signs of lack of trust within security guard teams. When security guards start pointing fingers to blame and shame other guards, put it to stop.
Every mistake they commit is a learning opportunity. If you are only going to keep a track of their mistakes and never appreciate their triumphs, you’ll lose your best security guards.
Review Employee Handbook & Policies
The third and the most vital way to build trust in your security guard teams is by regularly reviewing your handbook and policies . Most security guard companies have strict rules embedded into their culture.
Remember, your security guards are professionals who are qualified and fully trained. Respect and honor them by not pestering them with unnecessary rules.
Avoid Micromanaging At All Costs
We cannot begin to emphasize enough to not micromanage your security guard teams because it is rooted in distrust. Micromanagers are afraid that if they don’t manage their security guard teams, they’ll never achieve their goals.
Not surprisingly, that’s how their teams’ productivity decreases. When you’ve hired well-qualified, trained security guards, and guided them, trust your management skills, try GuardsPro guard tour management system to enhance it, and trust them.
Allow Your Guards’ Autonomy
Allowing autonomy in your security guard teams gives each guard to make their own decisions and risks while patrolling on client sites. Showing trust in them to do their jobs motivates and promotes innovation in the way they approach the tasks at hand.
Though remember, in order to give security guard team members increasing room to execute tasks their way, the security guard team members must have been through training.
Provide Feedback Regularly
Feedback, whether positive or negative, is a very powerful way to build trust. Not regularly providing it to your guards can make them feel undervalued and less inclined to be part of the team.
On the other hand, doing it regularly allows you to raise concerns, clear the air, and even motivate the security guard team members. It also encourages the security guards to raise issues they might’ve been reluctant to raise, be it with creating reports or scheduling their shifts using the mobile patrol app.
Admit When You Make Mistakes
Nobody likes to hear excuses. Do you? If not, then the best way to go about it is to be upfront about it. When you realize you were incorrect about something, own up to it.
It’s okay to admit your fault. Being vulnerable is okay. It only humanizes you and makes you appear more trustworthy and honest.
Bottom line:
Building trust within security guard teams must be the highest priority for any security guard company’s leadership. With these simple and easy-to-follow ways, you can get started right now.
