Anger can drive individuals to take drastic, sometimes violent steps. Witness the civil unrest after the killing of George Floyd and the protests after the pandemic state shutdowns.
For oil and gas companies working on large infrastructure projects, several interactions with angry stakeholders may occur throughout the life of a project, and most likely on the front end of construction.
One midstream company approached Spoken Word Communications for its “Handling an Angry Public” Training, as they were anticipating holding several open houses for an upcoming project, and they wanted to be prepared for all types of stakeholders, including angry opposition.
Spoken Word delivered, training 20 project team members how to de-escalate angry citizens through both theoretical and real-world examples, using powerful videos to illustrate the safety risks of angry crowds.
Of course, no Spoken Word training is complete without the opportunity to role play, and the Angry Crowd training includes a whole spectrum of characters that helps prepare executives, managers, operators, and government affairs team members for anyone they may encounter at an open house or other public meeting.
“When people go through this training, it gives them a much broader perspective on how they can relate to others,” said Ralph DeSantis, Spoken Word Senior Counselor. “It’s not just about persuasion –the whole day is about making a real connection. You learn how to demonstrate that you are sympathetic to their concerns, and communicate that we understand and are listening.”
The client agreed, sharing that it was the best training they ever had. To schedule your in-person or virtual Angry Crowd Training today, please email