MAYBO - SITO

Communication and Conflict Management Skills

Communication and Conflict Management Delegate Handbook: SIA Licence to Practice

Communication and Conflict Management Skills

Important Notice This document - including the techniques and guidance contained within it -is the physical and intellectual property of Maybo Limited and can only be reproduced, in part or whole, with the express written permission of Maybo Limited. The SAFER Model and OPEN PALMS are Trademarks of Maybo Limited. Trainers can only reproduce and distribute the content if they satisfy all of the following conditions: The trainer delivering the material has successfully completed the relevant SITO Part 3 Communication & Conflict Management Trainer Programme with Maybo Limited. The content may only be reproduced and distributed to delegates undertaking the training requirement of the Security Industry Authority Licence to Practice through an SIA approved awarding body. The material and content cannot be used, in part or in whole, for any other purpose.
Trainers participating in this programme recognise that the guidance contained is intended to represent current good practice rather than hard and fast rules as in reality every set of circumstances is different. Trainers undertake to make this clear to delegates that they train and to remind them that they are accountable for their actions. Maybo Limited and SITO cannot accept responsibility for the operational application of these techniques and guidance, which are presented as a good practice guide.

Communication and Conflict Management Skills

INTRODUCTION

Conflict management is the application of strategies to resolve incompatible objectives in a positive manner. Traditionally, conflict was seen as negative. "In recent years, however," as observed by Borisoff and Victor, "we have come to recognize and to acknowledge the benefits dealing with conflict affords. Because of our differences, we communicate, we are challenged, we are driven to find creative solutions to problems."

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Until the early 1960s, virtually all conflict was perceived as negative. Resolution of conflict had one basic strategy: a win or lose scenario. Since the loser in this scenario inevitably felt resentment, the typical managerial technique for dealing with conflict was to avoid it. Avoidance, in turn, tended to make the avoided parties feel neglected. Moreover, avoidance rarely resolved the underlying incompatible objectives at the heart of the conflict so that the source of the conflict remained, surfacing with the next problematic situation. Thus, these strategies did not prove particularly valuable in interpersonal work settings. In the early 1960s, R.R. Blake and J.S. Mouton developed a managerial grid for identifying conflict; these included "handling strategies." The grid illustrated how strategies for handling conflict fell into differing levels ofassertiveness and cooperation.

Communication and Conflict Management Skills Blake and Mouton identified five modes of handling conflict. These were labeled 1: Smoothing 2: Forcing 3: Withdrawal 4: Compromising 5: Problem solving Smoothing Smoothing involved the loser of the win-lose configuration and represented high cooperation with the needs of others along with low assertiveness of one's own needs. Forcing The winner of the win-lose model undertook forcing, which included low cooperation and high assertiveness. withdrawal Traditional conflict avoidance (withdrawal) was seen as low in both assertiveness and cooperation. Compromising Compromise was seen as the center of the grid; that is, moderate in both assertiveness and cooperation. Compromise was simultaneously winning and losing, a situation in which neither party was completely satisfied or dissatisfied. Problem solving In their last mode, problem-solving, Blake and Mouton suggested a new approach altogether. Problem-solving created a win-win option 5

Communication and Conflict Management Skills combining both high assertiveness of ones own needs coupled with high cooperation in solving the needs of others. Developing Communication & Conflict Management Skills

Avoiding Conflict & Assessing Risk

In this section you will be looking at ways in which you can reduce the risks of being involved in conflict through: Effectively assessing a situation Being more aware of how people may react in threatening situations Providing good customer service.
Defusing Conflict

In this section you will look at ways in which you can defuse a conflict situation by: Understanding how to overcome blocks to communication Using effective communication to signal non-aggression and calm down a potentially violent situation. Recognising and dealing safely with high risk situations
Resolving Conflict In this section you will look at ways in which you can help to resolve the problems that cause conflict by being able to:

Recognise the customers point of view Resolve the issue Seek a win win solution

Communication and Conflict Management Skills

Learning from Conflict In the final section you will look at things you need to consider after an incident including ways you can:

