CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management
According to the Health and Safety Executive, work related violence is defined
as an assault or threat which occurred while the victim was working and was
perpetrated by members of the public.

The potential risks for a C.P.O are:

People
Large numbers of people
People who are drunk/under the influence of drugs
Known enemies of your principle
People with a history of anger or aggression
Known criminals
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management
- Objects
Offensive weapons made to cause injury or
items adapted to cause injury
Any object used to cause injury
Any items such as needles which may cause
injury or infection during searches
Blood spills, which can cause cross infection
Broken and discarded glasses, bottles e.t.c
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management
- Places.
Routes to and from work or residence
Remote areas away from CCTV coverage.
Poor lighting.
Narrow corridors and hallways
Confined spaces
High crime areas
Hostile enviornments
Areas with little natural barriers
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management

• The importance of conflict management

and being proactive in your job.

You can be proactive by preparing yourself to

deal with any conflict situations that may happen
while you work. Conflict management is a
problem-solving approach to dealing with difficult
situations. The C.P.O needs to recognise a
situation where there is a risk of conflict,
interpret the situation, decide on an appropriate
solution and then act.
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management
• The need to be proactive.

Every incident is the result of a series of events.

The proactive C.P.O understands the signs of
potential risk and conflict before they become a
real threat and is able to respond in a way that
will prevent a situation from escalating. A C.P.O
who can do this greatly reduces the risks in the
job. Reducing the risks benefits both the C.P.O
and the Principle and ensures that the operation
goes according to plan.
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management
• Proactive preparation

You can prepare yourself to deal with most situations by:

- Taking your professional development seriously
- Keeping your knowledge and training up to date
- Fully understanding practice and procedure at the venue
- Ensuring equipment such as radio and CCTV are in
good working order
- Establishing clear roles and responsibilities
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management

• It is essential to calm situations and

avoid violence.

Incidents of violence are extremely

unpleasant for all involved. violence often
results in assault and assault is against
the law.
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management
• Anger and frustration can happen at
certain times.

There are always certain activities, incidents or

times of day when frustration and anger are
more likely to occur.

It is important to find out the main causes of

frustration and flashpoints then you can take
steps to reduce the risk of aggression.
Introduction To Communication
Skills and Conflict Management

• Every situation is different

- Assess every situation accurately

- Select the appropriate response to the
situation
- Always work within the law
- You must be ready to justify your actions
P.O.P.
Recap
• People: large numbers, drunk/influence of drugs,
sometimes frustrated, some with history of anger
or aggression, known criminals
• Objects: offensive weapons, knives, guns,
needles, ashtrays, glasses, bottles and bar
stools
• Places: entry and exit routes, remote dark areas,
excessive noise, wet slippery floors/stairs
 Conflict Management
RECAP

• Proactive Preparatio
• Calm situations and avoid violence
• Certain times when anger and frustration
are more likely
SELF-AWARENESS
 Self-awareness
• To deal with conflict management it is
important that we understand our own
reactions when we are stressed, upset,
frustrated or angry due to being confronted
by a threatening situation, and how we
manage our emotions

• Emotion Versus Rational

(How we feel) (How we think)
Stimulus And Response

Stimulus

Choice

Negative Response Positive

Escalates De-escalates
Fight or Flight
• How does it work? When we are seriously
threatened our bodies prepare us for fight or
flight by releasing adrenalin. When the
adrenalin is there, it makes our heart pump more
blood into our muscles and our eyes open wide.
We focus on the threat and we become far less
rational; complex physical tasks become difficult.
• It has been an instinct we have had since pre-
historic times, however, as the dangers have
evolved, so have our responses.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Our body is geared up for fight or flight

action. This involves either standing our
ground (fight) or running away (flight).
This fight or flight reaction is a natural
animal instinct. Man has had this fight
or flight instinct since pre-historic times
and it has helped us to survive as a
species.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT

• The Chemical Cocktail.

The chemicals adrenaline, dopamine,
endorphins and cortisol exist in the human
body. Powerful emotions such as excitement,
apprehension, fear and severe stress may
trigger the chemical cocktail and you and
subjects may then be boosted with an
increased adrenal dose. These chemicals act
faster than alcohol and the effects may be
instantaneous and overwhelming.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT

• Dopamine.
This chemical is formed from an amino acid called
tyrosine that in turn helps to manufacture brain
neurotransmitters called norephrine and dopamine.
These are natural ‘uppers’ to bring the brain to full
attention, thereby helping you or the subject to
perform mental activities such as concentration while
under stress. Also the chemical speeds up nerve
impulses in the part of the brain that controls muscle
contractions.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT

• Cortisol.

