Major Paul Devassy
CEO of IIRIS Knowledge,
Vice Chairman of Asis APAC Board
I have been a corporate security professional in various organisations spanning different states & types of organisations. The common approach that I had been applying was that of a salesperson. My entire being was being focused on providing a solution to any potential issue that might pop up. The issues would be anything under the sun – I had to give advice on how the elimination of Osama Bin Laden would affect the organisation, what would the affect be the death of a local politician be on operations in a state, the change of regime in the neighbouring country, when would the rains start, what would be the impact of the floods, what would be the affect of a strike in a state, would counting of votes in a general election affect the security situation, what would be the impact of the cyclone on the city.
This, and myriads of other issues are thrown at the security fraternity and I over time become hard wired to respond to these queries. I morphed into a lean mean solution giving machine, and soon this permeated into all aspects of my life. This solution giving model was satisfying for me as I felt that I had completed my task & proved my worth. Did it work for the client? Maybe yes – especially while addressing a crisis. I do really think that it assisted in the short term. What about the long term? So, the role of being a solution provider became ingrained into my DNA. Jocularly I used to refer to myself being a living Aqua Regia for any risk focused query. I am sure all risk professionals would also be facing a similar predicament.
About 36 months ago on the suggestion of a friend I embarked on the journey of becoming a life coach. Was it disruptive for me and my way of thinking? – Immensely! For starters the foundation of being a coach is too able to listen to empathetically to understand the clients’ challenges and what the client wants. Efficiently use open ended questions, understand what is it that the client wants which would be the contracting phase of the coaching session. Then move at the pace that the client wants to foster a sustainable growth while never be judgemental.
All this was contrary to my practice as a corporate security professional. A mentor of mine had in the passing mentioned that we must sell security for our clients to buy security. That made me a proponent of a 24/7 full court press attack mode. It was a major exercise in self-control to override my instincts which had been forged with repetitive actions of being a solution provider. I had to mindfully stop being a salesman of Corporate Risk vertical.
Selling as a Salesperson vs. Selling as a Coach
A classical salesperson always walks onto the field like a quintessential soccer striker with only one thought in mind. The focus is always on scoring the goal. In the case of salesperson everything that is said and does is always concentrated in securing the sale. They always talk of features & benefits as if they were goods laid out on a stall. Salespersons’ words push & press, like a person leaning on a door until it opens. The measure of success is by the score on the board. The relationship is a trade – coin for goods, nothing more. The guiding question is simple – “How can I make them buy?” Their eyes stay on the short road, the one that ends at the cash register. They use all tools available in the craft – pitches, coaxes, cajoles, and do always keep bargaining, looks for connections that can be leveraged for the final push. So, when the proverbial dust settles, the salesperson walks away with a customer.
In comparison, a coach is cut from another cloth. The archetypical coach is a gardener tending to the garden. They always think of the soil, of sunlight, of slow, steady & sustainable growth. Coach’s focus is not on the product, but on the person who is representing the organisation. The coach asks questions the way a gardener tests the texture of the earth. Always listening as a gardener who is connected to the earth for the faint stir of roots. The approach is open and gently perusing. In this mindset the success is not a number but a change – a lift in skill, a rise in confidence. The relationship is not a trade but a journey. It is built on trust, like a bridge that grows plank by plank. The question is different: “How can I help them grow?” Adopting a coach’s mindset changes the focus to following the seasons, not the day. The coach’s tools may appear to be small but in the end is mighty – listening, questioning, feedback, and understand their concerns and unique context. More importantly listen for the unsaid. Most importantly with this mindset inculcating a non-judgemental thinking approach assists in facilitating self-discovery, strategic thinking, and capability-building. All of this ends up in establishing a stronger and sustainable relationship which is built for the long run.
Coaching Mindset vs. Sales Mindset: Who Prevails in Corporate Risk?
I personally have been in the salesperson mindset all my life. But I believe as corporate risk professionals, we must evolve from having a salesman mindset to a coaching mindset for sustainable growth. A coaching outlook brings big advantages over the traditional sales approach. It builds real client ownership. Clients find solutions themselves empowered instead of just being told what to do by the salesperson. This creates stronger buy-in & commitment in the long run.
A coaching mindset also has a long-term impact. Wherein it goes to builds skills & confidence in client teams. They become self-reliant & less dependent. This can be counter intuitive to being with but has a positive impact on the entire relationship chain. It improves problem-solving and sparks innovation. By asking open-ended questions and listening actively, we help clients think critically and create solutions that fit their context. Imbibing a coaching mindset goes on to builds trust and collaboration. Our clients feel respected because we guide growth instead of imposing ideas. Coaching helps shift mindsets and behaviours, making new processes easier to adopt.
