Mindset

It’s been years now, but I still remember Mr. Patterson, or as we middle school aged Karate students called him, “Sensei Patterson”, telling us:

“The way you practice is the way you are! Don’t expect to be able to do this in real life if you don’t practice hard now!”

In the many years since, I’ve dabbled in the study of martial arts on and off as the ebb and flow of my life has changed. I’ve had many instructors in many styles, and even though I’m still no expert, I enjoy the feeling of a hard practice; the camaraderie of helping others achieve their goals and, in turn, being helped as well. Nonetheless, as enjoyable as these aspects of training are, they are just the window dressing; Sensei Patterson’s statement still rings true “The way you practice is the way you are!”. In other words, a right mindset followed by right action is the key to success in martial arts and in life.

After seventeen years serving as a security professional with and for various organizations, I’ve seen evidence that this concept is the foundation upon which all successful security programs are based. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen the following common, but wrong security mindsets:

The Checklist Mindset:
The Checklist Mindset says that the mere presence of a security program is, by itself, adequate to prevent incidents. It isn’t. While several elements go into the make up of a security program, it takes committed people to prevent harmful events. As an individual, you too must be committed to your own personal security program to make it work.

The Denial Mindset:
The Denial Mindset says that because the odds of a critical incident occurring at any given location or to any particular person are low, there is no reason to plan or to inconvenience ourselves with security procedures. People who hold this mindset are usually correct about one thing; the odds are low, unfortunately, the exception more than makes up for the rule. In the event of a critical incident, a lack of planning or a breakdown in procedures will take an already chaotic situation and make it worse.

Defeatist Mindset:
The Defeatist Mindset says that “If someone really wants to_______________, they’ll find a way.” While there is some element of truth to this statement, there is an unsubstantiated assumption as well. The assumption is that no amount of security can deter a hostile actor. This is only true for highly motivated or highly irrational adversaries. Most criminals aren’t highly motivated; if they were, they’d be doing something productive. They are also generally rational people; given the choice between an easy target and a difficult one, they will typically opt for the easy one. The most negative thing about this mindset is that it is often used to justify inaction against all potential adversaries.

Not My Job Mindset:
The “It’s not my job” mindset says that security is only the concern of professionals. Consider the events of a several months ago; the FBI arrested of several people in New Jersey on terror related charges. A video store worker, in the course of normal business noticed that a tape, brought in by his customers, showed information related to terror activities. If that video store worker hadn’t reported what he saw, there may have had another terrorist attack on US soil. Now consider; what do you see and do every day that may impact the safety of your family or community?

I’m Too Busy Mindset:
The “I’m too busy” mindset is closely related to the “It’s not my job mindset”. This mindset says that the amount of activity one is engaged in is so great that short-cuts are acceptable. “After all”, says the person who holds this mindset, “I’m busy and besides, what are the odds?” While security procedures should be as user friendly as possible, there is some inconvenience that is inherent in having to protect people, information, reputation and property. In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to lock our doors or be concerned about fraud and violence, but we do not live in a perfect world. The time “saved” by ignoring security can result in greater losses.

There are, of course, many other wrong mindsets, but there is also a right mindset:

The Right Mindset:
Bad things happen to someone, somewhere everyday. Today may be our turn. By taking reasonable steps to prepare, we can help to prevent or, at least, mitigate harmful events. Even if we are not security professionals, we can take reasonable steps to protect ourselves, our families, our workplaces and our nation. After all, “How we practice is how we are!”

By: SA Watson