When I trained rookie cops, one thing I wanted to instill in them was the ability to deescalate violent situations if at all possible. One thing I taught them was to manage their arrival on the scene of a violent confrontation. Most of these calls required us to respond Code 3 with lights and sirens activated. What some officers forgot in the stress of the moment was not preparing for their arrival. As a result, they failed to turn off their siren. Their siren was still blaring its ear-piercing sound diminishing everyone’s ability to hear life-saving commands. The extra sound took the event to even more dangerous and unpredictable levels. I taught my rookies that preparing for their arrival was as important as the arrival itself.

In certain situations, our conversations can resemble hundreds of rookie cops arriving at a crime scene and forgetting to turn off their sirens. They find themselves needing to yell commands no one can hear at ever-increasing levels of volume. This lack of discipline hypes up the emotions of everyone involved and does little to resolve a conflict. 

How do you prepare for your arrival at hot-button conversations? Is the content of what you want to share drowned being out by the siren of your emotions? This is a tough one for those who are passionate about a particular subject. If you find yourself en route to such a scene, on your approach turn off any undisciplined emotions and allow the Spirit to craft the content of your message and sound of your response. Your quiet resolve and confidence in the middle of a developing crisis will begin to de-escalate the situation as others choose to follow your example.