Necessary Psychological Skills When Working in the Executive Protection Field

The "hard" skills necessary for an executive protection specialist (EPS) and/or personal protection specialist (PPS) are often perceived as being that of a policeman or (elite) soldier. Though there can be certain similarities i.e. the use of handguns, hand-to-hand combat and the ability to control a vehicle, most people having worked both in executive protection and either of the latter careers, will deny that the skills are parallel. They may look alike but the methodology of each skill differs from segment to segment.

However, the psychological skills needed are almost identical. Knowing basic psychological skills is essential in this line of business, as it is in law enforcement and military combat. Any person taking responsibility for another person's life will have to consider the adaptability of his/her psychological capabilities in a variety of situations. These will include but are not limited to; adaptability in awkward situations (state of mind going from humble to authoritative or vice versa), adaptability in different work atmospheres (Keeping body and mind relaxed when waiting for a client and suddenly change to a high stress level) and the ever so popular question of considering life-or-death situations (can I kill or will I freeze?).

Knowing, and openly accepting, your physical and psychological limits are a lifesaver. Not only will it save your own life, but it could very well save the lives of your teammates and your client.

Since training in this area is almost non-existing in the private sector, allow me to suggest a few easy-to-conduct training scenarios:

1. Take a student or new EPS/PPS to a party and assign him to a "VIP". It can be your own private party and the "VIP" can be whomever you choose, but be sure to let the "VIP" know that the EPS/PPS are there to look out for them. Depending on your assessment of the EPS the assignment can be a very attractive woman (possible problem: jealousy or multiple worshippers) or a man with a tendency towards drinking (possible problem: inappropriate and/or reckless behavior). Now observe the EPS/PPS throughout the night. If you deem it necessary, have someone help you creating a scene, so as to provoke the right behavior from your "VIP" and hopefully your EPS/PPS.

The direct goal of this scenario will be to find signs of insecurity and/or confusion in the moment where the EPS/PPS has to decide whether or not to intervene. The secondary goal could be to have the EPS/PPS make a written report, right after the debriefing, describing any flaws in his own emotional pattern. Thereby assessing his understanding of self-esteem and related cognitive abilities.

2. Working environment. Take a student or new EPS/PPS on a job with a low-level director/manager. Preferably on a 3-5 day assignment. Let him be a part of the entire planning and let him be part of the personal escort section (introduce him to the director/manager as a disciple if necessary). Now, at any and all meetings, this particular student should be put on post in front of doors, in hallways, offices etc. Let him experience the joys of waiting. Be sure that he gets all information last. Also make him change pace whenever possible. Soon after, observe how the "Relax-hurry" syndrome kicks in. Depending on the students ability to elevate and descend stress hormones he will feel tired after a while, almost leaning towards a depressive state of mind. If he has a low stress border, the before mentioned state of mind will be obvious. If not, it is barely visible. It would be beneficial to weigh the student before you start and right after you stop. People with poor stress control tend to loose more weight, even in a short period of time, than those with a better stress condition. Again let the student make a written report, right after the debriefing, of his physical and emotional wellbeing.

3. Dealing with life-or-death situations can be hard to do under training conditions in the private sector. The mentioned approach may or may not be applicable to your country or culture, but will fit into most cultures in the western world. If your staff already has experienced the mentioned situations, this approach is unnecessary and can trigger grim flashbacks. But it is still a realistic way of dealing with the students or new EPS/PPS who never have been in active combat or equally dangerous situations.

I suggest that you try to deal with this in five tempi:

a) Take any and all of your staff to an undertaker's office and let the undertaker explain their point of view. They normally have a rather pragmatic view on the corps as a holster in which we just reside until we pass away.

b) Thereafter you go to a hospital and visit the emergency room. Some hospitals have guided tours others do not. But the blood-n-guts approach is essential for anyone who later on will be responsible for saving another mans life.

c) If possible, visit a forensic examiner during working hours (some work 8/12-hour shift and can have a rather "cold" approach to things).

d) Take them hunting for deer or similar creatures and let them assist when you skin the prey.

e) Last; let people reflect a few days on what they have seen, before they write a report on their own view on life-or-death situations. They should now be motivated enough to fight back with all that they got, if attacked!

Always remember to let your students train under as realistic conditions as possible. If possible try to use fear induction in the training.

These descriptions may seem harsh and cold. And I admit that a certain percentage of the staff/students will quit when exposed to this kind of training. But I would not have personnel protect me, no matter how physically fit, if they never had been tested emotionally. Nor should you or your client!

Besides from the explained skills, any EPS/PPS should also develop good character judgment, direct/indirect attack recognition skills, be able to recognize manipulation and have an overall assertive approach to people. Not all can have a degree in psychology, but anyone working in the field of executive protection should have some sort of psychological training. This kind of training is part of a normal police academy education as well as part of the average army combat training and should, in my personal point of view, be compulsory in executive protection training.

