In today’s world, where stress is at an all-time high, people (i.e., patrons, visitors) can take their frustrations out on the municipal employees who are trying to meet their needs. This can be distressing and impact one’s mental health. This session will consider how today’s unique pressures have thrown many into a perpetual Fight or Flight Response and what that challenge means for employees. We’ll look at how the Escalation Process itself works, the importance of boundary and limit setting, the value of word choice and tone awareness, cultivating a mindset that focuses on the problem, not the
‘personality’, the art of active listening and other strategies to help maintain safety, professionalism, self-care, and a collaborative outcome.
