Positive Interaction with Difficult People @ Elgin Police Dept.

Class description/takeways:

Difficult callers and challenging coworkers are the norm in 9-1-1, and negative interactions with them can quickly go sideways. For being in “communications,” sometimes we don’t communicate very well! Stressed telecommunicators who are not equipped with the right communication skills for these moment are more likely to irritate callers by being short or using a rude tone. Interpersonal conflict within the comm center can make stressful situations even more tense.

In addition to exposing their agency to potential liability, frequent negative interactions can cause telecommunicators to leave the profession more quickly. In addition to improving calltaking ability, participants will learn ways to effectively navigate interpersonal conflict within the comm center (which can be even more stressful than on the phone).

Learning Objectives:
In this 8-hour class, participants learn proven strategies to:
—Stay present and courteous even when they’ve lost patience
—Defuse conflict and regain common ground
—Effectively give and receive criticism
—Become more aware if they’re the problem, and take ownership of the solution