The job of professional security guards varies greatly from day to day. Some days are filled with routine patrols and reports, while other days, they encounter a threatening or dangerous security situation. Security guards, therefore, must be prepared for any situation that they might encounter in the course of duty.

That is why all professional security guards offering reliable security guard services must be skilled at de-escalation techniques. Using de-escalation techniques can help them cam irritate individuals, diffuse tense situations, maintain peace and order, and the safety of those in the immediate area.

Building Trust

The simplest way to de-escalate any situation is by building trust and using it as a means to end it. To do that, professional security guards try to put themselves in the shoes of the irritated individual without minimizing their feelings.

Recognizing that they understand how upset the individual is, and acknowledging that they can’t know exactly how he might be feeling, helps show both compassion and respect that in turn builds trust.

Once the trust is established, professional security guards understand how important it is not to do anything which may result in the trust being diminished prior to conflict resolution.

Listening

The first and the most important rule for listening is not to interrupt. People need to feel like they are actually being heard. But that also doesn’t mean letting an irate person yell and rant. However, just allowing them to vent can help them reach a state of balance.

Professional security guards dealing with an irritated person, therefore, practice active listening. While it may seem like an easy thing to do, this ability often requires training that eventually helps de-escalation much easier.

Guards offering professional security guard services on client sites are trained to maintain eye contact to keep them focused and ensure the person that the guard is paying attention to them. Repeating what they say back is another tactic used by guards to make sure to know what the person is trying to say and not just guess it.

Communication

When it comes to communication, it isn’t just about the words you say. It’s also about how things are said and most importantly the body language.

Human beings tend to subconsciously react to body language as a social cue to behave in a certain way. It is also what helps determine how another individual feels, enabling the guards to communicate back effectively.

If they ever find themselves in a situation with an irrupted individual, they will keep themselves calm, relaxed, and maintain an open posture to help build trust. When asking questions, they’ll ensure plenty of time is given to respond. And that can make a huge difference.

Deflection

You must have already observed that often irritated individuals resort to insult in high-stress situations as a way of gaining control of the conversations and elevating themselves into a position of power.

Professional security guards tackle such situations by deflecting those comments without acknowledgment. Doing so, they avoid giving power and leverage to insult and obscenities.

They are trained to simply change the topics of conversation or ignore the comments altogether.

Clarification

Irritated individuals in the heat of the moment often have trouble articulating their points. That is why professional security guards offering security guard services on client sites in such a situation awakes to seek clarification.

Asking for an explanation through questions or by paraphrasing their statements helps the individuals to think clearly.

If they persist, security guards will stay calm and composed while asking more open-ended questions to encourage the individuals to change their topic of conversation.

Apologize

Apologizing to angry individuals for legitimate grievances is what often helps professional security guards from reliable security guard companies with de-escalation. Despite being a master in it, they might accidentally say the wrong thing to an irrupted individual.

It is, therefore, crucial for security guards to recognize when they say something wrong and immediately use their de-escalation training to correct the situation. And that’s what they exactly do.

For instance, if the guards say something that raises the level of irritation in an individual during a conflict, professional security guards simply apologize, ask for forgiveness, and explain that they misspoke and did not mean what they said.

Acknowledge

Despite all the efforts, if the individual remains irritated, the guards continue to speak softly and remain in a position of understanding, acknowledging the reason why the individual is upset or about what they might’ve accidentally said.

This acknowledgment from the guards will serve to show the individual that they are trying to understand what has upset them in the first place.

Keep Space

One thing that all professional security guards are aware of is that when an individual is irritated, it is important not to enter that person’s space without prior consent.

The reason being, if that space is invaded, even by someone with the best intentions, it can elevate anxiety levels and result in the individual becoming more upset. In addition to it, the guards also monitor the space around them.

Doing that not only ensures their own safety but also the safety of the irritated individual. It helps guards identifying important factors such as exit strategies, or possible dangers and mitigate them effectively.

Conclusion:

Since violent and tense situations are inevitable in the private security guard industry, the above-mentioned de-escalation techniques are often used by professional security guards of reliable security guard companies to keep the situation calm and people safe.

Even though when the security guards might not be able to prevent every bad situation from getting out of hand, having a good grasp on every de-escalation strategy help them respond to the best of their abilities in any situation.