10 Ways to Become A Dynamic Bodyguard

By Doc Rogers

1. Showing up early within your area of operation is key to becoming more productive. These days advance work is being pushed aside and is not given the proper importance or time requirement needed. Showing up at least one day early on your own time will cost you a little additional expense. However, the rewards will be twin-fold in terms of getting your job accomplished. If you believe in the old saying that 80% of success is just showing up, than 90% is showing up early for your advance work assignments.

2. Obtaining the clients itinerary as early as possible. Once you obtained the itinerary go over it with a fine tooth comb. If there are agendas or meetings that you are not sure about, contact the meeting owner (the individuals who will be conducting the meeting or event). Talking personally with these individuals is worth its weight in gold. You’ll learn the fine details, get access to how the meeting or event will unfold. This all helps in the protection process and makes you more productive on the day of the event. You can brief your client on the specific movements within the venues, etc.

3. Obtaining VIP passes and parking as early as possible. When planning for a VIP event for your client, get you and your client’s passes as well as VIP parking well in advance. Never assume they will issue your VIP passes and parking on the day of the event, this could become disastrous. “Murry’s Law” may come into play. To become more productive, meet with the event manager in charge of VIP passes and parking well in advance and you’ll be squared-away.

4. Booking your client’s and your hotel room way in advance. Your room needs to be adjacent to the client’s room, with a fully booked hotel this little requirement could pose a major problem. Make your reservations in advance; speak with the manager of the rooms division of the hotel. If you use the particular hotel on a regular basis, develop a professional relationship with this person. Remember the hotel is considered the client’s home away from home, it’s their castle. The less hassles for you and the client while staying at the hotel the better, this can be accomplished by developing a good working relationship with the managers.

5. Special parking and staging permission. This is one of the most productive things you can do in terms of client embussing, debussing  and baggage loading and unloading convenience at hotels, events airports, etc. Conduct a special meeting with the security director to obtain this privilege. Parking is a commodity in this day and age, getting prime parking will make the assignment less stressful and run more smoother for everyone – that’s productivity at its finest.

6. Maintaining time management. You must run the bodyguard assignment, rather than allowing the assignment to run you. If you are the advance man or woman keep your work days disciplined. If you are on the bodyguard detail make sure you are on schedule and on track each and every day. Highly productive bodyguards get the important duties done first and are proactive. They exercise restraint over non-important duties or time wasting efforts.

7. Concentrating on your clients’ safety and security. It goes without saying that bodyguards have to concentrate on the protection of their clients. To be protective you must have the ability to stay on target and focus on the core task at hand. Productive bodyguards keep in this protective groove every step of the way. They maximize protective focus and attentiveness. Productive bodyguards are purposeful, not distracted.

8. Productive bodyguards are solution focused. One of the best ways to remain solution focused is to start each assignment with an operation plan. Some things are easier said than done; contingency plans, routes, scheduled meetings, inspections of venues and specific client requests. It has been my experience that documenting these various tasks within an ops plan and providing a copy to each member on the team is an effective way to make better use of your time, resources and  technical objectives. It helps eliminate wasteful actions on advance work and while working the actual protective detail.  An ops plan ensures everyone is actively contributing to the core security of the client within an organized, effective and solution focused manner.

9. Productive bodyguards rarely complain. There are no shortcuts to any place worth going and that holds true to the bodyguard industry. Complaining gets you no where, especially on bodyguard assignments. Don’t complain just work harder.

10. Protective bodyguards are adaptable, they embrace new and unfamiliar destinations and countries. Be adaptable and have the ability to adjust to the environment, this will allow you to become more productive anywhere your bodyguard career takes you.

Bonus number 11. Productive bodyguards have an on and off switch. They know when to be on-high alert and know how to relax, enjoy what they have in their life and care about their families. Hope you can take benefit from this article. Keep safe and God speed.

Doc Rogers is the author of Corporate Executive Protection – A Manual for Inspiring Corporate Bodyguards and president and CEO of International Corporate Executive Protection Ltd. Doc has earned a Ph.D. in Security Administration from Southwest University and he is SE Asia’s leading expert on executive protection and corporate security. To learn how to make a full time living as a corporate bodyguard visit the websites below for more information.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp