Just Do It! Do What?

In a recent Financial Times article a headline read ’Anxious tech bosses splash out millions on beefing up personal security’. 

It said ‘Tech bosses are particularly vulnerable because of their fame as well as public hostility about corporate profits, lay-offs, data misuse and their increasing political role since the 2024 presidential election campaign’. It is hardly surprising that there has been a 73.5 percent increase in security for the executives from 2020 to 2024.

But it is not just the bosses of tech companies who need to be concerned about their safety. It was only last year that United Healthcare chief Brian Thompson was shot dead by Luigi Mangione.

This must be good news for Bob Morrison, Managing Director of SecTech a personal security firm which he founded in 2006. His interview is our podcast of the week.

Bob candidly says that a good day is when nothing happens. 

But it was not a good day for the Secret Service in Pennsylvania on July 13 2024 when Donald Trump, then former president of the United States and presumptive nominee of the Republic Party in the 2024 survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open air campaign rally near Butler in Pennsylvania.

The dangers of an outdoor campaign in such a small area had not been overlooked neither had the presence of Thomas Crooks the would-be assassin gone unnoticed near the buildings hours before the rally. But the Secret Service had their snipers they knew what to do, but were positioned in the adjacent buildings not on them.

Then minutes before the shooting members of the crowd spotted Crooks on the roof with a gun. Once spotted Crooks fired eight shots into the rally one hit Trump, another fatally wounded a rally goer and two others were injured. The distance from roof to rally was short enough for Cook to be accurate.

Convictions for crimes in our papers everyday. This week Jason King was jailed for nine years for stabbing a neighbour in Wycombe. Police were called at which point King fired at PC Curtis Foster with a cross bow hitting him in the leg. Curtis began to run away from the scene with another unarmed officer, but while doing so urged children playing in the park to leave immediately. The officers were commended for their actions and bravery.

It is easy to think of police in uniform dealing with criminals and personal security officers dealing with would be assassins. They can also be seen black suits travelling in large cars with motorbike outriders to protect celebrities and politicians.

I have been fortunate enough to see personal security officers in action driving at speed through the streets of London. The process of out riders and bullet proof Range Rovers is like a well choreographed dance. But it is not only celebrities and politicians who need protection, it is also their wives and children who want to go shopping without risking their lives. 

In this situation personal protection officers melt into the family group as the wife’s girlfriend, a child’s nanny, or son’s older cousin. The officers are trained to deal with each situation differently and if circumstances get toxic, the family is bundled out of the area immediately, not ifs no buts - just get out - now!

Training for these officers is key. They need to know exactly what to do and when, do it without further thought. Trump’s assassin nearly killed Trump not because they did not know what to do, but had overlooked the danger and proximity of the roof to the rally.

British Business bank is also adamant about the value of training for professional advisers ‘Training is vital for both individual employees and the overall success of an organisation. It equips individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their jobs effectively, enhancing productivity and efficiency. Training also fosters a positive work environment by boosting employee morale, improving customer satisfaction and reducing turnover rates’. 

There are no shortages of business coaches, but I have not seen training on how to win business strategically and efficiently, so I decided to share my experience and research in our Caroline’s Club training program which is supported by a digital platform for easy storage access and sharing of your communication messsges.

The training, which can be accessed by clicking on the button below, is multifaceted.

The first layer is to learn how to communicate your message effectively. Handing out a brochure at a coffee after an event is not an effective way to communicate. Brochures are usually not read and filed in the bin. 

Caroline’s Club not only teaches you how to create effective messages but to so in a digital format so they can be stored, accessed and shared through the Club’s digital platform in a variety of ways.

The second layer teaches you how to use these digital messages at a workshop or event. 

Increasingly, I am told by professional advisers and events organisers that, whereas there is enthusiasm to ‘network’, professionals are no longer inclined to sit through speeches that are not relevant to their practice and do little to increase their productivity.

It is hardly surprising that event organisers are approaching Caroline’s Club to see how our methodology and supporting digital platform can be used to facilitate networking at their event.

Caroline’s Club is also in discussions with larger organisations to find out how the Club’s methodology can be used for cross-referral of business across the organisation, build trust with clients and encourage repeat business.

However, like the training of the military and police, it is not enough to be trained once and hope it sticks. It needs to be repeated and monitored. But as we describe in our training program this can easily be delegated to someone in the marketing department or an efficient executive assistant.

If you would like to find out more, click on the Training Sessions button below and leave a message with Caroline’s Club to sign up to our newsletter and Executive Briefing.