Instead of telling clients/ stakeholders what to buy, we can tweak the process by asking questions. Open-ended questions like – “What challenges are you facing?” or “What would success look like for you?” – would help uncover real needs. By listening more than you talk assists the client/ stakeholders to voice out their concerns. By encouraging them to think critically and co-create solutions then ownership and commitment would skyrocket, and their investment into your ideas would become more sustainable. Coaching mindset can spark innovation because solutions are tailored to their context – not generic recommendations. All of this goes a long in ensuring smoother adoption of new strategies which in turn makes you a trusted partner which would translate into the bottom-line.
Command Fades. Coaching Endures. The CSO’s New Creed.
Significant amount of CSO’s have military/ law enforcement/ governmental agency background that comes with a mindset of having hierarchical command structure. So, giving & accepting instructions is very much part of the DNA. Clear instructions are also perspective. As a CSO it may be better to create a coaching culture centric environment, as contrary to popular belief a security team can imbibe a coaching mindset and become more successful. Focus must be on building a coaching approach in a security team by modelling coaching behaviours – asking questions, listening, & guiding rather than directing. This can be done by including simple coaching tools such as the GROW model (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward), SBI (Situation–Behaviour–Impact) for giving clear feedback, and guided open ended questioning techniques like “What options do you see?” or “What would you want to achieve?” “What is your pain point?”
Training key leaders in these tools helps embed a coaching mindset, and integrating them into daily routines – shift briefings, investigations, audits, patrol debriefs, & postincident reviews – reinforces learning. Engineering evaluations to focus on growth, initiative, & problemsolving encourages capability development over compliance. But most importantly creating a safe environment where mistakes become learning moments builds trust & communication. Crucifying persons because of errors is done away with. Development pathways, peer mentoring, & recognition of coaching behaviours further embed the culture. By consistently explaining why coaching matters, a CSO creates a motivated, capable, & futureready security team. The CSO would have to get trained & then demonstrate it amply. Otherwise, it would just be a thought & never put into action. Work to remove the Zero-error Syndrome.
The Power Shift: Coaching’s Impact on Security Operations
Majority of security teams work on prescriptive orders which in turn foments a salesperson culture. By donning the coaching mindset in security operations, we would be able to see significant positive changes in the character of the team. The chain of command is more diffused with the team working on autopilot. Instances of personnel waiting for orders would reduce and they would start using their judgment. The team would start seeing more, thinking more, and act with greater sensitivity. The proactiveness quotient of the team rises. We would be able to see a drop in errors falling because people understand not just what to do, but why it must be done. Incidents are handled with a cooler head and a steadier hand. The morale of the team would rise; this is more so for men & women who are heard & guided do better work & stay longer. With time, the team earns the trust of the business, not by force, but by competence, and so, the operations moves from chasing problems to preventing them.
Adopting coaching approach, empowers the team to finds its compass. Officers stop waiting at the dock and set sail with their own judgment. They read the waters, not just the chart. Errors fade because the lighthouse is the why, not only the what. Stressful incidents would be met with a cooler head & a steadier hand. Morale lifts, as men and women who are guided, not driven, stand taller. Zero error syndrome reduces. Trust grows like a bridge, plank by plank. & the work shifts from chasing fires to tending the forest and clearing the undergrowth take precedence. In time, the operation is safer, sharper, & built to endure.
Summary
For years, I played the salesperson in corporate security – always on the front foot, hawking solutions to storms, strikes, & sudden tides; being the Aqua Regia for every risk. It did win me the day, but it bred dependence & short-lived calm. Then transitioning into the coaching mode turned the wheel. The process of coaching made me put down the megaphone and made pick up the compass, and more importantly take a holistic view to the environment. I started listening, I started asking, I became the non-judgemental sounding board. The difference was rather stark – the salesperson chases the goal; the coach cultivates the ground. One trades in answers, the other builds judgment. In corporate risk it is wise to make changes, coaching wins the long game – ownership rises, confidence hardens, and capability becomes muscle memory. Imbibing tools like GROW & SBI, and open questions that cut to the bone, command softens into trust, and teams stand taller. The focus of the team is the why, not just the short term what. The operation stops dousing fires & starts tending the forest – clearing undergrowth, spotting embers before they flare. In time, the unit grows sharper, calmer, and battleready for the storms that will surely come.
