The G700 private jets were taking off from Winchester Regional Airport (OKV) and they roared just overhead as we approached the small business park off Front Royal Pike & Airport Road.
It was a another glorious Virginia Fall week, with the Maple and Oak trees in full colors.
The next training course was scheduled to begin at 08:00 sharp and you could feel the butterflies in your gut as you pulled into the small tree lined parking lot.
The 72 hour on-site course to achieve a “Personal Protection Specialist” (PPS) Certification (32E) in Virginia was just one facet of a continuous journey to learn more about what the definition of “Extraordinary” really means:
Extraordinary
adjective
1a: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary.
2: employed for or sent on a special function or service.
Over the next six days we would be in this class room and also out in the local community applying new skill sets in real time. Day and night.
Our key areas of instruction, innovation, mastery and testing included:
- Personal Protection Orientation.
- Virginia Code and DCJS Regulations.
- Assessment of Threat and Protectee Vulnerability.
- Legal Authority and Civil Law.
- Protective Detail Operations.
- Emergency First Aid and CPR.
- Advances.
- Surveillance Detection.
- Defensive Preparedness.
Why?
So our instructors will observe our behavior, coach us in the moment of action in order to improve towards true achievement of “Extraordinary” service.
The mindset and all of the innovative professional skills that are learned this week, shall stay with you forever.
So how does continuous learning and practicing these skills as a "Quiet Professional" over a decade ago, apply to our particular world in 2023?
As just an illustrated example, perhaps you are responsible for transporting your Principal client from a hotel to the airport in an unfamiliar California city at the end of a two day corporate event.
Some may call it pre-planning, and yet it is referred to as the “Advance”.
You have never driven the route before and based upon the amount of orange cones and detour signs already witnessed, you know it could be a challenge. There is no chance for errors.
As you take a first look in Google Maps at your proposed starting point and destination, the route looks unusual. Heading South for a few miles to make a U turn when you know your airport is to the North seems curious?
So to get a local perspective, you then approach the “Hotel Concierge” and ask them for the best route to the airport from their point of view.
They immediately pull out the paper Map of the area and show you the path North along the local North bound detours to provide you on a visual orientation.
Fast forward to check-out. You are now in the vehicle transporting your client with substantial luggage while they continue to deal with the growing barrage of message alerts on their iPhone.
15 miles North and 25 minutes or so later after keeping the visual orientation in mind with your Google Maps talking in the background, you safely arrive on time at this foreign airport.
As a PPS in your particular role of your small team, business organization or agency, just continue to remember this.
You learned and trained to be “Extraordinary”.
“Always Be Ready”…
