Hostility Management in the Workplace and Beyond

Bruce Blythe, Owner and Chairman of Crisis Management International, is a guest blog author for Allied Universal.

The unpredictable nature of facing a hostile situation means the potential for danger is a palpable possibility every day. Whether it’s inside or outside the workplace, hostility can occur at any time. Threat assessment professionals and forensic psychologists can use a variety of methodologies to predict who has violent propensities, but determining the time, place and “if it will happen” remains far from certain. 

There are an assortment of take-and-use strategies to help reduce and defuse hostile and aggressive individuals. By programming your mind with the preventive tools and measures provided in this Webinar, you will be better able to respond to a variety of unexpected hostile encounters. Even the smallest measures can defuse the potential for hostility. To effectively manage a tense situation--inside and outside the workplace--you must determine the best way to respond. By doing so, you will be able to… 

• Defuse hostile people in real time, even before outside assistance can be summoned

• Anticipate a potential aggressor’s moves, thus creating an advantage with options for an appropriate and effective response

• Comply with legal and corporate guidelines. Often, your setting will dictate the best manner to respond.

Fortunately, those who are prepared can help to increase the likelihood that a violent act will be avoided. Mitigating violence means staying one step ahead of instigators and their motives. Anticipation and awareness of verbal defusing strategies and the aggressor’s “next moves” play a pivotal role in preventing a potentially violent moment from spiraling out of control. Those who can keep an emerging crisis from progressing are best at protecting the core assets of an organization.

Are you prepared to deal with a hostile situation at your workplace or beyond? 

  About the Author 
  Bruce Blythe is the CEO of Crisis Management International, Inc., a worldwide organization of crisis management specialists, business continuity planners, and former FBI and Secret Service agents. He has worked with hundreds of companies in crisis prevention, preparedness and response. He has served as a consultant to the FBI on terrorism and workplace violence. He has made repeated appearances on NBC, CNN, ABC’s 20/20, CBS’s 48 Hours, CNBC, NPR, national talk shows and many others.