PMCI - September 2021

PMCI: So, Jim, from your perspective, what is required to provide
solid training for people in PS?
Jim: Self-knowledge... Environmental awareness and, where
possible, a good understanding of the opponent.
In my opinion, we must provide a well-defined role,
environment, and objective-specific training for PS. Interestingly,
because our approach is pretty thorough, we got noticed
and became consultant trainers in competitive intelligence,
interview, and investigations. With teams working with
multinational pharmaceuticals, banks, tech, and engineering
companies… (not what I expected).
PMCI: If you could give only one takeaway to the reader, what
would it be?
Jim: “People are passwords.” However, before we can begin to
gain consistent access to the mind and emotions of others, we
need to start by getting a practical understanding of our own
minds and emotions… we hadn’t seen this in training out there
as the focus tends to be primarily on hard skills… It seems like
the next big thing is people having the skill set required to gain
a psychological and emotional head start/ advantage over the
opponent - that’s what we do.
PMCI: Anything you can share with our readers?
Jim: Yes, we have developed a Protective Services Mind and
emotional set manual for ourselves and those we work with as
a means of tracking our behavior while engaged operationally.
(Note from the Editor) As a Subscriber, you’re welcome
to contact jim@procypher.co for your own manual - this is
incredibly valuable as, in my opinion, it is a lifetime of work in a
helpful 25 page no fluff none self-promotion workbook).
Jim: Thanks, Trampas; interestingly, those we have shared this
with have come back to us saying… “Now I know what I’ve
been working on all these years”... “You’ve systematized my
thinking,”... and hopefully we have.
PMCI: Okay, sounds like you must have a pretty good read of the
PS professional… So why not tell us about ourselves?
Jim: Sure… You’re achievement-driven and understand that
when all things are equal, it is the relationship you’re able to
develop and the communication that you utilize which creates
an advantage.
In this regard, you have invested a considerable amount of
time in getting to know yourself. One way you have done this is
by identifying and using components of the mindset, attitudes,
beliefs, and values of the people you looked up to as you were
coming up yourself…
Often your own biggest critic, it is not too easy for you to
accept praise. After all, “you’re just doing your job,” yet the
people you work with don’t see it that way… they see you going
above and beyond. You rationalize that by taking care of the
team, you’re taking care of yourself.
When it comes to education, your drive for difference means
you have consistently pushed yourself to invest in improvements,
learn, and grow. You are interested in what constitutes cutting
edge and realize that the best people reader is usually the
people Leader in the room. You have become a good judge
of character in this regard, so your improvements tend to be
pretty incremental… Hopefully, you’ll find the workbook to be
as eye-opening as it was for colleagues and me when we put it
together.
PMCI: Solid review, thank you, Jim. Moving from there, you and
I have spoken about eliminating behavioral blind spots in past
conversations, but I’m not sure that we’ve ever really covered
this subject in our magazine before...Would you care to walk us
through this?
PROFILING
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