Course Outline
Welcome and Program Framing
- Objectives, agenda, and course dynamics.
- Participant expectations and ground rules.
Operational Context: Public Services and Social Exposure
- The field worker as the face of the organization.
- Recurring high-pressure situations in public service operations.
- Impact of public exposure on institutional reputation.
Emotional Self-Management in the Field
- Identifying emotional triggers during field interactions.
- Self-regulation techniques before and during confrontations.
- Preventing emotional burnout from continuous public exposure.
The ABC Protocol for Crisis and Confrontation
- The three phases: Anticipate, Block, Channel.
- Step-by-step application in a public confrontation.
- Immediate-application exercises with typical scenarios.
- ABC pocket card with key steps and response phrases.
Assertive Communication with Critical Stakeholders
- Distinguishing passive, aggressive, and assertive responses.
- The first-person message model for conveying positions.
- Practice with high-tension scenarios involving hostile stakeholders.
Handling Community Complaints About Service Fees
- Understanding public perception of utility costs.
- Structuring an empathetic response without compromising institutional position.
- Simulated dialogue with residents challenging service charges.
Social Media Exposure and Viral Incident Response
- Risk analysis: unauthorized recordings and viral spread.
- Behavioral guidelines when being filmed.
- Internal communication protocol following a media incident.
Engaging Political and Institutional Stakeholders
- Stakeholder mapping: local government, councils, community boards, local leaders.
- Preparing interventions for institutional meetings.
- Handling challenging questions in political settings.
De-escalation Techniques in Public Confrontations
- Early warning signs of escalation and how to interrupt them.
- Using non-verbal language to reduce hostility.
- Role-play of altercations in public spaces.
Real Field Case Analysis
- Study of real incidents from participants' operations.
- Identifying effective responses and areas for improvement.
- Lessons learned applied to the ABC protocol.
Practical Simulations with Critical Actors
- Designing scenarios based on real team experiences.
- Intensive practice with real-time feedback.
- Role rotation to develop empathy with counterparts.
Post-Incident Protocols and Institutional Communication
- Steps for internally reporting a critical incident.
- Coordination with the corporate communications team.
- Defining spokespersons and key post-event messages.
Personal Action Plan
- Self-assessment of individual improvement areas.
- Defining concrete commitments for daily operations.
- Building a field pocket guide with ABC steps and assertive phrases.
Building Organizational Resilience
- Team care as a factor of emotional sustainability.
- Peer support practices after critical incidents.
- Self-care routines for exposed personnel.
Closing and Application Commitments
- Group reflection on key learnings.
- Post-course follow-up goals.
- Adopting the ABC card as a daily field tool.
- Program evaluation and feedback.
Requirements
- Experience in field operations or community-facing roles (desirable, not mandatory).
- Willingness to participate in role-plays and group exercises.
Audience
- Field staff, supervisors, commercial and institutional relations personnel in public services who interact with communities, local authorities, and digital media.
Testimonials (4)
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.
- Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) Indonesia
Course - High-Impact Communication Skills
The good relationship that was established from the outset with the trainer and the group. The trainer adapted to the team's dynamics and understood our needs perfectly. It was both super helpful and fun.
Roger Negrete - Fundacion Mon Clinic Barcelona
Course - Effective English Communication: One-Day Training Program
The active sessions.
