Course Outline
Welcome and Program Overview
- Course objectives, agenda, and learning dynamics.
- Participant expectations and established ground rules.
Operational Context: Public Services and Social Visibility
- The role of the field worker as the primary face of the organization.
- Common high-pressure scenarios encountered in public service delivery.
- The impact of public exposure on institutional standing.
Emotional Self-Management in the Field
- Recognizing personal emotional triggers during field interactions.
- Techniques for self-regulation before and during confrontations.
- Strategies to prevent emotional burnout from sustained public exposure.
The ABC Protocol for Crisis and Confrontation
- Understanding the three phases: Anticipate, Block, and Channel.
- Step-by-step application during public confrontations.
- Practical exercises applying the protocol to typical scenarios.
- A convenient ABC pocket card featuring key steps and response phrases.
Assertive Communication with Critical Stakeholders
- Distinguishing between passive, aggressive, and assertive communication styles.
- Using the first-person message model to articulate positions clearly.
- Practicing responses to high-tension scenarios involving hostile stakeholders.
Addressing Community Complaints Regarding Service Fees
- Understanding public perceptions of utility and service costs.
- Crafting empathetic responses that maintain institutional integrity.
- Simulated dialogues with residents questioning service charges.
Social Media Exposure and Viral Incident Response
- Risk assessment of unauthorized recordings and viral spread.
- Guidelines for appropriate behavior when being filmed.
- Internal communication protocols following media incidents.
Engaging Political and Institutional Stakeholders
- Stakeholder mapping: local government, councils, community boards, and leaders.
- Preparing effective interventions for institutional meetings.
- Responding to challenging questions in political settings.
De-escalation Techniques in Public Confrontations
- Identifying early signs of escalation and interrupting them effectively.
- Leveraging non-verbal language to reduce hostility.
- Role-playing altercations in public spaces.
Real Field Case Analysis
- Analysis of real incidents drawn from participants' operational experiences.
- Evaluating effective responses and identifying areas for improvement.
- Applying lessons learned to the ABC protocol.
Practical Simulations with Critical Actors
- Designing scenarios based on real team experiences.
- Intensive practice sessions with real-time feedback.
- Role rotation to foster empathy for counterpart perspectives.
Post-Incident Protocols and Institutional Communication
- Steps for internally reporting critical incidents.
- Coordinating with the corporate communications team.
- Defining spokespersons and key post-event messaging.
Personal Action Plan
- Self-assessment of individual areas for improvement.
- Setting concrete commitments for daily operations.
- Creating a field pocket guide with ABC steps and assertive phrases.
Building Organizational Resilience
- The role of team care in sustaining emotional well-being.
- Peer support practices following critical incidents.
- Self-care routines for personnel in high-exposure roles.
Closing and Application Commitments
- Group reflection on key takeaways.
- Setting post-course follow-up goals.
- Integrating the ABC card as a daily field tool.
- Program evaluation and participant feedback.
Requirements
- Experience in field operations or community-facing roles is recommended but not required.
- A willingness to engage actively in role-plays and group exercises.
Target Audience
- Field staff, supervisors, and commercial or institutional relations personnel in public services who engage with communities, local authorities, and digital media channels.
Testimonials (3)
Managing difficult conversations
Kgaogelo Ratau - City Lodge Hotels
Course - Effective Communication in the Workplace
Meeting efficiency is something that's fairly "basic", but not thought about a lot and with really large implications on people/company time. Understanding these best practices and keeping them top-of-mind will be of immediate help.
Dan Moffatt - Chris Courtemanche
Course - Personal Efficiency and Managing Meetings
interaction and discussion with each other in different groups, together with some games.
