How to Handle A Difficult Situation in the Public Realm By Charles - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to Handle A Difficult Situation in the Public Realm

By Charles Fleetham September 28, 2011

Project Innovations, Inc.

Founded in 1992, located in Farmington Hills, Michigan

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

We Help You Leave Comfortopia

Sometimes just doing your job makes citizens unhappy.

Page 6

Here we go . . .

And bad feelings result -

Suspicio icious Hos

• stile

Victimized

Disgusted Disgusted

Guilty

Co Cold

Ashamed

Aggressive

threat eaten ened vulnerable

Page 7

And it’s difficult to deal with unhappy people when they are

• n their home turf.

Page 8

Territoriality increases energy – defensiveness, self-righteousness and even physical characteristics such as voice and posture.

Five ideas for dealing with a difficult situation in a public setting:

1. Quickly get an understanding of the situation – it’s a potential conflict! 2. Warm up your voice. 3. Get command of yourself. 4. Deliver the news. 5. Bring them down the ladder.

Page 9

• 1. Get an understanding of the situation.

Page 10

Goal: Bring citizen down the ladder or don’t let him/her get any higher. Citizen climbs here You are here If you go up here, you lose WAR Fight or flight Help! Conflict to ? Disagreement to solve Latent disagreement No disagreement

Ladder of Conflict Escalation

Needs at stake Interests at stake

Page 11

• Pretend your are chewing a big wad of gum and stretch out

your mouth.

• Hummmmmmmm . . . .
• Tongue Twisters - Unique New York, toy boat, rear wheel drive
• Sing . . . “Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do”
• Exercise your volume
• 2. Warm up your voice . . . It’s your best

asset.

• 3. Get command of yourself.

1. Take a deep breath. 2. Don’t stiffen . . . bend your knees. 3. Stay ready – get balanced on the balls of your feet. 4. Remind yourself “it’s not personal”.

Page 12

• 4. Deliver the news.
• Do you know why I’m here? (standard law

enforcement technique that focuses citizen on issue – not you.)

• Assuming unhappy response – explain why you

are here – ending your request with minimal amount of facts (it’s very easy to confuse someone who is already “unhappy”.)

• Confirm the citizen understands your “news”.

Page 13

• 5. Bring them down the ladder.

1. Don’t mix personality with the process . . . avoid “you” . . . stick with “this issue needs.” 2. Acknowledge unhappy feelings and wait for confirmation. 3. Save the citizens face – ask: “How can THIS be resolved most effectively?”

Page 14

And don’t forget to watch for ticking time bombs.

Identifying a Ticking Time bomb:

• Most often males between ages of 30 and 40
• Other employees concerned
• Threats have been made
• Obsession with violence/ causes
• S
• cially isolated
• Habitual complainer (angry)

Page 15

How to Deal with a Difficult Situation in the Public Realm

Page 16

1. Quickly get an understanding of the situation – it’s a potential conflict! 2. Warm up your voice. 3. Get command of yourself. 4. Deliver the news. 5. Bring them down the ladder.