5 October 2021
Using Body Language as a De-escalation Technique
We are all presented at times with unpredictable, aggressive, or inappropriate people.
Stephanie Holloway designed a training session to help those working, or leading in customer environments or facing the general public to help them feel more prepared the next time it happens by teaching them the following conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques:
- Recognising the early warning signs so that you can take preventative measures sooner and before it escalates
- Keeping yourself safe physically, and mentally by proper use of proxemics (space), hand signals, directional body language, tone, and set up of the customer interaction/experience within the business
- Slowing down intense emotional reactivity in yourself (breathing, tone, pitch and speed of speech, words to avoid). Owning your own communication pre-conditions and understanding how that might help or hinder your personal encode (what body language you send out to people)
- Slowing down intense emotional reactivity in others (venting length, tone and speed of speech, spacing/proxemics/different zones, reflective listening and affirmations, the when, who and how of saying sorry)
- What to do after it’s all over, reflection, de-brief.