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Inclusive Public Engagement GuideProvide feedback for this page
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Communicating with the Public
Conflict Management
What is it?
Conflict or disagreement is a natural part of engagement. Conflict management provides strategies to prepare for and resolve conflict situations during public engagement. Effective conflict management maintains an inclusive environment and leads to more productive conversations with the public. Staff should keep conflict management strategies in mind during the public engagement process.
Strategies to prepare for and address conflict
Before an event
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Take a temperature check | Take a moment to understand public sentiment toward the project and engagement event. |
| Keep an open mindset | Keep an open mind and be receptive to listening. Assuming that the public has good intentions allows staff to have more productive discussions with the public. |
| Consider the engagement techniques | Consider using engagement techniques such as community office hours, focus groups, workshops and project-specific groups to help mitigate conflict. |
| Consider staff’s lived experiences and background knowledge | When choosing lead staff for the engagement event, consider those with connections, lived experiences or historical knowledge of the community. Additionally, consider including those with institutional knowledge of the project and background on broader topics related to the City's work in the community. They can help staff understand underlying challenges and may more easily connect with participants. |
| Prepare logistics | For in-person events, arrange the room to facilitate participation, such as integrating the speaker with the participants.
Providing refreshments at in-person events can help put people at ease. For web-based meetings, check the platform settings to ensure attendees can participate in ways conducive to the goals of the event. |
During an event
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Maintain process neutrality | The facilitator(s) and staff should remain as impartial as possible about engagement outcomes and ongoing City decision-making so as not to escalate conflict by advocating for certain outcomes. |
| Communicate public input expectations clearly | Share the standard productive engagement event guidelines, or if time permits, have participants collaborate to create engagement event agreements that will be upheld for their meeting. Guidelines or agreements should always be visible so participants can refer to them throughout the meeting. Be transparent with participants about how they can provide their input and how input will be used. Specify if there are any time limits for comments to ensure enough time for everyone who wishes to contribute. Designate staff for notetaking to ensure all input is adequately captured. For written input, consider using techniques such as polls and word clouds to help focus participation and demonstrate to participants that their input is being captured. |
| Listen actively | Actively listen without judgment to the public’s perspectives and demonstrate empathy. If participants express strong emotions, staff can validate their perspectives and affirm the importance of their participation. |
| Maintain open body language | Maintain open body language and a neutral demeanor to convey trustworthiness. See Nonverbal Communication to learn more about nonverbal communication strategies. |
| Capture input | If feasible, capture input in a way that is visible to participants. This approach can assist participants in following the conversation while also confirming that their contributions have been acknowledged and documented. |
| Work as a team | When possible, working as team will help staff avoid burnout. For example, have more than one staff member serve as the presenter. |
| Take an emotionally intelligent approach | Staff’s perceptions of the public will affect how they speak to them. Keeping a positive mindset that is focused on partnering with the public toward solutions can help staff maintain productive and calm conversations. |
| Provide high-quality answers | Provide honest and concise answers. When the public asks questions to which staff do not know answers, staff do not need to provide an answer immediately. If possible, staff should provide an open line of communication with participants and clearly define if and when an answer can be made available. |
If Conflict Arises During an Event
| Scale | Actions to De-escalate |
|---|---|
| Small-scale disruption (one person or small group) | Try to settle the conflict by taking immediate action to remind participants of the stablished engagement event agreements or guidelines. React quickly to keep an open and collaborative environment for all to participate in. Shift the conversation by pointing out ways participants can provide valuable input during an event and emphasize the event’s purpose or agenda. Maintain a calm, matter-of-fact tone that expresses intent to keep the event on track and inclusive. If the participant(s) continues to be disruptive, it may be helpful to bring them aside to talk with them one-on-one if it is safe to do so, and have other staff continue the event. |
| Large-scale disruption (multiple participants or large groups of people) | Validate participants’ feelings by acknowledging their concerns while providing clear and calm instructions to participants about the event’s purpose or agenda. Adapt plans as necessary by pausing, reassessing the engagement and deciding whether to continue or reschedule. Be willing to change aspects of the event if many participants convey dissatisfaction with their ability to meaningfully participate. |
After an event
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Decompress | Check-in with teammates to identify and coordinate lessons learned from the situation. Recognize and legitimize feelings. Venting to a trusted person, such as a spouse, close friend or licensed professional can help with processing if the event was a negative experience. |
| Compartmentalize roles | Keeping professional roles and personal life compartmentalized can help staff maintain a healthy work-life balance and build resilience. Remember that the public’s frustrations are typically not personal. |
| Evaluate for future events | Evaluate how to manage future events based on lessons learned. |
Communicating with the Public
- Introduction
- Affirmative Language
- Clear, Simple and Inclusive Language
- Communication Strategies for Different Learners
- Conflict Management
- Document Accessibility
- Facilitation of Engagement Events
- Inclusive Graphic Design
- Nonverbal Communication
- Paid Advertising
- Public Speaking
- Translation and Interpretation
- Trauma-informed Engagement