Support colleagues Report and record incidents Learn from the incident Share good practice

INTRODUCTION
Workplace Violence The Health and Safety Executive defines workplace violence as: Any incident in which a person is: Abused, Threatened or Assaulted in circumstances relating to their work

Responsibilities of employers and employees

The main legislation is Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which covers work related violence and other risks: It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees In simple terms, your employer must carry out an assessment of the risks that you may face whilst doing you are doing your job. This involves gathering information and an understanding of the types of situations, incidents and scenarios that you are likely to 7

Communication and Conflict Management Skills face and making an assessment of the risks involved in those situations. Once the risks have been identified, your employer must provide risk reduction measures which will eliminate or reduce the risks identified. These will include things like guidance about how deal with difficult situations, safe working practices and training. Employees also have a duty of care towards themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work

Communication and Conflict Management Skills

AVOIDING CONFLICT
Assessing Risk
Dynamic risk assessment

Dynamic risk assessment is a way of continuously assessing a situation as you are dealing with it to ensure that risks of violence are quickly recognised, assessed and responded to.
The SAFER Approach

The S.A.F.E.R model helps us to carry out dynamic risk assessment

S = Step Back

Dont rush in Physically step back, if possible - you see more and have a better chance of assessing correctly Mentally and emotionally step back - think clearly and rationally.
A = Assess Threat

Identify potential dangers by consciously assessing with POP (described below)

F = Find Help

Consider what help is needed, or who can be communicated with. Dont deal with an incident on your own if there is any potential for you to be hurt even unintentionally.

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E = Evaluate Options

Decide what options are available and select the one most likely to work. There are generally three main options available: To deal with the person yourself - and selecting an appropriate safe approach To exit if the situation meets the high risk criteria discussed later in this handbook To pass the control of the incident to another person if you arent able to deal with it successfully
R = Respond

You must now respond using the best course of action selected from your evaluation of the options.

Threat assessment POP

The emergency services use a simple but effective system for assessing the threat - POP. Using this system makes threat assessment a conscious process and that in turn makes it more reliable. It involves breaking threats down into three categories or types.
P = Person

Continually assess people to judge whether you may be at risk. If you have met the person before, what do you know about them? Do they have a history of anger or aggression? Are they a known criminal? How do they appear? Are they suffering the effects of drink or drugs? 10

Communication and Conflict Management Skills Are they bigger, fitter, younger or stronger than you?
O = Object

Assess the situation with regard to the risk presented by any objects Moving vehicles Knives and other edged weapons Apparently innocent articles - scissors, syringes, screwdrivers, bottles or cans glasses etc
P = Place

Staircases and dance floors Remote areas - away from observation of others or safe refuge Routes to or from work Exits that are blocked

Levels of threat

There are two types of threat:

High risk or Unknown risk

We are often safer when an obvious threat is presented as we prepare ourselves to deal with the situation. For example, when going on a walk: Coastal path = Mountains = Conclusions
Assessment should be conscious and continuous Be alert, scanning the environment (but not paranoid)

perceived low risk = perceived high risk=

unprepared prepared

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By being aware we are better able to respond Beware complacency after an incident we are more alert to the risks and take precautions. Over time awareness can reduce making us more vulnerable through complacency.

Self-awareness
Responses to threat

People have two mindsets or ways of dealing with a situation the Emotional (the one that feels), and the Rational (the one that thinks). When you are particularly upset or when you feel threatened, the emotional side quickly takes over. This means that you lose much of your ability to rationalise and think clearly.
Fight and Flight

If you are seriously threatened your body prepares you to either stay or fight the threat or to take flight and run away from the danger. Within seconds of sensing danger, you can run faster, hit harder, see better, hear more acutely, think faster, and jump higher than you could only seconds earlier. This is often referred to as the Fight or Flight response. This flight or fight reaction is a natural basic instinct.
Triggers and inhibitors

Triggers are often small things that when combined with other problems, spark off aggression. So if a person is already feeling frustrated by long waits, poor service, or personal circumstances, there are many triggers 12

