De-Escalation Training

Running a business is challenging. In addition to managing the logistics of buying, selling, or production, business owners must also manage personnel. Ever-increasing demands on management and labor have made working more stressful than ever. Stress can lead to a confrontation which can escalate into emotional outbursts or physical violence.

If you want to work in a peaceful and productive office, de-escalation training can help. Making sure your managers know how to talk to people and defuse potentially dangerous situations can help to keep your team safe and protect you from potential legal action. According to the website Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, there are a few important skills that de-escalation training can teach you.

Identifying Warning Signs of an Aggressive Person

It can be difficult to know the difference between a person who is just high-strung and one who might do something violent. A person who is on the verge of an aggressive act might seem depressed and have trouble concentrating on their work. They may withdraw socially and have problems communicating with other people.

How to Deal With Emotional Reactivity

It is very easy to let a distressed person upset you. De-escalation training will prepare you to talk to the person in a calm tone.

It is natural for a person in a tense situation to either want to try and solve the problem or walk away from it. You will learn how to acknowledge an upset person’s feelings and make them feel heard.

One important part of knowing how to de-escalate a situation is managing your emotions when talking to an upset person. When somebody else tells you how they feel about something, it is natural for you to respond to it with your own opinions. An upset person mustn’t feel judged.

When you learn about emotional reactivity, you will learn how to put your emotions aside until you have heard everything else the other person has to say. De-escalation training will teach you how to show empathy for a person’s emotions without reinforcing what they believe.

Understanding Your Triggers

When an incident or topic of conversation evokes strong feelings in a person, it is called a trigger. The emotions that are triggered may be anything from shame to rage. Several emotions may be triggered from one incident.

Part of de-escalation training is teaching people how to identify their triggers and control them in a volatile situation. Whenever you feel a strong emotion based on something someone has said or done, ask yourself what it is about that comment or action that made you so upset. Once you know what your triggers are, you can work on creating an inner voice that will help you manage them.

How Body Language Can Defuse a Bad Situation

Although speaking to someone in a calm voice can help defuse a situation, body language is also important. If you speak in a soft tone and have an angry expression on your face, the person may feel threatened. If you cross your arms or put your hand on an upset person’s shoulder, it might make them angrier. De-escalation training will teach you the proper tone and stance to take when you talk to someone who is highly emotional.

It is always important to give a person physical space when they are upset. You should also respect their confidentiality and talk to them in private if you can.

How to Avoid Engaging in Arguments

When someone is very upset, they may ask challenging or philosophical questions. It is best not to attempt to answer these questions as it may have the opposite of its intended effect. Learning de-escalation skills can help you to work with a person to solve the problem that aggravated them.

Setting Limits

One of the hardest things to do when someone is upset is to set limits with them. De-escalation training will teach you a respectful way to give a person options for dealing with a certain situation.

What kind of de-escalation training is available?

You can get de-escalation training for your managers or the whole team. Many companies that offer de-escalation training will offer you the option of having someone come to your facility or allowing employees to take online classes on their own time. It is best to find a training company that specializes in workplace conflicts.

There are companies that offer all-day seminars and others that offer weekly courses. A series of courses will give your employees time to digest what they have learned.

You work hard to make your business a productive and profitable place. With de-escalation training, it can also be a peaceful one.