Henrik Bramsborg is the managing director of Bramsborg Security & safety, a security company based in Denmark. Henrik is a stalking- and surveillance detection specialist and the author of several Danish books on security. Henrik is also an experienced instructor in personal protection, having trained NATO S-FOR forces, police officers, correctional facility officers and private bodyguards. He holds a management degree and is furthermore a certified motivation instructor.

Bramsborg Security & Safety, http://www.bramsborg.com, have been quoted or profiled in several Danish media as the "Danish stalking experts".

---

Becoming A Police Officer Just Became Easier

As many law enforcement candidates can vouch for, taking the police entrance exam can be a stressful and highly competitive experience. I decided to research some preparation... Read More

Words. Words. Words.

They're only words. Some believe the school-yard taunt: "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." They're wrong. Words can hurt you... Read More

Recruiting Excellent Job Candidates

An independent recruiter, recruiting agency or executive search firm is charged with tracking down excellent potential candidates for available job positions. Despite the fact that there are... Read More

Overcoming the 7 Roadblocks Women with Families Face Making Career Changes

Family is the driving force of our lives. You need family to support you and in most homes you need money to support your family. You work... Read More

Where Do I Go From Here?

Making Your Future Work Better For YouIt's the commonest concern people have about their careers. Where am I heading? Is this the right direction for me? How... Read More

How to Overcome a Bad First Impression

Have any of these situations happened to you? Forgetting your client's name, unintentionally insulting a co-worker, spilling coffee on your boss, not recognizing an old friend, drinking... Read More

Goal Setting - Road Map To Achieving Your Career Goals

Goal Setting & ResearchYou can only set informed career goals if you acquire plenty of information about the career choices open to you. This will require research... Read More

Rejection Got You Down in the Job Search?

REJECTION IN THE JOB SEARCHGOT YOU DOWN?It's true, no one wants to be ignored or rejected in any situation. The job search/interview rejection is painful.If you have... Read More

Stop Searching for A Job and Start Attracting Professional Success!

1. Assess ? Evaluate your skills, interests and abilities. Understand the transferable value in the marketplace.2. Translate ? Communicate your competencies and expertise through well-crafted oral and... Read More

Integrity At Work - How Do You Show Up?

As the business sections of today's papers and magazines read more and more like the police blotter, ''Integrity'' is fast becoming a hot topc of conversation in... Read More

Consulting: A Different World

I won't say I have a vast array of knowledge as a consultant...collectively I've only been doing it about 8 years. However, there are some things that... Read More

10 Major Signs of Job Dissatisfaction

The New Year is a great time to analyze your job and the satisfaction you get from doing it. Running the rat race is just that, scurrying... Read More

So You Want To Be a Nurse When You Grow Up?

You're interested in becoming a nurse. How do you get into the field? First of all, you need to assess your basic interest. Why do you want... Read More

Career Change - Is Your Career A Good Fit Or Is It Causing Pain?

Do you leap out of bed in the morning looking forward to the day ahead?Do you love your job and find that your working day goes past... Read More

Nonverbal Interview Behavior

Non-verbal interview behavior can drown out your verbal self-presentation.Practice interviewing in front of a full-length mirror or, better yet, videotape yourself if you have access to such... Read More

Get a Raise: How To Ask Your Boss For More Money

How many people do you know who think they deserve a pay rise, but are too scared to ask? You might even be one of those people!... Read More

Ten Great Careers For Single Parents

The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether you're a mother or father, can be very difficult. Add the burden of having to be out of... Read More

Dynamic Pre-Hiring Practices

The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. Much time and energy can be invested and in the end, wasted, if your approach is not focused, deliberate, and... Read More

Have Some PASTA with Your Interview

When cyclists prepare for a big race, they always make sure they load up on the carbs. It is not uncommon to have a pasta feed the... Read More

Oil, Lube and Filter Employee Pay

We have been studying the labor rates of Oil, Lube and Filter Quick Lube Facilities and we are finding that the pay is lower than you might... Read More

Doing What You Love

What do you want to be when you grow up? I'm sure you were asked this question at least once when you were a youngster. When asked... Read More

Cover Letter Warning: Watch Out For the BIG BAD WORD!

Dear Job-Seeker:Just as Goldilocks was suspicious of the big bad wolf, be wary of the big bad word! You know the kind. Pursuant. Heretofore. Credence and all... Read More

Working On A Farm In Kent

Being a student, a person needs to look for summer jobs, to keep up with the expenses for school and fun activities. This task is not always... Read More

In Control - Inside Tips on Interview Success

No, you can't control how the interview will be conducted, nor can you control the outcome. But you can influence it greatly by the way you present... Read More

Tips on Finding Employment as a Corporate Flight Attendant

I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic to write about. In fact, my knowledge of how one finds work as a private flight attendant... Read More

No Degree, No Problem

According to a recent survey, 52% of job candidates polled lied on their resume about having a college degree. Here are 3 brief horror stories: A new... Read More