Communication and Conflict Management Skills that will spark off a sharp reaction! You may never know what someone has been through just before their encounter with you.
Common triggers

People tend to be triggered into an angry reaction if they feel: Embarrassed Loss of face Insulted Afraid That people are laughing at them
Inhibitors prevent aggression

Inhibitors are things that prevent people from completely losing their temper. You know that not everybody gets violent when they become angry. This is because you have inhibitions based on: Self control most people have built in control which prevents them from turning to violent behaviour Personal values the way we have been brought up, the values and beliefs that we have learned Fear that the other person will fight back most of us dont want to be hurt and realise a fight will risk this Social or legal consequences these include being charged with an assault, losing ones job or licence
Stimulus and response

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Communication and Conflict Management Skills Animals tend to respond automatically, fight or flight, when something Stimulu Stimulu Respons Respons e e

s s happens. If you pull a dogs tail it is very likely that it will bite you. This is the dogs automatic reaction. CHOIC CHOIC E E Stimulu Stimulu s s ENCOD ENCOD ES ES Animal reaction to stimulus Humans are however, different. People have a choice about how they respond to a threatening situation. At first the emotional side kicks in. your bodies prepare a fight or flight response. As the rational side catches up, you can then start to analyse the situation and respond more appropriately. Human Response to stimulus
The wrong choice can escalate the problem

Respons Respons e e

Your choice is important because every choice has a consequence. Even when you have passed the flight or fight stage you still have a choice between escalating or de-escalating the situation. When you are feeling angry, emotional or tense, you might easily do something or say something that will make things worse. A smart comment or a pointing or poking finger could trigger an escalation. 14 Unhelpful Smart RESPONSE Remark

Officious s s Communication and Conflict Management Skills Calm Listening ENCO ENCO DES DES Helpful Concern Stimulus Calm Sti Sti ulus ulus B Stimulus Smart Response Remark Aggressive Helpful Officious Concern Calm Calm Escalat es

Stimulu Stimulu

De Escalat -escalates es

Stimulus Stimulus

CHOICE CHOICE

ENCO ENCO DES DES

De -escalates

Sti Sti ulus ulus Stimulus Stimulus

B You need to consciously choose to deal with the incident so that no one loses face or gets more wound up or frustrated. 15

Communication and Conflict Management Skills Pro-active service delivery

First contact managing customer expectations

Sometimes organisations and staff can create or worsen the environment within which a conflict develops and increase the risk of violence by the way they deliver services or approach their work. There is a build up to the majority of violent incidents, and often the most significant action that can be taken to reduce violence is to provide a high quality service. Providing information in good time may be all that is needed to placate and calm agitated customers. The first impression begins with your appearance, facial expression and the way you are standing.
Behaviour breeds behaviour

It is extremely unlikely that you will have a positive attitude towards everyone you meet in the course of your work. If you are dealing with someone you feel negative towards, you are likely to show those negative feelings in the way that you behave towards the other person.
Your negative behaviour makes a situation worse

When the other person recognises this negative behaviour from you, this will in turn affect their attitude towards you. A negative attitude will come out in their behaviour towards you. Their negative behaviour is then likely to make the negative feelings you had in the first place even more negative. 16

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This is shown in the Attitude and Behaviour Cycle:

My Attitude

Affec ts
Your Behaviour

Affec ts
My Behaviour

Affec ts
Your Attitude

Affec ts

It is very difficult to change your attitude towards someone. It is however possible to change the way you behave towards them. You can learn to behave so that your negative feelings do not show, so that your behaviour doesnt reflect your negative feelings. This breaks the cycle and stops it getting worse.

