If you’ve worked with patrons for any length of time, you’ve encountered someone who is anxious, irritated, or angry. Patrons may be frustrated with the library, another related service, or with something that has nothing to do with us at all.
From board members and directors to frontline staff and volunteers, it is important for everyone to be able to recognize, respond to, and prepare for a tense situation, all of which are covered in this first part of a two part series on de-escalation techniques.
By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:
-
Recognize and know how to respond to tense situations
-
Determine when de-escalation isn’t appropriate
-
Prepare for tense situations in your library
