Conflict Management Training for Transport

“My name is Fran Musci. I’m manager of training and safety at the Milwaukee County Transport Team. One of my peers wanted to learn more about it. She had some contacts with the Cudahy Police Department, who was doing conflict management training locally, and she said, “You know, I think this might be really good for our organization,” and got the powers that be to let me attend the training, and I’m so glad that I did. It totally translates into the world of transit. We’re customer focused, and having a way to deal with that customer on a daily basis – giving our operators all the skills – is just really important. (Here is a video compilation of what UK bus drivers get up to if they do not have, or follow, their training)

I’ve seen new operators a little bit more confident with how to deal with specific situations. You know, there are certain things that happen on a daily basis on the bus or on a tram or train, and the veterans have already come up with whatever script they’re going to use, however they deal with that situation, but the new operators don’t really know how to do that yet, so this gives them a framework to develop those scripts, so that they can just kind of pull those tools out of their toolbox as each situation arises in the transport context.

Why do we need Conflict Management Training for Transport?

Conflict Management Training for Transport operators helps make the transition into the job a lot easier for new operators and also helps them remember, you know, Showtime. They do use Showtime. I walk into a station and they’re quoting Showtime at me regularly, because they use it not just before they go out on a route for the first time or before they deal with that group of kids that standing on the corner, but they use it when they have something going on at home, and they know that things are going to… could be interesting, and they use Showtime to get that right mindset. I’d say that it’s translating in all areas of their lives, so it’s pretty cool.

Well, I think this Conflict Management Training for Transport operators is important for other people in this profession because in a transit situation, you only have a few seconds to create a connection with people and to make a situation go the way you need it to go. This training gives operators the tools so that they can set the situation on their bus, and they can control that environment, and they can address those conflicts before they become conflicts, and that you can deescalate whatever potential issues you might have as opposed to escalate them.

(here is UK guidance on dealing with anti-social behaviour in transport)

Transit is unique in that, you know, you can’t really get out of your seat. You’re behind safety shield in some situations, so really the only conflict management tools you have are your words, and your body language, and the tone, and the way that you address people, and the way that you handle that interaction with your customers to make your day successful or not.”

Conflict Management Training for your team:  www.dynamis.training/conflict-management

Conflict Management Train-the-Trainer Courses:  www.dynamis.training/vistelar