The New Supervisor's Handbook

The New Supervisor's Handbook, Julian Talbot, TA Trust, 2014

Congratulations! Someone in the upper reaches of your company has decided that you have reached enough milestones to officially become a supervisor. This book will help answer some of the many questions that have just popped into your head.

Among the first things you need to learn is how to communicate with your subordinates. Do you need to see it, hear it or do it before you learn it? Don't assume that your subordinates all communicate that same way. If they communicate some other way than you, both of you may be speaking English, but it is like you are speaking a foreign language to them.

Then there is the subject of meetings, that black hole of modern day business. Be sure that the only people attending are those that need to be there. Email an agenda to everyone ahead of time. During the meeting, stick to that agenda like glue. Don't let anyone monopolize the meeting. Later,l email notes or a summary of what was discussed to everyone, especially those who have to see it before they understand it.

An unpleasant, but necessary, part of being a supervisor is disciplining, or terminating, employees. In short, document all contact with the employee. Have an impartial witness, like someone from another department or someone from outside the company, present at all meetings with the employee.

This book will not answer all possible questions that a new supervisor might have, but it will certainly point them in the right direction. It is short, and easy to understand, and very much worth the time.

Security Risk Management Aide-Memoire

Security Risk Management Aide-Memoire, Julian Talbot, SERT Pty Ltd., 2019

Business security has always been a problem for businesses of any size. These days, it seems to be an even bigger problem. This book aims to help.

Security problems can come from any direction, whether it is from hackers, terrorism or an active shooter. They can also come at any time of the day or night. All companies, big and small, must have some sort of security plan in place and ready to activate at a moment's notice. For any company that does not have a plan in place, why not? "It will never happen to me," right?

Is your computer system as hacker-proof as possible? Do you need to beef up your physical security, perhaps with more, and better-trained, security guards? A tip has been received, stating that an "attack" is imminent. Is that tip reliable and credible? Is it designed to get you looking in one direction, while the actual attack is coming from a different direction? After the immediate security problem has been eliminated, evaluate your security plan. Did it work? Did it not work? Look at what needs to be changed for next time, for there will certainly be a next time.

This is a very specialized book, so it is not for the general reader. It assumes that the reader is familiar with the world of corporate security. There are many charts included, to make it easier to understand. For security professionals, this book is very much worth reading.