DEFUSING CONFLICT
Blocks to communication A number of things can get in the way of good communication these are termed: blocks. A block is anything that can cause the communication between two people to break down or become difficult.
The Environment

The environment in which you are communicating can contain things that will have an effect upon the success of the communication. They are usually obvious - although you dont always recognise the effect they are having and include: 17

Communication and Conflict Management Skills Loud noise Lots of people crowding together Physical discomfort - feeling very hot or cold, being hungry or tired.
Emotion and feelings

When you are angry, frustrated or unhappy, the emotions generated will have a direct impact upon your ability to communicate successfully. You find it difficult to hear and correctly interpret words and tend to rely much more on the tone and body language to understand.
Alcohol and Drugs

Alcohol is has a depressant effect, which results in slower reactions to normal stimulus. It tends to reduce peoples inhibitions and can make them unreasonable and unpredictable. When you are communicating with a person who is under the influence of alcohol: Talk slowly and calmly Adopt a non-aggressive stance Maintain space between them and you.

There are many different drugs available and each can have a different effect on the person who has taken them. The effects can range from those similar to alcohol, across to high stimulant effects and even hallucinations. The greatest communication difficulty is the unpredictability that can arise in people who have taken drugs and the fact that their world may be very distorted. The same points should be borne in mind as with alcohol but with the greater emphasis on the need 18

Communication and Conflict Management Skills to demonstrate a non-aggressive stance and to maintain space between you and the other person. Remember, drugs and alcohol are often mixed and their effects can be difficult to predict.
Different cultures communicate differently

Different cultures hold different values and attitudes to define the way they live and interact with others. There are no rights and wrongs where culture is concerned one culture isnt better than another - just different! Some of this difference may be in things like body language; hand signs in one culture can mean something very different in another, or the difference in space between people when communicating. There are often differences in values, which are difficult to accept. If you want to communicate well with someone who is clearly from a different cultural or ethnic background to yourself then it is important to respect the values of that culture and try to communicate in a way that embraces those values as much as possible.
Mental health problems

A person may behave in a certain way because of mental health problems. Mental illness can take many forms. The person may be aggressive for any of the following reasons: Fear - (e.g. of noise or of people) leading to desperation and the feeling that the only way out is to fight Paranoia - (feelings of being persecuted) may be directed towards certain groups in society, for example police or doctors, and could have been caused by bad experiences with them in the past 19

Communication and Conflict Management Skills Anger - at being provoked by other people

When dealing with people who have a mental illness: Give him or her plenty of space Talk clearly and calmly to ensure he or she understands you Make sure he or she knows you mean no harm Be reassuring. Tell him or her what you are doing and why Keep your hands open and in view Reduce distractions that will alarm or confuse If you are with a colleague only one of you should talk to the person.
Channels of communication

In conversation the message is passed from one person to the other through three channels: Words Tone the actual words spoken

the way the words are spoken the stance, gestures and expressions

Non-verbal -

The receiver gains the meaning of a message as follows: Method Words 20 % of meaning 7

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Tone Non Verbal

38 55

Match body language and tone to words. Remember: Your body language and tone of voice will make a big impact Its not so much what you say its how you say it If you try to understand the other persons point it will help communication between you.

Signalling non-aggression This is one of the most important areas to understand when defusing a situation where people are becoming aggressive. The more emotional someone is becoming the less they can hear and rationalise what is being 21

Communication and Conflict Management Skills said to them. However, they will instinctively respond to body language and tone of voice.
Non-verbal communication Open PALMS

Maybo has developed the Open PALMS model to signal non-aggression. It helps you to show another person that you do not want to fight him or her
Open PALMS I dont want to fight you.

P A L M S -

Position allow exit routes, dont block in Attitude display positive and helpful Look and listen normal eye contact, Make space maintain a comfortable Stance shoulders relaxed and turned

attitude active listening distance away to the side

High-risk conflict
Recognising escalation

A high-risk conflict is one where there is an immediate risk that the person dealing with the situation is going to be physically assaulted. You need to recognise when a situation is escalating and respond appropriately. Signs of escalation to watch out for include: Angry non-verbal signals face reddening, intense eye contact Abuse which is focused on you personally 22

Communication and Conflict Management Skills Increasingly vulgar, abusive or threatening language Your personal space is being invaded Square on posture, head and chin thrust forward Fist clenching, finger pointing - leading to physical contact
The four As model

