Are You RESPONSIBLE or Not?
Written by Robert D. Sollars
Whether you are actually responsible for security or not, I don’t care. It’s YOUR responsibility as well as a human being. YOUR responsibility is to speak up and let your opinion be heard. YOU to let YOUR thoughts and mindset be pushed forward to those in charge.
It doesn’t matter who you report to. Whether you’re just a ‘simple underling/peon, middle-level peon, or a supervisor in the multitude of layers that entails. You need to speak up and keep speaking up and telling those in charge of your concerns.
Since this is a security blog, that’s what I’m talking about. The security of your organization, co-workers/students, and those who may be just visiting the facility. YOU are in charge of everyone’s security at the facility.
Don’t argue with me and tell me that that is why they have security and all that damned fucking technology and sekurty gards…to keep tabs on us and keep us safe. It doesn’t work that way, especially when it comes to workplace & school violence (WPV/SV prevention.
Security isn’t on the floor talking to and observing everyone for the subtle signs of someone ready to blow their lids. They’re not there to stop every single fight, verbal or physical that breaks out on the production floor/office. They’re not there to watch every single person every single moment of every single day.
Sometimes security gets lucky and spots something that’s amiss or someone stealing something or breaking a company rule. When they do, they turn them over to a company supervisor/manager and let it go…disciplinary actions are not our bailiwick…reporting those over-steps is.
The idea is that if YOU spot something that is amiss, or someone’s attitude and personality are changing for the worse, then YOU need to report it. It may be just a temporary ‘aberration’ but is it worth reporting it to a supervisor and having the supervisor report it to HR? Damned fucking straight it is. Because if you don’t, and they don’t follow up, then the potential is there for a fatal WPV/SV incident. The time to pussy foot around everyone going through a bad time is over empathy aside. Sometimes the behavior bullshit has to be left in the book and NOT used.
The world is full of people going through bad times and personal crises of innumerable types, look at Vladimir Putin of Russia – early signs of dementia with his erratic behavior. If someone in the Russian government had had the courage to step up and take him out of the office a decade ago, then the invasion probably wouldn’t have happened.
But they, like far too many people in organizations, are scared to death to label another person as being ‘deranged’ or their behavior is changing…because they’re afraid of being labeled as ‘anti-whatever’. A friend has a local TV show in Boston and one of his panelists keeps rocking back and forth in his chair while they’re taping.
To be perfectly honest, that doesn’t look good…people could get the impression that it’s a fun time show for just goofing off, but it’s a serious discussion of sports but the panelist detracts from the overall show. Since my friend is blind also, he didn’t notice it…until months later when his wife pointed it out to him. He then corrected it, and now everything is fine.
The ‘moral’ of this blog is to remind YOU, and everyone in your organization, those small minor things about security and people need to be reported. Who the hell cares if Jacks’ wife is screwing Sam’s dog…it’s a matter of frivolity, not informing the boss. Likewise, if Toni is exhibiting serious signs of stress due to a break-up with her significant other, combined with other warning signs…then yeah, it’s a cause for concern.
Now, as a human and a member of this thing called mankind, do your damned fucking jobs, not employees or students, and care about everyone else, not just yourself, the organization, or how it’s gonna look to someone else. How is it gonna look if that person explodes & starts shooting people or swinging a pipe wrench at a company meeting? That is after the blood splatter and body parts are littering the floors and walls. How would that look on the 6 O’clock news?
Like these blogs? Then please feel free to pass them along to friends, colleagues, or anyone who may benefit. Have them subscribe at my website: Sollars Violence Prevention Training & Consulting
It happens to Anyone…Any Time…Anywhere… For any Reason
I May Be Blind, but My Vision Is Crystal Clear
Permission to share? Of course, with full attribution.
Copyright 2022 Robert D. Sollars
Want to unsubscribe? We’ll be sorry to see you go, we’d prefer if you’d ask a question first, but…Send a blank e-mail with unsubscribe in the subject line to robert@sollarsviolencePrevention.com
