Reposted from SafeHaven Security Group

Early Warning Systems Save Lives

Whether we are talking tornados, heart attacks, or targeted violence, early warning systems save lives. But there is one major barrier that prevents you from getting information about a violent act in advance, and it's not at all what you think.

An early warning system (EWS) is anything that gives you advanced notice of danger, giving you time to prepare and implement plans. In the case of targeted violence, specifically the workplace kind, that might mean:

• A tip from a worker who overheard a troubling conversation.
• A former employee posting indirect threats on the internet.
• The spouse of an employee who threatened to come to work and hurt her.

Any of these situations could be going on at your organization right now, and you might not even know it. You see, learning about it in advance is the key to preventing workplace violence. If someone doesn't speak up and tell the right person, nothing will be done. That means no one will take action until the assailant shows up with a weapon. And that is almost always too late.

The secret: leaders must build trust-based relationships with their people, or they won't speak up when they need to.

See Original Post