This is a naturally occurring hormone,

which is thought to reduce the effect of
shock.
Anger Leads To Violence

Frustration

Anger

Aggression

Violence
 Choosing To Fight
• Our actions can increase peoples’ choice
to “fight” when we:

– Invade their personal space

– Continue to make them feel threatened
– Block their exit path
Common Triggers
• Embarrassed

• Humiliated

• Insulted

• Afraid

• Rejected
TYPES OF TRIGGER’S
• A “trigger” is often a small thing that when combined with
other problems, leads to someone becoming aggressive.
• In our business this could be:

- someone waits for a long time to get an autograph

from our principle.
- There is a large crowd and people are pushing to
get closer
- Our principle refuses to sign autographs
- The fan becomes frustrated, gets angry, aggressive
and throws a bottle at the escort.
Attitude and Behaviour

Behaviour breeds behaviour: It is extremely

unlikely that you will like everyone you come into
contact with at work; however, your expressions
or actions may “trigger” a negative or positive
response or attitude from the public.
Inhibitors To Aggression
• Self control • Social or legal
consequences
• Personal values
• Experience
• Fear that the other
person will fight • Training
back
Attitude and Behaviour

My Attitude

Affects Affects

YOUR BEHAVIOUR MY BEHAVIOUR

Affects
Affects

Your Attitude
Behave So Your Negative
Feelings Don’t Show.
• 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 and
your behaviour doesn’t reflect your
negative feelings. This breaks the cycle
and stops it getting worse.
AVOIDING CONFLICT
Dynamic Risk Assessments

• Being able to recognise potential threats or

conflict is very important. The situation needs to
be assessed so that you can respond
appropriately, control the development of the risk
of the threat /conflict and then try to reduce it
• The most effective way of doing this is to use
the….

The S-A-F-E-R approach

S-A-F-E-R
S- Step back Don’t rush in to a situation
A- Assess threat Identify potential dangers
(P.O.P.)
F- Find help Think about what help you may
need
E- Evaluate options Decide what options
are available
R- Respond When you have done all of that take
action
Avoiding Conflict
• Beware Of Complacency.

- We tend to respond quickly to high-risk

situations where the threat is obvious, for
example, when someone is shouting and
threatening you with a broken bottle. We can be
more vulnerable when we under estimate or do
not realise the threat presented by the situation
 EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
Effective Communication

• As a C.P.O it is almost impossible to completely

avoid conflict and aggression so it is vital that
you understand how to deal with it when it
happens.
• Good communication skills are essential in
defusing conflict and aggression.
• You also need to have knowledge of the blocks
that make it difficult for people to understand
each other and which get in the way of effective
communication.
Method of Communication

Words - What we actually say 7%

Tone - The way the words are spoken 38%

Non-verbal - Stance, gestures and expressions 55%

Body Language
• In groups of three list five positive and five
negative ways your body language can
influence the way we communicate

• You will need a piece of flip chart paper

and pen and have 10mins to complete.
Effective Communication .

• Match your body language and tone of

your words.

- It is clear that your words will make little impact

unless your tone and body language match what
you are saying.
- Effective communication influences behaviour.
Good communication skills will allow you to take
control of situations and people.
Blocks To Communication

Physical Blocks Psychological Blocks

• Noise, strobe or • Psychological noise

flashing lights

• Alcohol and drugs • Mental illness

• Different Cultures
Physical Blocks
• Noise and Physical distractions in the Environment.

Physical noise refers to the physical distractions in the

environment, which make it difficult to hear or
concentrate. Things that cause discomfort such as
strobes and flashing lights, excessive heat or excessive
noise can also disrupt communication.
Physical Blocks
• Alcohol and Drugs

This can be the biggest block to communications .

Alcohol and certain drugs reduce peoples inhibitions.
They can also affect a person’s ability to understand
what is being said to them. Alcohol has a depressant
effect, which results in slower reaction to normal
stimulus. Alcohol and drugs can make people
unreasonable and unpredictable.
Physical Blocks
• What to do when dealing with an individuals suffering
from the effects of alcohol and drugs:

• Talk slowly and calmly

• Are prepared to repeat information
• Adopt a non-aggressive stance
• Maintain space between them and you
• Make sure you have cover
Physical Blocks
• Different cultures communicate differently
We live in a multicultural society so the people we deal
with come from a variety of cultural and ethnic
backgrounds. This means that they may communicate
differently to you in the way they pronounce words and in
the way they structure their sentences. Their body
language could also be different. For example, in some
cultures it is normal for people to stand closer to each
other or to hold eye contact longer. It is important not to
misinterpret these signals as rude or threatening.
Psychological Noise