When you are dealing with high risk conflict situations it will help you to remember the 4 As: Dont get Angry Manage Abuse Maintain a positive Attitude Be Assertive not aggressive

Defusing and calming

In a high-risk conflict the other person is in a very agitated and emotional state and the signals are telling you that you are in immediate danger of being physically assaulted. If it is appropriate you should remove yourself from that danger. This is often easier said than done - particularly when it is obvious you are in a position of authority and other customers are around who may be left to deal with the situation. Sometimes, you are not in a position where you can leave easily and safely. Where this is the case, you need to be able to defuse the situation and calm the person down so that he or she becomes less of a risk. There are four basic steps which help to calm a person who is in a high level of agitation and emotion: 23

Communication and Conflict Management Skills Signal non aggression Catch his or her attention Actively listen and empathise Win his or her trust
Signal non-aggression

When someone is in a high state of emotion and anger, there is little point in trying to appeal to their rational side. The most important thing to signal is non-aggression remember Open PALMS.
Catch his or her attention

If someone has really lost it then it may be necessary to match his or her level of energy in order to gain his or her attention. Matching energy level is a delicate balance and needs to be carefully monitored you need to put yourself in a position where you can gain direct eye contact with the other person and raise your energy and voice to an appropriate level. Use words like Whoa, just a sec! or Excuse me, can I help? As soon as you have clearly got his or her attention the level needs to drop back to normal and you should maintain the Open PALMS stance.
Show empathy and actively listen

It is quite difficult to stay really angry for a long time and people who are angry respond quickly to anything that sounds like and apology. If you demonstrate empathy with their situation it will help to diffuse their anger. This isnt the same as agreeing with his or her complaint or point of view but it acknowledges their right to hold it. You can demonstrate empathy by the use of phrases like: Im sorry this has happened to you. Im sorry youve had to queue for so long 24

Communication and Conflict Management Skills I can see that this has made you very angry I can understand why this has made you angry.
Win his or her Trust

Winning trust is getting the person to the point where he or she is calm enough to be able to deal with the situation in a rational manner. He or she has to have confidence that you are on their side, want to resolve the problem and have some power to be able to resolve the situation.

Confronting unacceptable behaviour

It is important to realise that to confront a person who is already very angry and emotional is likely to escalate the situation and increase the risk no matter how skilled you are in doing it. It is sometimes a difficult choice and it can be hard not to react to some types of abuse particularly if it is very personal or perhaps racially motivated. Remember that you can confront someone about unacceptable behaviour when it is safer to do so, such as when they are calmer or you are in a safer area. If you feel you have to confront, then make sure you are assertive rather than aggressive. A good assertive statement will usually: State clearly what the unacceptable behaviour is that you want to stop, What the consequences of continuing will be, and An acknowledgement of the other persons point of view. An example of a good assertive statement is: 25

Communication and Conflict Management Skills I appreciate you are angry, but if you continue to shout and swear, you leave me no option but to ask you to leave which I dont want to have to do. It is important to make sure your body language gives a similar message you can make a good assertive statement but make it aggressive by squaring on or pointing. Remember Open PALMS.
Exit strategies

When you are in a situation, which you recognize as high risk, it may be necessary for you to exit from the situation. This is to take yourself out of immediate danger and to allow you to think rationally about how to deal with the incident. People often find it difficult to get out of such situations without losing face and therefore stay longer than it is safe to do so. An exit strategy is a pre-prepared way of getting yourself away from a difficult situation. Have a ready-made reason to exit. An exit strategy is quite simply a sensible reason for leaving the situation you are in. You need to have a reason ready so that it comes to mind quickly. It needs to be something that will not make the situation worse. It will be something like: Im afraid I cant make that decision Ill have to go and speak with the manager about it.

