|
Verbal Judo combines the classical Western theories of persuasion with the Eastern philosophies of ‘deflection and redirection’ to achieve these goals. In essence, Verbal Judo is a skilful blend of Aristotle and Sun-tzu.
Fundamental ‘rules of engagement’ are presented that provide the audience with an understanding of the influences that affect others and how theses influences manifest themselves during conflict. Verbal Judo teaches the mindset required to maintain respect for yourself and others – regardless of their behaviour.
Benefits of Verbal Judo:
Personal Safety – We are all safer if we can stay calm and diffuse situations effectively. It is not uncommon for staff to knowingly or unknowingly escalate a situation for no other reason than poor/insufficient training. If you can’t control yourself – you can’t control the situation!
Diffuse Potentially Dangerous Situations - Know what to say to generate voluntary compliance. Telling someone to ‘calm down’ never works; it only makes them more upset. Learn the skills so that you can ‘say it right the first time.’
Reduce Stress – What drains us of our energy and robs us of our peace of mind? Getting angry or frustrated at work! No one goes to work looking for a compliant but inevitably, complaints seem to find us. Performing the ‘inner voice’ in the heat of the moment might feel good but there will be a price to be paid and ultimately we are the ones who pay it.
Decrease Complaints – Most complaints are not about what was said or done, but about the way it was said or done. People complain when they feel they did not have a voice or that staff didn’t care. Perceived reality IS reality.
Decrease Vicarious Liability – One thing and one thing only reduces lawsuits – Training. All too often departments are eager to leap over dollars to save a few pennies. If part of the department’s mandate is to manage difficult situations – how can we not provide the best training possible to ensure success? Conversely, if we don’t provide the tools necessary to do the job, we are setting our staff up to fail.
Court/Complaint Power – The best defence in the court or complaint process is articulation. In 2008, people don’t care ‘what’ you did; they want to know ‘why’ you did it. Verbal Judo is articulation, we are the only course in North America that can prove that words failed and other means of generating compliance were necessary.
Improved Morale – How do your staff view conflict - As a crisis or an opportunity?
|
