Date/Time: Thursday, May 3 | 1:00 - 2:15PM

Speaker: Bill Overby, Skagit Valley College

Category: Revenue/Customer Service

Description: In every walk of life, and certainly in public service jobs, we have occasion to deal with individuals who don't see things our way, take exception to our policies and procedures, are angry and uncivil with little provocation, and generally try to make us feel bad--even when we are trying our best to serve them. We are living at a time when people have become increasingly stressed, uncivil, impatient, and demanding.  This list may include supervisors, peer employees, visitors, board members, and even family members.  This session provides suggestions, tidbits, strategies and methods of achieving success when dealing with difficult clients, whether internal or external.

Learning Objective:

• Learn the underlying physiological reasons for why difficult clients act out as they do, and strategies to mitigate these reasons.
  
  
• Understand the importance of "strip phrases" that can be used to stop or interrupt a "rant".
  
  
• Learn specific strategies that will allow them to identify a potentially angry person before their conduct becomes unsettling or dangerous, and provide clear and identifiable statements meant to convert this anger to cooperation and ultimately, thanks.

Speaker: Bill has been a lead instructor or academy director for the past 20 years at Skagit.  The federally-accredited program he manages on behalf of the National Park Service is one of only seven such programs in the United States. His service was recognized by being named the winner of the prestigious 2007 President’s Award by the Washington Recreation and Park Association. Retiring from State Parks in July 2003, Bill was hired by Skagit Valley College to lead the Criminal Justice Program and Academies. Eager to improve his knowledge, he returned to school and completed his Masters in Criminal Justice from Boston University in 2009. He serves on the Board of Directors for Boys and Girls Club of Skagit County and resides on Camano Island with his wife Tee.