Course Outline
Introduction and Program Overview
- Learning objectives, agenda, and course dynamics.
- Participant expectations and ground rules.
Operational Context: Public Services and Social Visibility
- The role of the field worker as the public face of the organization.
- Common high-pressure situations encountered in public service operations.
- The impact of public exposure on institutional reputation.
Emotional Self-Management in the Field
- Recognizing emotional triggers during field interactions.
- Self-regulation techniques to apply before and during confrontations.
- Strategies to prevent emotional burnout resulting from continuous public exposure.
The ABC Protocol for Crisis and Confrontation
- The three core phases: Anticipate, Block, and Channel.
- Step-by-step application in public confrontation scenarios.
- Immediate-application exercises using typical field scenarios.
- ABC pocket card featuring key steps and recommended response phrases.
Assertive Communication with Critical Stakeholders
- Differentiating between passive, aggressive, and assertive responses.
- Utilizing the first-person message model to convey positions clearly.
- Practicing high-tension scenarios involving hostile stakeholders.
Managing Community Complaints Regarding Service Fees
- Understanding public perceptions of utility costs.
- Crafting empathetic responses that maintain institutional integrity.
- Simulated dialogues addressing resident challenges to service charges.
Social Media Exposure and Viral Incident Response
- Risk analysis: unauthorized recordings and viral dissemination.
- Behavioral guidelines for when being filmed.
- Internal communication protocols following a media incident.
Engaging Political and Institutional Stakeholders
- Stakeholder mapping: local government, councils, community boards, and local leaders.
- Preparing interventions for institutional meetings.
- Addressing challenging questions in political settings.
De-escalation Techniques in Public Confrontations
- Identifying early warning signs of escalation and methods to interrupt them.
- Using non-verbal cues to reduce hostility.
- Role-play simulations of altercations in public spaces.
Real Field Case Analysis
- Analyzing real incidents from participants' operational contexts.
- Identifying effective responses and areas requiring improvement.
- Applying lessons learned to the ABC protocol.
Practical Simulations with Critical Actors
- Designing scenarios based on actual team experiences.
- Intensive practice with real-time feedback.
- Role rotation to foster empathy with counterparts.
Post-Incident Protocols and Institutional Communication
- Procedures for internally reporting critical incidents.
- Coordination with corporate communications teams.
- Designating spokespersons and defining key post-event messages.
Personal Action Plan
- Self-assessment of individual areas for improvement.
- Setting concrete commitments for daily operations.
- Creating a field pocket guide incorporating ABC steps and assertive phrases.
Building Organizational Resilience
- Team care as a component of emotional sustainability.
- Peer support practices following critical incidents.
- Self-care routines for high-exposure personnel.
Closing and Application Commitments
- Group reflection on key learnings.
- Setting post-course follow-up goals.
- Adopting the ABC card as a daily field tool.
- Program evaluation and feedback collection.
Requirements
- Experience in field operations or community-facing roles (recommended but not required).
- Openness to participating in role-plays and group exercises.
Target Audience
- Field staff, supervisors, and commercial/institutional relations personnel in public services who engage with communities, local authorities, and digital media platforms.
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.