The law regarding self-defence The law relating to self-defence is reasonably clear and unambiguous. However, people often confuse retaliation with self-defence. The law

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Communication and Conflict Management Skills does not allow us to retaliate only to defend others or ourselves from attack.
Use of Force - Any use of force on another person is an assault

Authority for the use of force comes from both Common Law and Statute Law. Often it is against the law to use force on another person. Sometimes, however, when justified an assault can be lawful. It is recognising such circumstances that is important. Criteria most relevant in relation to violence at work are: Defending oneself or others against unlawful violence Saving life Preventing crime, making a lawful arrest and protecting property
Common Law Authority

Any person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in defence of themselves or others and, in certain circumstances, in defence of property. The force used must be reasonable and no more than is necessary to repel the attack. You must be able to show an honestly held belief that immediate unlawful personal violence was occurring or about to occur and your actions were necessary to prevent such conduct. In some cases it maybe necessary, and lawful, to act or strike first to defend yourself or another person. You must be able to show compelling justification for such action. The law states that some attempt should be made at retreat where practicable. Reasonable force can also be used in order to save life. 27

Communication and Conflict Management Skills

Human Rights Act

Use of force must be reasonable and proportionate which means you must not over-react.

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RESOLVING CONFLICT
Problem solving
Recognising the customers point of view

Empathy is basically about being able to see another persons point of view even if you dont agree with it. It is best understood as a piece of

B A

cheese! Person A sees a square, person B sees a triangle - both very different shapes but the same thing a wedge of cheese. If you have empathy, it means you recognize that the other person has a different view of the world but to them it is equally as valid as your own view. The critical element is to understand that all involved believe that they are right. The key to unlocking this problem is for one person to seek to listen and understand the others point of view. Listening and positively seeking to understand provides the following benefits: As you are not resisting or arguing the conflict can diminish Listening to the other person shows that you are interested and care You may discover that the facts, or perceived facts, are different to your initial thoughts
Resolving the issue

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Communication and Conflict Management Skills It is important to try and remove the cause of the problem that has led to the conflict. This can only be achieved when the heat is out of the situation and everyone is thinking rationally. Remember that the customer will have a different point of view to you otherwise the conflict would not have started in the first place.
Building rapport

If you are to go further and resolve a situation, you first need to build a rapport, a sense of trust with the other individual(s). You can achieve this through the same techniques you have already applied to defusing the emotion: Active listening (nods of the head, say Yes, Yes or I see etc) Active looking (maintain normal eye contact and dont be distracted) Paraphrase (use expressions like Let me check Ive understood, then summarise what they have said) Be friendly (even if you dont feel like it); disarm them by not living up to their low expectations of you.
Seeking a win-win outcome

To successfully resolve a situation you need to think winwin: A win-win situation is where both sides of a confrontation come out of the encounter situation feeling satisfied with the outcome. It is not always possible to meet everyones ideal result, but if partly reached, people are more likely to be satisfied with their treatment. A simple explanation may be enough.

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Your win situation

Minimal aggravation and stress Doing a professional job Finding a successful solution Leaving others satisfied that you have done your best
A customers win situation

Saving face Getting what they are asked for Being listened to and taken seriously Being treated fairly and professionally Receiving a helpful explanation
Delivering a gift

This strategy can be used to bring a discussion that is going nowhere to an end. It allows the customer to leave and you to return to work, while hopefully leaving them with the impression that you have worked hard to try and resolve their problem. Examples include: Providing the use of a phone Free coffee and refreshments whilst they wait An invitation to return on a different occasion when they could be made extra welcome Calling a taxi or providing a card for a reliable taxi firm An invitation to come back to you, personally, if there is any further difficulty.

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LEARNING FROM CONFLICT

Post Incident Considerations
Support for Victims

Perhaps the most important thing to recognise is that everyone has a different way of responding to and dealing with the aftermath of a violent or aggressive incident. There is no right or wrong way to react and people must be allowed to deal with it in their own way. Colleagues can help by looking out for someone who has been subjected to an assault. It is important to watch for changes in behaviour from what you would expect for this person. In the short term, it is quite normal for a person to have a range of reactions from shock, confusion and disbelief through to anger, embarrassment or a feeling of violation. You can provide help and support just by listening and reinforcing that is quite normal to have these reactions to an incident involving violence.
Reporting and recording
Accounting for your actions

You may be asked to account for your actions, or inaction, by your manager, and may well be called before a civil or criminal court months after the event. It is therefore very important to write a clear, detailed incident report immediately after an incident. When writing your report, remember the ordinary person who was not present at the time of the incident but who may be sitting on a jury in court. Ensure you provide enough detail for a third party to conclude that your actions were reasonable in the circumstances.

