As you think about workplace violence and confrontations and harassment and about verbal abuse in the workplace, see the whole picture. 2020 saw the largest percentage increase in the murder rate since the beginning of record-keeping on this. 2021 has had more murders year-to-date than 2020. But the biggest part of the bell-shaped curve of the distribution of this problem is filled with non-fatal things. There is fear, anxiety and trauma. De-escalation training must cover the whole spectrum. Some things will start on the left of the chart and proceed towards the right. Some will just come in already in the extreme state. Be prepared.
Training to prepare yourself and your employees is essential. But if it is just a lecture or a PowerPoint or a pamphlet, that won’t cut it. Think about it. Would that really change your ability to deal with anything in the Bell Shaped Curve of Hell above? Real training is available, scalable for any size company or organization, that will intensively train learners under stress, simulating real situations, role-playing based on models of what actually has worked to verbally defuse violent confrontations, and with core learning that is useful across the whole spectrum of the problem from once-in-a-life life-ending encounters to everyday, multiple times a day stressful mini-attacks and upsets.
Ken Hantman is President and Creative Director of R3Results® LLC which provides employee training. Their course Verbally Defusing Violent Confrontations received high praise from top United Nations negotiators. It is accredited for continuing education credits for professionals and also is designed for and available to non-professional employees. He can be reached at [email protected]