I am very, very lucky. One of my hobbies is travel and also music so last weekend I had the great experience of taking my son to see one of his favourite bands, ‘Muse’ in Cologne, Germany.   It was a boiling hot weekend with temperatures above 40 degrees sometimes.

My son made it to the front of the stage, but my wife and I decided to stand a little back, we didn’t want to get into the real thick of it in the oppressive heat.  We found a fantastic place to stand and watch a brilliant show. Moreover, we also had access to a bar which would have been a problem at the front!

What I loved about the show (apart from the bands) was the security.  I have been to many concerts, and to be honest, there are times when I have wondered what the security is doing.  I am not frustrated with the guard; it’s not their fault; it’s the way they are being managed.  This weekend it was evident the security people were managed by a group of fantastic managers and team leaders.  How do I know this, well they watched what was going on.

On several occasions, I saw a team leader approach a guard and ask him to deal with a matter.  This ranged from people fainting or looking troubled.  They communicated and dealt with it all effectively with no fuss.  Also, the team leaders were watching the crowds, and no and again, they would instruct the guards to distribute water to the masses.  Their care didn’t just stop with the crowd; on at least one occasion, I saw a team leader approach a guard and next thing he was issued with a cap.  The leader was standing back and watching crowds and staff.

When we don’t stand back, we get too bogged down which never works, standing back, and watching is an excellent way of seeing what is really going on.  My son loved the show, and I witnessed him shake hands with his hero, and I saw this by standing back and taking everything in.

Ralph Moody is the founder of Target Training and specialises in trainer and management development.  You can read more about him here.