Good Neighbor Podcast: North Shore
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of North Shore
Good Neighbor Podcast: North Shore
EP #61 - Paul Manley: Cop-Turned-Author Reveals What's Really Causing Workplace Violence
What happens when a 35-year law enforcement veteran turns his attention to preventing workplace violence before it starts? Meet Paul Manley, retired police lieutenant and owner of Risk Mitigation Technologies LLC, who is redefining how organizations think about safety. Drawing from decades of experience, Paul goes beyond the typical reliance on cameras and guards to focus on the root causes of workplace violence—examining behaviors, warning signs, and organizational dynamics that contribute to unsafe environments. His approach emphasizes prevention through education, de-escalation strategies, and proactive planning, and it's applicable across all industries, from nonprofits and schools to retail and entertainment venues.
Paul’s mission is deeply personal, shaped by his law enforcement career and continued through his entrepreneurial journey. Now working on his second book about transforming anger into effective communication, he champions the idea that true workplace safety includes emotional security and empowerment. When organizations prioritize safety, employees feel more valued, leading to stronger retention and a more positive culture overall. To learn more about building a safer, more productive workplace, visit RiskMitigationTechnologiesLLC.com or connect with Paul on LinkedIn.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Yvonne Godfrey.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast Today. We're thrilled to have Paul Manley, the owner of Risk Mitigation Technologies LLC, with us today. Paul, how are you doing?
Speaker 3:I'm doing fantastic, Yvonne. How are you today?
Speaker 2:I am fantastic. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you very much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 2:We are so interested and excited to learn more about your company, and if you can share with our listeners who you are and more about risk mitigation technologies LLC, that would be fantastic.
Speaker 3:Great. Well, my name is Paul Manley. I am a retired police lieutenant with more than 35 years of public service. I retired from the Nahant Police Department local. Prior to that, I spent some time in our nation's capital in Washington DC, as well as Laconia, new Hampshire, and just prior to retiring I figured hey, what am I going to do when I finally grow up? So I decided to start my own independent security management, consulting and training firm, and we specialize in workplace violence prevention.
Speaker 3:What we do is we address the root causes and early warning signs of workplace violence to help organizations and businesses foster a safer, more resilient and productive environment, because I found, through my years of education and experience, that by prioritizing proactive solutions, we enable our clients to mitigate risks effectively and create a culture where safety is paramount. I should mention some of the businesses and organizations that we work with, for example, nonprofits. We work with houses of worship, hospitality industry, transportation, public safety, retail. We work with nonprofits. We also work with the event security space. We also work with the event security space, for example, theaters, concert halls, outdoor music, festivals and, obviously, schools.
Speaker 2:So we do a lot Beautiful, beautiful. And how did you get into this business, paul?
Speaker 3:You know, my journey into workplace violence prevention for me is deeply personal. Throughout my career, I've witnessed firsthand the profound impact that these incidents have, not only on individuals but on the organization and the business itself and, quite frankly, seeing all this motivated me to establish Risk Mitigation Technologies LLC. I saw this opportunity, based on my experience, to make a real difference out there, and my work focuses just not on not only on identifying the root causes and early warning signs to prevent incidents, but we also educate the people that we work with so that they can become situationally aware of behavioral indicators that are out there that will help keep themselves safe.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, beautiful. So what are some myths or misconceptions that you've discovered during this journey?
Speaker 3:Well, quite frankly, there's a few, but one common misconception is that workplace violence prevention is only needed after an incident occurs, or that it's all about security measures, for example cameras or security guards. And you know one. In reality, true prevention goes far beyond that. It's about understanding the behaviors and the organizational dynamics that lead to these incidents, you know, for example, addressing root causes such as stress, conflict or communication breakdowns. Another myth is that workplace violence only happens in high-risk industries like healthcare or retail. But you know, it can affect any organization, any business, large or small, and based on that, our approach combines our education, our de-escalation strategies and proactive planning to create comprehensive solutions that'll protect everyone inside the workplace or in its immediate surrounding area, and that includes your staff, vendors and, obviously, your patrons that come in and visit your business.
Speaker 2:So that's well-rounded. It covers everything under the umbrella.
Speaker 3:Well, we try. We try A lot of misconceptions out there about misconception. My job is I wanna educate people so that they truly understand in, and you know, I think that employees are more, become motivated and they're more likely to stay with an organization or a business that they feel safe an organization or business.
Speaker 2:That what makes them feel safe. Okay, well, outside of work, what do you do for fun, paul?
Speaker 3:I like to have fun, yvonne, when I'm not working. I enjoy spending time with my family. I enjoy pursuing hobbies that bring me joy and balance, and one thing I discovered within the last year or so is I enjoy writing books, and I'm currently working on my second book. It's called Beyond the Blaze. It's about transferring anger into powerful de-escalation strategies and I'm excited to say we should be launching early May.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, beautiful. So changing gears. Paul, can you describe one hardship or one of life's challenge that you rose above and can now say because of it, you're stronger, you're better what comes to your mind?
Speaker 3:You know, I think one challenge that has shaped me profoundly was navigating my more than 30-year career in law enforcement. I say that because facing difficult situations and witnessing the impact of violence taught me resilience and the importance of proactive prevention. Establishing risk mitigation technologies, quite frankly, was a direct result of rising above those challenges. Through my experiences, yuan, I've learned that adversity can lead to growth and purpose and, quite frankly, I'm stronger because of that.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Adversities usually make us stronger.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, paul, can you please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about risk mitigation technologies LLC.
Speaker 3:I want listeners to know that workplace violence prevention is transformative. It's not just about stopping the incident. It's about building a culture where employees feel safe, they feel valued and empowered to thrive. By addressing risks at their roots, we foster resilience, we foster productivity and trust at every level of an organization, creating a better workplace for everyone.
Speaker 2:Wonderful, and how can our listeners learn more about Risk Mitigation Technologies LLC? Do you have a?
Speaker 3:website yes, I do. You can visit our website at wwwRiskMitigationTechnologiesLLCcom, or you can connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm always happy to discuss security strategies or answer any questions that you might have.
Speaker 2:Beautiful. Thank you, Paul.
Speaker 3:Thank you, awan, I appreciate it. Thank you for having me today.
Speaker 2:We really appreciate you being on the show with us today and we wish you and your business all the very best moving forward thank you thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast.
Speaker 1:To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnp north shorecom. That's gnp north shorecom, or call 857-703-9406.