More Than An Officer: Leading The Way In Workplace Change
The role of the security officer has changed. We’ve developed from simply manning an entrance to having a complex understanding of the organisation we’re representing. During the pandemic, we saw officers transitioning from managing occupied buildings to empty spaces, and then planning for reoccupation with changes to security and access control. After a difficult 18 months, people are now back in buildings meaning another shift is happening, which will see security officers at the forefront of workplace change.
The ‘new normal’ will demand a joined-up approach from business departments looking to adapt to the return to the workplace. Separate functions will need to work together as one to overcome the challenges ahead. To succeed in this ‘new normal’, teams will only be able to create the right post-pandemic workplace by collaborating with each other, and as the face of an organisation, security officers will play a vital part in the collaboration between these departments.
Collaboration for success
It’s easy for business divisions to focus on their individual objectives, but this is a narrow-minded approach. The big picture and associated company objectives can only be obtained when they collaborate with each other. For example, real estate and facilities teams will only be able to create the right post-pandemic workplace by talking to HR to get a better understanding of how employees want to use the office in the future. These departments will then need to explain to HR how the building and equipment available can also better employee conginitivity as well as customer satisfaction.
The key steps to collaborating successfully are:
- Open-mindedness
- Clear and thoughtful communication
- Efficient organisation
- Long-term and big picture thinking
- Adaptability
- Debating ideas
Despite knowing the correct steps for successful collaboration, speaking with other business functions may seem daunting, with people reluctant to journey outside of their own ‘tribes’. Therefore, the biggest question is how do we get these departments to speak with each other?
The bridge between departments
The problem is none of these departments speak the same business language. Many departments think linearly and are incapable of seeing outside of their tunnel vision. This is when security officers can play an important role. As the all-seeing eye of an organisation that observes customers and employees on a daily basis, we are the bridge that can connect these functions. Security officers are already collaborating with other departments, and are often on first name basis with everyone from the CEO to the cleaners. We watch, we listen, we understand the building inside and out.
We’re more than a cog in a well-oiled machine, we are the cog that keeps the machine connected. By talking to employees from different departments about what we know, security officers can find themselves at the forefront of the workplace, leading the way in workplace change. Take the time to talk to employees, tell them what you see and hear. Our knowledge can be the missing link to making the working environment better for everyone.