People tend to hear what they want to

hear. Receivers with inflated egos may
filter out the parts of a message that
disagree with their self-perception. They
simply will not ‘hear’ any criticism of
themselves. They may also concentrate
on defending their opinion rather than
actually listening to what is being said to
them.
Mental Illness
• Fear: of noise or of people, leading to the only
way out….. Fight
• Paranoia: feelings of being persecuted by
certain groups, perhaps police, security, people
in uniform or authority, due to bad experiences
in the past
• Anger: at being provoked by other people
• Voices: Schizophrenics - voices can tell them
to injure others
Dealing With Customers
With Mental Illness
• Whatever behaviour is exhibited you clearly need to
show non-aggression and follow the key stages of
“defusing”
– Give them plenty of space
– Talk clearly and calmly
– Make sure they know you mean them no harm
– Tell them what you are doing and why
– Keep your hands in view
– If you are with a colleague only one of you do the talking
– Take them away from a noisy environment
– If you have to resort to physical restraint remember you have
now confirmed their worst fears
 RECOGNISING
&
DEFUSING CONFLICT
Recognising &
Defusing Conflict
• The 4 As model: When you are dealing
with conflict situations it will help you to
remember the 4 As.
• Don’t get Angry
• Manage Abuse
• Maintain a positive Attitude
• Be Assertive
Aggressive/Non-
aggressive Behaviour
Aggressive Non-aggressive
• Invading personal space • Comfortable distance
• Excessive eye contact • Relaxed shoulders
• Clenched fists & teeth • Standing to the side
• Raised voices • Calmer voice
• Swearing and abusive • Open hands
• Head and chin pushed • Normal eye contact
forward
• Abuse focused on
individual
MAINTAINING SPACE
Zones Of Space
Stranger Space Normal Space 0.5
1.2 – 3 metres – 1.2 metres

Intimate Space
0 – 0.5 metres
Maintaining Space
• Non-verbal controlling regains your space.
- Non-verbal controlling is an extremely effective
technique for maintaining your space. It involves
simply placing your open hand in front of you at
waist height to make a ‘stop sign’ as the person
moves towards you. If you maintain normal eye
contact and a non-threatening manner when
doing this, most people will subconsciously stop
short of touching your hand. You can then subtly
regain you personal space while keeping the
other person in conversation.
Maintaining Space
• REMEMBER!

• P = POSITION
• A = ATTITUDE
• L = LOOK AND LISTEN
• M = MAKE SPACE
• S = STANCE
 DEFUSING
HIGH RISK CONFLICT
Defusing High Risk Conflict

• It is unfortunate but at times despite your

best efforts, some incidents can escalate to
the point where you could be physically
assaulted. When this happens you need to
either deal with it in a professional manner or
back away from the situation and pass it on
to someone else.
• There are also occasions where you or a
member of the team have “bitten it”. The
situation has become personal and you or
other team members are being sucked in.
Strategies Of Defusing
High Risk Conflict
• Maintain self-control - don’t be pulled into a
situation
• Signal non-aggression - open palms, the
4As
• Show empathy and actively listen:
“I can see this has made you very angry”
or
“I can understand why this has made you
angry”
Defusing High Risk
Conflict
• In order to reassure the customer that you really are
listening it is important to:
– Focus your attention on them
– Non-verbal cues (nodding head)
– Show that you have understood say “ok let me see if I have
understood you correctly” then paraphrase what was said
– Never interrupt or cut them off
– Ask open questions (what, where, when, how)
– Be patient
– If more than one person is involved take control so all can speak
– Ask them to explain anything that is confusing or you don’t
understand
RESOLVING CONFLICT
Resolving Conflict
• Solving the problem: It is important to try and
remove the problem which has led to the conflict
and that can only be achieved once the “heat” is
out of the situation
• Building a Rapport: much the same as
defusing the emotion.
Empathy
• Personal listening skills are of the utmost
importance in defusing conflict.
• There is a big difference between “listening”
to someone and “hearing” someone.
• Learn to listen to people – as the writer
Mark Twain once said “we were born with
two ears and one mouth, that means we are
designed to listen twice as much as we
speak!”
“Win Win”
• To successfully resolve a situation we need to
think….”Win-win”
• Where both sides of a confrontation come out of the
encounter/situation satisfied with the outcome
• Avoid criticism – accept that the conflict is gone and
don’t get drawn into it
• Break down the issues into small parts
• Look for the win-win
However it is not always possible to achieve
everyone’s ideal result. Even if it is partly met, people
are more likely to be satisfied with their treatment
Winners!
Your Win Their Win
• Minimal aggravation and • Saving face
stress Very important if incident has
• Doing a professional job been witnessed by mates
• Getting what they asked for
• Finding a successful
• Being listened to and taken
solution seriously
• Leaving others satisfied • Treated fairly and professionally
that you have done your
best
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.
Learning From Conflict
Learning From Conflict
• Recording events. – The debrief
An important aspect of learning from what has
happened is to accurately record events. This
means you will be able to reflect upon the
incident and think about what you did well and
how you might be able to improve things next
time. It also means you can share good practice
and help the organisation to learn from the
incident.
Learning From Conflict
• Individual learning.
As a professional, you should continuously be
recognizing the things that you might be able to
do better in similar incidents. You should review
how you approached the incident using this
simple process.
What happened?
Why did I react that way?
What did the team or I do well?
Why did things go wrong?
How can I improve things if this happens again?
The Experimental
Learning Cycle
Incident

What can I learn

What happened?
next time?

Why did it happen?

Support For The Team
• After an incident it is important that team
members involved get the required support, for
example, a phone call to check they are OK is all
that might be needed, or perhaps an invitation
for a drink.
• However, be willing to accept that at times,
especially if it has been a particularly traumatic
event, that professional help from a Doctor or
counsellor maybe the best option.