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Communication and Conflict Management Skills Help others to see the incident as it was and to understand how it felt being there. Give a true, accurate and full picture of what happened that would help others understand why you took the action that you did. When completing your incident report remember to include: Facts about yourself and the other party Background information Description of behaviour Level of force used Simply stating that a person became abusive or violent is not satisfactory state exactly what the person said, and what they did.
Reporting

Reporting all incidents is essential in order for an organisation to protect staff against risk. The organisation relies upon quality information to establish effective strategies and training. Reporting incidents of workplace violence is a duty under Health and Safety legislation.
Learning from what happened

As a professional, you should continuously be recognising the things that you do well in situations of conflict and looking for things that you might be able to do better in a similar incident. You should review how you approached the incident using this simple process: What happened? Why did I happen to react that way? How can I improve things if this happens again? In some organisations, the line manager will debrief the incident. In a serious incident there will be an investigation aimed at finding out what happened and what can be learned from it. It is good practice to get into 33

Communication and Conflict Management Skills the habit of going through this process for your self if nothing else; it helps you not to make the same mistake twice!

BENEFITS OF IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND CREATING CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Conflict is usually a result of either a lack of or breakdown in communication. The best way to deal with conflict is to improve communication at all levels. By establishing a system that opens the channels of communication and addresses problems before they escalate, the relationship between the participants will improve, and so will productivity and efficiency. In order to accomplish this, you should:

Raise awareness of conflict; early recognition minimizes the harmful effect. Provide a safe and unbiased place for participants to discuss candidly the issues, whether in large or small groups. Adopt a complaint/conflict system that encourages participation by all employees. Set up internal procedures and processes for recognizing and managing conflict whenever and wherever it occurs, and make sure that all people involved understand how the system works and its importance. Retain qualified neutral professionals to set up a formal training program for all people and encourage open communication. Retain a neutral third party to intervene early in the conflict cycle to gather information relating to the conflict. Use that person as an impartial mediator to address the problems and seek resolutions. Work collaboratively to improve communication and have faith in the process itself to assure an environment where all parties are personally invested in managing conflict. The Value of Managing Conflict Effectively Posted on January 4th, 2012 by Craig Runde 34

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Organizations want to know what kind of return on investment can come from improving their managers and employees ability to handle conflict effectively. It is a similar question to those asked about other types of training. In the case of conflict, the answer is easier to give.
Cost Savings

The Dana Mediation Institutes Organizational Cost of Conflict Measure provides an excellent tool for analyzing the out of pocket costs of conflict (www.mediationworks.com/ ). It categorizes a number of cost factors related to conflict and provides a means of estimating these costs for an organization. Some of the key costs include managerial time spent on conflict, employee retention, absenteeism, and legal costs. The Dana measure helps organizations quantify this cost by asking about the amount of time typically spent by managers on conflict, average manager salary and benefits, and the number of managers in an organization. Even using conservative figures, most organizations find that the costs are very substantial. A number of studies over the past thirty years have asked managers about the percentage of their time they spend dealing with conflict. The numbers consistently fall in the 20-40% range. Improved conflict management skills wont completely eliminate this number but it can certainly reduce it. One of the most significant reasons for employees leaving a job is ongoing conflict with a supervisor or with colleagues. When factoring in the costs of finding a replacement and bringing the new person up to speed, such turnover can be expensive. When employees experience distressing conflict at work, some will respond by staying away. This avoiding behavior can take the form of absenteeism which hurts overall productivity. Perhaps even more problematic is presenteeism, where the employee comes to work but isnt effectively because they are obsessing about the

