My Airport Operations

In today's world of uncertain job tenure, ever shrinking budgets and tough competition, motivating and maintaining a quality airport or airline security department can be a thoroughly challenging task.

What makes people productive?  Most administrators believe it is a combination of: work environment, positive communication and feedback, establishing a sense of teamwork and self worth. 

To this end, security managers and administrators must first be perceived as making effective decisions.  How, one may ask?  Perception of effective decisions in the workplace results from consideration of six key factors:

1.    Input from all concerned

2.    Use of proper situational analysis

3.    Addresses issues of concern to employees not simply the symptoms

4.    Provides realistic and workable solutions to employee problems

5.    Involves supervisory level follow-up

6.    Gives credence and value to employee feedback


With these factors in mind, to be effective in maintaining motivation of an airport's security force, today's managers must concern themselves with their department's employees' perception of authority in and of itself.  One may ask of one's own situation 'Do employees perceive authority as…'

•    Vested in the individual manager

•    Fostered by the organization hierarchy

•    A reflection of power vested in position (title) only

•    Balanced and responsible

•    Allowing for a degree of personal discretion on the part of supervisors


To engender a sense of motivation among security staff, managers must through their actions, decisions and policies impart a sense of 'self worth' in each and every officer they command.  Individuals must feel one or more of the situations shown on the table to the right exist if a true "team spirit' is to be fostered among departmental staff.


Fostering Esprit de corps

As anyone who has ever belonged to a social, fraternal, sport or military organization can attest, fostering a sense of esprit de corps is essential for the organization's well being.  Individual staff members must feel as if they are a part of the department as a 'whole'.  Each staff member with an equal sense of responsibility, confidence and say (even if to a limited degree) in the policies and procedures of the security department. 

A central tenant to building and maintaining esprit de corps is the fostering a sense of group identification and a sense of 'belonging' among security staff members.  There needs to be a sense of identification, a sense of commaradary and acceptable cues to identify these qualities to others.  Airlines, Military, police and private security forces accomplish this through the use of such symbols as a Unit Patch, uniform accessory, flag, wings or shoulder boards or breast shield which readily identifies each member of the "team" to others.   Each individual security officer should harbor an attitude of: "tous pour un, un pour tous" (one for all and all for one) as exemplified by the Musketeers of old.

Having a positive work environment, where supervisors are seen as 'part of the team' rather than tyrannical overseers, takes some hard work.  However, the rewards in employee job satisfaction, continuity of staff and consistently high job performance are well worth the effort.  In a field where job performance and attention to detail are critical for the safety and security of air travelers, can we afford less than the best from each member of our security staff?

Too often, supervisors forget that respect – for both the position and the individual is a quality that is earned, not a right by virtue of job title.  Supervisors, as part of their role in ensuring the proper execution of policy and procedure are duty bound to devote time, energy and effort in building their department's esprit de corps.

Another way in which esprit de corps can be fostered by supervisors is through being attentive to the needs of the security staff.  Something as simple as periodic latrine breaks for those on fixed posts, twenty minute rest periods for security screeners and providing a vehicle for outdoor posts in times of inclement weather may appear as superfluous but are often long remembered in a positive light by line personnel. 


Role of In-House Training and OJT

In fostering both esprit de corps and individual employee motivation it is essential that staff members are confident in their ability to perform the tasks which they are assigned.  Adequate In-house training – whether undertaken at the corporate, administrative or departmental level, imparts in each security officer confidence in their situational judgment, proficiency in their required skills and a sense of accomplishment. 

In-house training need not be lengthy or complicated.  Short briefing style lessons given periodically throughout the year by supervisors, airport trainers or outside professionals can go a long way in maintaining a high proficiency in any security staff member.  Some suggested topics for short training sessions might include:

1.    Proper techniques for aircraft and vehicle searches

2.    Restraints and come-alongs

3.    Proper report writing and forms completion

4.    Procedures for the maintenance of security equipment

5.    Enhancing interpersonal skills and conflict resolution techniques (perhaps most useful in dealing with hostile travelers and passengers – not a rare occurrence)


Tests/Evaluations/ and Surveys

Performing airport security duties can be a long, boring and tedious eight to ten hour shift.  Days may pass with the routine unchanged.  The occasional irate traveler, upset supervisor or unattended bag almost becomes welcome events.  It is no wonder even the most diligent employee begins to develop a sense of apathy about their routine. In an effort to combat this situation, supervisors should develop a schedule of unannounced individual and shift-wide procedural tests and evaluations, perhaps conducted best during slower paced shift hours. 

Examples of the types of evaluative instruments a shift supervisor might elect to conduct include:

1.    Unattended bag in terminal

2.    Unruly passenger at CSR counter

3.    Bomb threat – terminal / Bomb threat – cargo area

4.    Unauthorized vehicle on AOA

5.    Security breech at checkpoint

It is important to remember regardless of the type of incident or accident a supervisor elects to simulate, it is always important to make the situation as realistic as possible.  Employing another supervisor to "act" as a perpetrator, constructing a simulated IED from parts purchased at the local Radio Shack and Toys-r Us, are only a few suggestions for success in realism.

Surveys given in earnest can offer insight as a 'snapshot' of employee likes, dislikes, satisfactions or dissatisfactions of the moment.  Simple to construct, websites such as SurveyMonkey, offer users free short 10 question surveys online.  Staff members can be asked to complete the questionnaire – in true / false, multiple choice or narrative format- with the results shared during a future departmental meeting, or briefly before each work shift begins.


Community Involvement

Rapidly becoming popular as a managerial tool for maintaining motivation and fostering esprit de corps among security department members, particularly among smaller airfields is the growing involvement of the security staff with such gatherings as the airport security committee , local area schools, youth clubs, and community groups.  Offering a chance to participate, contribute and often bring in personal skills of security staff members for the benefit of the host group.  These relationships grow, and as a byproduct foster a sense of reciprocity often resulting in the ability to obtain goods and services for which the airport and its security department would otherwise have to do without.

As communities come more and more to recognize airports as central to their economic, social and political existence, a greater involvement of airport employees, departments and general staff becomes exponentially and mutually appreciated.


Conclusion

Fostering and maintaining a motivated, competent and knowledgeable security force requires simple consistent effort on the part of administrators and supervisors.
Constant, daily attention to employee's needs, expectations and feedback has in modern times, simply becomes another facet of "good management practices".  In a profession where the actions of security staff can mean the difference between travelers experiencing a pleasant flight and certain disaster, supervisors, department managers and airport administration must constantly work to achieve an environment of motivation and concern which yields professionalism, personal motivation and esprit de corps among its security staff.