Hi Shenette, Clumsy Conversations sound awesome! I'd love to hear more about how you structure these.
Some things that we do at Mona in Hobart (a large and very complex building with some confronting artwork that can be very challenging for some visitors) are:
We have staff training (in person and online) that they're paid to attend. For example:
-A session that focussed on emotional intelligence and things like amygdala hijack, which detailed how people's brains work and therefore how they behave when they're in a threat state. It has helped to remind our staff that they're not personally responsible for someone's upset, some skills to practice if they are confronted by someone with a complaint or upset (e.g. CARP), and understanding that the staff member isn't a robot and may get upset themselves, and that this is understandable and valid. Learning about the amygdala hijack, threat state, etc was empowering for team members who learned that this isn't about them doing anything wrong.
-We use a platform called EdApp for skills development and introducing staff to new roles and ideas. Staff members do this training outside of work hours, so they are paid for the time it takes them to do this training. It's another way of demonstrating our commitment to their learning and engagement.
In cases where we have had difficult customer interactions (e.g. I had a panic attack one day thanks to a creepy man coming up to me and talking directly into my ear - it was awful), our supervisors and managers have always had our backs. In that situation, I was able to get off the floor, no questions asked. I was replaced in my position and not forced to return to the floor. My supervisors went looking for the man with the intention of removing him from the museum.
We have several neurodiverse staff members who know they can step away if they're overstimulated, need to decompress, etc., and they'll be supported. This culture of support has benefited the team greatly.
I used to train new staff and a few things I'd always say, to ensure our staff felt confident and supported, were:
-People are not angry with you; they're being angry in your general direction because you're a staff member. You're wearing the uniform. You probably did nothing wrong and you're just there at a point that they've reached their limit. This is about them, not you. You don't need to take it on board. - This one is especially relevant for younger women, who have been socialised that everyone's upset is their problem to fix, and often feel personally attacked. This isn't helped by larger, older men who use their physicality and loud voices to try to intimidate (they often pick the smallest person in the room).
-You are the expert in your workplace" - empowering team members that they know their stuff and can be confident communicating with visitors. We also talk about how everyone's reaction is as valid as the next person's, and that not everyone who visits us woke up in their own bed this morning, so they probably already felt discombobulated before they even arrived
These are all part of our culture of looking after each other in what can be a very tricky environment to work - a place that pushes buttons and challenges people, who don't always respond well; a place that can get very crowded, loud and overwhelming. We look after each other first, so we can look after our visitors. I have worked at Mona for ten years and it has just always been like this! One other thing we do is celebrate successes - supervisors read out positive feedback and devices in our morning briefings.
I might have strayed off topic a bit there but I hope this is useful!
So many great nuggets in this response! Thank you so much, Olivia!