Strength in Numbers
Being a strong individual is a trait that a lot of people aspire to have, a goal that a lot of people try to reach.
But what does strong mean? How is strength measured?
Is it the number of reps you can do at the gym? Is it how heavy the weight is?
Is it being able to lift up the couch with one hand while you vacuum underneath with the other?
Is it changing a car tire?
Is it carrying a child?
The average weight of a car is around 4000 lbs. The average weight of a newborn baby is around 7 lbs.
A person lifting a car has trained for the occasion and only lifts it for but a moment. A women carries that baby for nine months, and on average does most of the carrying of that growing newborn for the first part of its life.
Who’s stronger? The car lifter? Or the mother?
You’re probably thinking that its two different strengths – and it is.
While a car may physically weigh more, the emotional and physical properties of carrying a baby last far longer and go much deeper then temporarily holding up a car. So these two things are hardly comparable.
Lets take a look at this from another angle. While the weight lifter does the lifting of the car by themselves, this whole feat is a task they spend a great deal of time preparing for. Most likely they have a team. Someone to spot, someone to provide the time, space, and car. More spotters, and definitely a team of supporters. While technically they can probably spend the time training and lifting the car by themselves – lets face it – its not an entirely impossible task. But it is something that would be unlikely achieved alone.
A women obviously needs assistance in getting pregnant. In this day and age there are multiple ways in which this can now occur without the traditional methods. All of them however involve a male counterpart at some point in the equation. At least currently scientifically speaking that I’m aware of.
Moving past the point of getting pregnant, it is possible that a women can spend her entire pregnancy alone, unaided, and birth a baby. However, it is not probable. A women typically has her partner supporting her on the her pregnancy journey, as well as a medical team whether it be a doctor, midwife, or what have you. She births the baby with the support of her ‘team’. While she does the bulk of the work (much like our car lifter), she has a team of supporters of varying degrees.
Both our individuals are strong. Physically – emotionally – they prepare for their ‘big main event’. Whether it be lifting a car or lifting a newborn. One large in size, the other large in responsibility.
While both tasks can – technically – be accomplished on their own, to a degree, the likeliness is incredibly slim. Both have a team. A team to support, encourage, help, share the workload where they can.
They are both strong – but they both gain strength in numbers.
In security, sure – you can hire one security guard to complete a task. Maybe thats genuinely all you need and in some cases, one person to complete the actual task is enough. But never underestimate the power of strength in numbers.
First, that security guard has a team behind them. Whether they do a detail alone or with someone else or a group – there is always someone supporting them on some level. Whether it be a supervisor they check in with at the end of a detail, an administrator they follow up with to ensure reports are handed in, payment is made and received, or even the client that hired them. Security isn’t a job best done solo.
Everyone works better with support.
If you hire one person, what happens if its a long detail and that person needs a break? Will there be an opportunity for them to let their guard down so to speak? Can someone step in temporarily to cover if necessary?
If its a detail that requires constant 100% attention, then maybe this is a question you need to ask yourself. If something is THAT important that eyes must be on them at all times, is there a cost associated to that risk?
In a lot of cases, stepping away is possible and in all likelihood, not an issue. Possible risk and probable risk are hugely different from each other and need to be weighed. Risk’s need to be weighed out and valued.
At the end of the day, you may have opted for one person and thats entirely fine. But realize the team that individual has behind them.
At Sentinel Security, we work as a team. Whether you have one of us, or all of us, we gain our strength by the number of people on our team. All of us supporting each other in our various rolls. We work as a team even alone – thats how our strength works.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and 
experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
