From Conflict to Calm.
Unveiling Decades of Expertise in Critical Situations
For over two decades, First Contact has deployed security personnel into various environments, and I am proud of our track record of keeping our people safe. With over three and a half decades in the security industry and the last two decades running my own security company, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in navigating conflict situations ranging from minor internal disagreements to volatile individuals and protests.
This article is not a guide; it outlines my thinking, the tools I have developed from decades of personal experiences, and how I apply them to assist me in understanding complex environments and managing to keep my staff and myself safe.
This information is on Conflict Management skills for (potential or actual) Critical Situations.
Skills and Techniques
Managing conflict situations effectively is not just a requirement of my job - it is my passion developed through firsthand experiences. Whether it is a security officer at a licensed premises, someone managing a large project, or you walking home, effective conflict resolution involves reading and understanding the environment, detecting changes, and applying appropriate measures for safety.
The common mistake in conflict environments has been the failure to realise you are in a conflict environment. The most successful techniques to use are early detection and avoidance. Knowing when to implement conflict management skills is critical.
Let's explore a common workplace issue to illustrate the application of each skill set.
Example; Performance Dispute
Sarah, (project manager) has noticed a recurring issue with her colleague, Mike. As they work on a high-stakes client project, Sarah becomes increasingly concerned about Mike's performance. She notices that he frequently misses project deadlines, and when he does submit work, it often falls short of quality standards. Sarah decides to address her concerns with Mike. She schedules a meeting in a conference room to discuss the project's progress. During the meeting, Sarah carefully outlined her observations, providing specific instances where deadlines were missed and the quality of work needed to be improved.
Sarah is using negotiation skills in an attempt to correct Mike’s path and bring the project back on track. Sarah is relying on Skill (knowledge, verbal) and Power (position) to achieve her goals.
Feeling defensive and overwhelmed by his workload, Mike reacts strongly to Sarah's criticism. He argues that he's been dealing with personal issues outside of work that have affected his performance.
Mike is also using negotiation skills, trying to make Sarah understand his perspective; however, he only has skill (verbal) available to him at this time. Feeling defensive and overwhelmed, he remains aware of the working environment, respecting Sarah’s position and the implied power that comes with it.
This defensive response from Mike only escalates the tension between them, and the conversation devolves into a heated argument.
It is important to note that no one knows another person's tipping point, or what will push them over it. Mike has already expressed there are external issues that are affecting his performance, and, by his reaction, Sarah can tell he is defensive and appears overwhelmed. At this point, Sarah (using Skill and Power) is the only person who can manipulate the environment towards a positive outcome as Mike’s state deteriorates.
Option A: Sarah sticks to Negotiation Skills, relying on Skill, Power, and a belief that Mike will continue to respect the workplace conditions to maintain control of the meeting, Or;
Option B: Sensing Mike’s declining state, Sarah switches to Conflict Management skills where she understands that Mike is physically bigger than her and he is feeling cornered. Sarah knows that if Mike’s state further diminishes, he could lash out, inflicting physical harm on her, taking control of the situation using Strength.
Where to Now?
There are too many variations of this scenario to establish an actual outcome; However, here are three to consider.
Their argument leaves both Sarah and Mike feeling frustrated and agitated. The rest of the team noticed the tension between the two and became anxious and concerned about their working environment.
Sarah selects Option A and refuses to consider Mike’s explanation, leaving him feeling Powerless. This, combined with a declining mental state, Mike physically lashes out at Sarah, momentarily leaving the constraints of the workplace environment that provided Sarah with her position of Power and safety.
Sarah selects Option B, dropping her Power position, she refocuses her Skill (situational awareness, verbal, empathy, negotiation) and Power (ability to make change) to help Mike calm down and allow her to regain control of the situation.
While this scenario offers a possibly extreme outcome to an everyday occurrence in the working environment; there are countless examples of disgruntled employees taking desperate measures fueled by this type of ‘everyday occurrence’.
Final Thoughts
It's not uncommon for disputes to arise in the workplace, and in this scenario, we see Sarah and Mike at odds due to differences in work standards and expectations. However, what is really at stake are two people's safety and livelihoods.
Any time two (or more) parties enter into a disagreement over anything, there is always an opportunity for it to escalate beyond what could be reasonably expected in the environment. The delusion that both parties will continue to participate, abiding by the same set of controls is dangerous and foolish.
In this type of scenario, the majority of the time, negotiation skills will be all that is needed to successfully navigate the environment; however, a failure to detect when the environment is changing means you will not be able to swap to conflict management skills that follow a different narrative.
Our Training Course
First Contact’s Conflict Management for Critical Situations (CMCS) course is designed to provide you with practical skills that you can apply in real-life situations. You will learn about the Pillars of Control, how to detect a decaying environment, body language skills, effective communication methods, dispute mediation, triggers, the sensory acuity package, and de-escalation techniques.
By signing up for our course, you'll be taking an important step towards creating a more positive and productive work and personal environment.
This article is just the beginning of a series of blog posts that will explore conflict management. In the coming articles, we will delve deeper into the skills required to navigate through difficult situations, provide real-life examples, and offer tips to help you build your conflict management skills.
Stay tuned for more insights from a security industry expert.