Our Best Advice Q&A series turns to Mike Hurst, executive director of HJA Consult and member of the Life Safety Alliance. He shares the best advice he’s ever gotten, gives tips to security industry newcomers and names the person to whom others in the sector should always listen.
Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Mike Hurst: One of the elder statesmen in the U.K. security profession, Chris Brogan, long since retired, is a great one for a ‘bon mot.’ The two that I have repeated many times and which I would be hard-pressed to choose between are “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Take what you do seriously” and “It (security) doesn’t matter until it matters.”
SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?
Hurst: Clichés are clichés, at least in part, because they contain at elements of truth. With this in mind, I’d probably combine a few together. Be flexible and agile and remember that “every day is a school day.” I’d also suggest building a proper network of friends, colleagues and associates.
Go analogue and actually meet and talk to human beings and hear what they have to say. There is a lot of boring, practical advice as well but that’s for another time.
SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick and why?
Hurst: I’m somewhat of an old cynic, although to be fair, previously, I was a younger cynic. There are loads of really good people in our profession and you need to identify who is best for you. Don’t necessarily be drawn in to big job titles, heaps of post nominals and award wins (although these can be a good indicators).
In fact, it’s probably easier to list people not to listen to, but given my understanding of the libel laws, I will pass.
Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!
