This week's episode deals with planning. It's tedious, and not as fun or sexy as being able to read behavioral cues or spot surveillance; but it's just as--dare I say MORE--important than some of the more traditional thoughts regarding situational awareness.
Perhaps you have heard of the [5-7] "Ps" concept: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance. Just as it is true in everything from military operations to house renovations to weddings, it is also true in completing your situational awareness. Do a little bit of research on what you might encounter throughout your daily schedule. Conduct a risk analysis and take steps to mitigate whatever you might find.
Crime patterns, large-scale events, time of day, and location/response time of friendlies are just a few of the factors you might find that could be helpful in knowing ahead of time. Of course risk and mitigation factors are as varied as each unique situation you might find yourself in. It would be impossible to plan for everything.
Those of us who are committed protectors (whether it's ourselves and our families, or it's our profession) should realize that it's always better to avoid a situation than to have to "fight" our way out of one. In the words of Ben Franklin, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." ...which, ironically, had to do with his warning citizens to maintain their SA (about fire hazards, but still..)
Final thought: in all your preparations, don't forget to prepare for your planning to fail. It's not pessimism, it's reality. Another cliche, and I promise I'm done; "The best-laid plan never survives contact with the enemy." Just because you have a solid plan, doesn't mean you can forget everything else. Planning is just a way to enhance what you already know, and give you an advantage that an adversary may not consider.
To learn more about using planning to increase your SA and your ability to #commandyourspace, contact us at pete.w@defensiveapplicationstraininggroup.com.
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