Page 20 - the SyI Quarterly 13 - (V4)

Our Membership

Over the next few months, the role evolved, and I was given the news that my
focus would be shifting from operations (my personal comfort zone at this point) to
You Don’t Want to Get Pigeonholed Communications and Governance. To say I was a little shocked and perhaps just a
little underwhelmed might be an understatement. Still, after reflecting and seeking
advice from trusted confidantes, I continued in the job – after all governance
interested me greatly and communications was a fantastic opportunity for me to
develop some of the skills I had maybe not focused on as much.
- By Tom Colman ASyI I’m glad I did…I became much more rounded as a leader and an operator. Looking

after governance helped me to “helicopter” above both the LP and Security
functions, I took on the task of acting in a PMO function which in turn necessitated
me quickly gaining an understanding of project and programme management.
Communications meant I had to reflect and slow down more, being increasingly
That’s the advice I was given when I announced that I was being deliberate in defining content and imparting a clear narrative.
promoted to look after Security for the north…more specifically I was
told, “you don’t want to get pigeonholed as a security person”.
Another twelve months have passed and I’m now taking on another challenge, this
time it’s my target role as UK Security Operations Manager.
I’d just accepted my third security-based appointment, this time heading
up Security for Northern England and North Wales within our One Stop My belief is that our industry needs to adapt and change, to harness diversity and
subsidiary. I was over the moon as this was a fantastic opportunity to seek out differing views obtained through lived experience. This is where career
do something different within an industry that I’d grown to love over the changers and younger members can help the cause. The familiar paradigm of
previous 36 months. This person, I’ve no doubt had my best interests security leadership being a second career only for former police officers and
at heart – but it did leave me with an lingering thought…“what do they military personnel is changing and this is a good thing. There will always be a need
mean by being pigeonholed?” for this type of knowledge however I’m truly excited to understand how we can

foster an inversion of expertise – utilising the power of both mentoring and reverse
Fast forward twelve months and I’d had the opportunity to experience mentoring to make us all stronger.
leading a large-scale change project focused on re-tendering our duress
and intruder monitoring systems, appointing a new ARC supplier, I’ve outlined my journey over the last few years – the purpose of this was to share a
and managing all the associated operational and legal task that goes different perspective, to share some of the lessons I’ve learned and perhaps inspire
hand in hand with that. I re-wrote policies designed to ensure that those who are just starting out on a journey of change. In putting pen to paper (or
every colleague, every day, went home safely. I was trusted to make finger to keyboard) I’ve been forced to do a great deal of self-reflection and can say
decisions around security strategy and design out crime through robust without doubt that I wouldn’t be in this position if I hadn’t stood up, taken a leap
tactical plans. I was empowered to represent the security function at into the unknown and changed direction at 28 years old.
governance, health and safety and other critical meetings often engaging
and advising board members and the Managing Director. Why am Was it scary – yes, did I have to listen more than speak – yes, did I need to accept
I mentioning all of this? I took a chance, I said yes and in doing so, I was no longer the most experienced voice in the room – yes. To quote General
experienced situations I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to. Stanley McChrystal, “a leader isn’t good because they’re right, they’re good because
they are willing to learn and to trust”.
I had been working in One Stop almost a year and received a phone call
from my manager explaining that a role might become available in Tesco I think we owe it to ourselves and to each other to explore this.
Head Office looking after Shrinkage Operations – would I be interested
in applying? So, going back to the start of this column, and the matter of becoming pigeonholed.

How could I refuse? I’d been diligently working away on my CPD over To me, becoming “pigeonholed” is becoming stale, it’s not looking inward and being
the last year, self-funding the SyI Certificate in Security Management, accepting of change. It’s failing to challenge your own bias and opinion. It’s being
becoming a member of the Security Institute, being appointed to the afraid of saying yes more than no, driving your own development or taking a broad
Membership Matters Advisory Group (MMAG). I’d become a certified view of opportunities rather than only assessing them at face value.
conflict resolution trainer, started work on a level six qualification and
won the Institute Learner of the Year award. It felt like working hard Ultimately, others may think differently, and that is absolutely their prerogative but
on my personal development in the security sphere had helped me to if developing my career within the security industry and working on being the best
achieve my next career goal – taking on a national role.
version of me is being “pigeonholed” – I’m fine with that.

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