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problems, talking with colleagues about it, and avoiding interactions with those with whom they are having the conflict. Many times the most visible signs of conflict come in the form of grievances or lawsuits. These more formal responses to conflict often occur after a time of build up where issues could have been addressed more easily. Once the more formal mechanisms are used, the costs of resolving the conflict goes up dramatically.
Improving Outcomes

While people usually think about cost savings first, the bigger benefits of effective conflict management come from improved creativity, enhanced decision quality, and superior implementation. While these elements are harder to quantify, they are so fundamental to organizational success that they provide even larger benefits than just cost savings. When people are able to robustly debate issues, one idea can lead to another and generate new understandings that would otherwise have been missed. Research has shown that improve creativity and innovation can be linked to effective us e of conflict at least in situations involve novel, non-routine issues.

Decision quality is improved when ideas are rigorously vetted and challenges. Flaws that might have been missed If people avoid debating issue are found and optimal solutions are developed. When people have taken part in this debate, they are more likely to support implementation of a particular solution even though it might not be their preferred one. This is because they have felt that their ideas have been considered and that they have been involved in seeking a solution.

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LEARNING OUTCOMES
AVOIDING CONFLICT Assessing & Reducing Risk
CONTENT AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES Key Legislation and Policy The SAFER approach POP threat assessment Appreciate Violence and Health and Safety Responsibilities Apply the SAFER approach to dynamic risk assessment Assess a situation using the POP model Understand the levels of threat

Self Awareness
CONTENT AREA Responses to Threat Emotional v Rational Fight and flight Triggers and Inhibitors Stimulus and Response Understand the fight/flight response Recognise human responses to threatening situations Identify the conditions and behaviour that triggers or inhibits an angry response in people LEARNING OUTCOMES Choose the most appropriate responses to a situation involving potential conflict

Proactive Service Delivery

CONTENT AREA First Contact managing expectations Positive Communication Common Flashpoints Attitude and Behaviour Cycle Understand the importance of adopting an appropriate initial response Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of positive communication to avoid conflict Identify the most common situations where there is a risk of escalation into violence LEARNING OUTCOMES Identify ways in which the expectations of the customer are managed towards a realistic understanding of the situation Demonstrate an understanding of the attitude/behaviour cycle

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Communication and Conflict Management Skills DEFUSING CONFLICT Blocks to Communication

CONTENT AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES Communication the basics Blocks to communication Channels of communication Understand the basic elements of communication Identify the blocks to communication and understand how to overcome them Recognise the importance of non verbal communication in emotionally charged situations

Signalling non-aggression
CONTENT AREA OPEN Palms Appropriate eye contact Safer stance Controlling and maintaining space Understand how to use the Open PALMS model to signal non-aggression Understand how to use appropriate eye contact in conflict situations Understand how to adopt a safer stance when dealing with an aggressive individual LEARNING OUTCOMES Understand how to control space and maintain safe and appropriate distance in conflict situations

High Risk Conflict

CONTENT AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES Signs of escalation The 4 As Model Defusing and calming Confronting unacceptable behaviour Lead and support Exit strategies The law relating to self defence Explain the 4As model Understand how to defuse and calm Understand how to apply the lead and support system to high risk situations Understand how to remove himself/herself from a high risk situation Recognise the difference between assertion and aggression Choose appropriate assertive behaviour for confronting unacceptable behaviour

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Communication and Conflict Management Skills

RESOLVING CONFLICT Problem solving

CONTENT AREA Building rapport Empathy recognising the customers point of view Resolving the issue and the winwin approach Understand how to build a sense of trust with an individual Understand what empathy is and how to use it to recognise the customers view of the situation Understand how problem solving can lead to an acceptable resolution to a problem or issue LEARNING OUTCOMES Recognise a winwin approach to dealing with conflict situations Recognise value of delivering a gift

LEARNING FROM CONFLICT Post Incident Considerations

CONTENT AREA Support for Victims Reporting and recording Learning from what happened Sharing good practice Understand how to provide support for victims Understand the need for recording incidents Explain the importance of reflecting and learning from the experience of conflict LEARNING OUTCOMES Understand the importance of sharing good practice contributing to long term solutions to re-occurring problems and issues

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