At some point, every security company owner runs into a problem that they would much rather pretend did not exist. There are many reasons people choose to ignore their problems, but more often than not it comes down to fear. In some cases, they might have caused the problem themselves through poor decision making or the problem might just be bad luck. Either way, many owners are afraid to face the problem because doing so might mean admitting something that they did not want to admit or to make changes that they fear making.
However, as a security company owner, even if you are able to put the problem out of your mind, the problem will always be lurking there. It will constantly nag you, filling you with self-doubt, and preventing you from fully enjoying your security company’s other successes. Let’s be honest, when there’s a problem that you are ignoring, you feel guilty about ignoring it and you will continuously worry about the damage that it is causing to your company.
Sooner or later though, you had better face it head on and do something about it—the sooner the better. So how can you overcome the psychological and emotional block that keeps you from addressing the issue?
Steps to follow when your security company has problems
First of all, drop the denial and acknowledge the issue. Whether the problem is a bad hire that you made or you have a customer that you need to fire—just take a deep breath and admit that the problem exists. Will you feel good about acknowledging the problem? No, you won’t. And that’s okay, because it is normal to feel bad about bad things. Bad feelings are part of life, so cowboy up and get over it.
Second, now that you have admitted you have the problem, realize that almost all problems are solvable.
“Every problem has a solution, although it may not be the outcome that was originally hoped for or expected.” – Alice Hoffman
There are VERY few problems in this world that someone else has not had and found a way to overcome. Keep in mind that the solution may require a little sacrifice on your part, such as paying a little overtime to cover a shift, or losing some revenue from ending your contract. To help you accept it, visualize your life after the problem is solved and imagine the relief that you’ll feel. When is the last time you heard someone say they wish they’d kept ignoring a problem? Most likely never.
So, if you are facing a problem that has you worrying or complaining, or if there is something that you keep trying to push out of your mind because you are scared to even think about it, it’s time to face it right now. Write the problem down in great big letters on a piece of paper, and then start writing down what you are going to do about it. In the end, if you don’t deal with your problems, your problems will deal with you.
What techniques do you use to deal with big problems in your security company? What is the most creative solution that you’ve come up with to deal with a problem? I’d love to hear from you so please leave your comments below.
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By Courtney Sparkman
OfficerReports.com is a software company that provides security guard companies with an easy way to monitor their officers, better manage their operations, and win new business. Take a tour of our software to see how we combine Electronic Reporting, Real-Time GPS based Tour Tracking, and GPS based Clock In and Out into one easy to use platform.
