Online Security Guard Training and Career Center

How to be a Respected Security Guard

Security guards have had to fight against the stereotypes that have been presented in movies.  In the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Kevin James plays a security guard that really wanted to be a police officer and his awkward ways did nothing to change the stereotypes.   So, what can security guards do to combat those misconceptions?

1.  Learn to Communicate Well

Communications is not a skill that comes naturally to everyone. It’s a learned skill that takes practice to develop.  Most people think they communicate just fine so they don’t actively go out of their way to improve their communication skills.

One thing that will help improve communication skills and make people in authority more respected is to practice assertive communications. There are three main types of communications: aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive.

Aggressive communication is pretty easy to recognize. The voice is louder and the language may be more graphic.  The body stance is more rigid and the communicator may use finger pointing or hand waving gestures to get the point across.  This type of communication generally makes the listener feel small or unsafe or even threatened.  It does not command respect, although the communicator might think it does.

Passive-aggressive communication is usually associated with the person who can’t or won’t stand up for themselves or they don’t say what they mean.  They try to keep people happy but when they don’t communicate their needs it becomes frustrating and they may target their frustrations on someone or something that has nothing to do with the original situation.

Assertive communicators are confident.  They say what they mean but they make sure to do it in a way that is not hurtful to others.   When you use assertive communications, the person that you are talking to will walk away feeling like you had their best interest in mind and will be happy that they worked with you to solve a problem.

2.  Show Respect

In order to get respect you need to show respect.  That applies to security guards, too.  You can show respect in the language that you use, in the way that you respect people’s space, and in the way you talk to people.  If you were confronting a woman that you suspected of shoplifting you would get no respect at all if you called her by a negative name like, “broad”, “chick”, or “hey, lady”.

3.  Be Consistent

You’ll get no respect as a security guard if you only follow the rules when you know your boss is on the floor or when you’re trying to get a raise.  Be consistent so that people know what to expect from you.  If you are a security guard in a museum, the staff and people visiting should not think that if they take a chance that this is one of the time you will look the other way.