Many good training programs teach how to de-escalate people in crises, conflict resolution, tactical communication and negotiation. Conceptually and intellectually these programs are sound.

Unfortunately, much of that training falls apart when someone is screaming in your face and ready for physical violence.

The best strategies in the world are of no value if you can't remember to use them in the heat of the moment. These other strategies sound good in the safety and comfort of the classroom, but when someone is in range to hurt you, screaming and threatening you, nature usually takes over.

Nature -- not that they don't work -- is why other de-escalation training and conflict management strategies often fall apart in daily application.  It is in these adverse conditions that Conflict Communications programs were developed to work.

Another common problem with these programs is they aren't geared for the average person. It's not that the information isn't useful, but it's taught in a way that the very people who need it the most will have difficulty applying it. Academics usually lack first-hand experience with physical violence. For it to be useful, the information must be tailored for people who are going to be within arm's reach when conflict occurs. They're the ones with an immediate interest in prevention.

A person doesn't need an advanced degree or years of management experience to apply the Conflict Communications program. Simply stated, we can take anyone out for a cup of coffee and give them the means, understanding and tools to start preventing and de-escalating conflict the very next day.

How do we do this?

Conflict Communications does something no other program does, we start at the beginning. We identify the primitive conflict scripts that have keep our species alive over millions of years. These are behavioral patterns we all are born with. These primate conflict behaviors aren't just extremely powerful, they are emotional tidal waves. When triggered, they occur faster than conscious thought.

Until you know about them, you can't control them. They control you.

And this is why so much other training falls apart. When the person is within arm's reach of you, you are programmed, by nature, to fall into these patterns. Until you can break free of these default settings, you will be unconsciously pulled into them.

What makes Conflict Communications such an effective approach is we teach you, your staff and your representatives how to keep from falling into these unconscious scripts -- whether in the conference room, dealing with a customer, your spouse, your child or even a dangerous criminal.

Following these scripts is not a good strategy to reduce conflict, ensure your safety or indemnify your organization. Although every nerve and instinct is telling you to react according to these behavioral scripts, instead of de-escalating, they'll escalate the disagreement into a fight, possibly physical violence.

Originally Conflict Communications was created for law enforcement and correctional officers. Professions dealing with dangerous and violent criminals and volatile situations. Since it's inception, the programs Conflict Communications offers have expanded into six major fields:

Our tactical communication programs for those in high-risk professions offer:

• Enhancement of officer safety
• Reduction in use-of-force incidents and help in indemnification of the department in situations that require force.
• A boost to officer morale and confidence when confronting emotionally disturbed and potentially violent individuals.
• No replacement of existing de-escalation training, but do allow officers to better apply any previous training in conflict situations
• Training officers can go out and apply the next day

Although businesses, service providers, health care workers and teachers don't usually deal with such extreme conditions, those same benefits can be yours. Conflict Communications programs enhance staff safety, confidence and morale, and improve the workplace environment. The programs work with organizational indemnification, productivity and improved quality of service projects.

By training staff in conflict management and de-escalation, inter- and intradepartmental conflicts are reduced, and you don't lose time or money. For businesses and service organizations:

• No prerequisite de-escalation or conflict management training is necessary. But if staff has that -- or negotiation and leadership -- training, it will enhance existing information

Because of their academic orientation, most de-escalation programs alienate themselves from the people who need to use them the most. The litmus test of effectiveness is when those in the front line can apply the training during an incident. So, another application failure is these programs don't teach you how to keep from falling into your emotional scripts when someone is screaming in your face and threatening violence. We do.

We teach you and your staff:

• How to recognize behaviors that trigger your own primitive responses
• How to tell when you react from your emotional, illogical brain
• How to tell when you are about to be physically assaulted (pre-attack indicators)
• The degree of danger (threat assessment)
• The cycle and process of conflict
• How to resolve a conflict, instead of inflaming it
• Tactics to stay out of your emotional, illogical brain
• Tactics to bring someone else out of their emotional brain
• Strategies to create a win/win situation for everyone