Buying Time
It is close to the end of the year and companies assess what is working and what is not. They decide what areas should be budgeted and what should be reduced or removed all together. I have assessed hundreds of EP programs and the one’s that rarely get reduced are the ones that show real value to the Protectee. They epitomize Return on Investment (ROI).
If you have been around an effective EP team – you see it. You see how the staff treat them and talk about them. You see the respect they have within the C-Suite. You see where they are positioned in the corporate structure. If you speak to the CEO, he/she is complimentary and would not consider cutting their service. Because an effective EP team just makes life better for the Protected person. Conversely, I have assessed EP programs that do not have the confidence of the organization. They are positioned improperly in the corporate structure. They do not have a seat at the table. In short, the decision makers of the company do not see the value of the service and it is easier to cut the service or remove it all together. We do not want that.
I liken an effective EP team to an incredible restaurant experience. How many times have you been to a restaurant, and it exceeded all expectations. The experience was so phenomenal you told everybody and you could not wait to go back. What was it about the restaurant that gave you the feeling? Was it the food? Maybe. Was it the smell on entry? Probably. Whatever it was about the experience that gave you the positive feedback, I promise you the service was phenomenal. The staff thought of everything, and they treated you like the only person eating in the restaurant. Most importantly, when the meal was over – you did not feel as though you had wasted your time or money.
Effective EP teams, the ones who are really showing value to the Protected person – they get it right in the same way. They are able to use protective strategies to give the Protectee the one thing they want more than anything – Time.
Time is one of the world’s most precious commodities. For the ultra-high-net worth individual, it is literally the one thing they cannot buy. Effective private sector EP programs know this, and their protective operations reflect it. I make the distinction of saying “private sector” because unlike the government, there is no absolute requirement to have some of these private sector EP programs. Unlike a governmental Protectee, who often has no choice and gets very little say in the matter, the private sector Protectee has a vote - and they vote everyday with their checkbook.
When explaining the concept of Buying Time to the EP teams I train and consult with, the teams understand the value of the concept but are confused on how to actually do it within the framework of providing effective EP. They are relieved when I tell them: “it is already in the protective strategy.”
I have been fortunate in my work to see both types of EP programs and I know how to improve a team that is struggling. Strategies like Route Analysis and Protective Advances have an added meaning for the program when the EP personnel learn that Time is there – they just have to know how to capture it.
James Hamilton, Founder
Hamilton Security Group, LLC
- Copyright 2024
