6 Ways To Positively Cope With Difficult Community Behavior

1. Establish House Rules
Make simple rules for your community. Start with a few “things we do and don’t do.” Discuss them with the community that you’re managing.

2. Prevention Is Better Than Cure
If you feel that your community’s behavior is beginning to get out of control, “nip it in the butt” by distracting your audience attention onto a positive activity or game.

3. Understand Your Community’s Behavior
Define simply and clearly any difficult behavior. Keep a diary of what led up to the behavior and what immediately followed it. From this, see if there is a pattern. What are the triggers and consequences which might be keeping the behavior going? What are the “pay-offs” to your community – are you giving the behavior a lot of attention and “giving in for a quiet life”? DON’T blame yourself but work at changing your responses.

4. Take Five
When tensions and anger rise in you or your community take five. Take five minutes to cool down and to ask yourself, “Why am I getting so angry?” Try to identify the real problem, then find the solution.

5. Never Strike In Anger
Try to avoid taking written, verbal, or physical action with your community in anger. Moreover, take a step back before engaging in anger, sometimes the issues are not solely within the community. Acting out in anger can have irreversible affects on a community, damaging your reputation and influence over a group.

6. Get Away
When you feel frustrated, angry or overwhelmed, let your feelings out safely away from your community. Call a friend over or leave your community with someone trustworthy. Get out. Exercise. Do not stay alone with your community when you are overwhelmed. Get help and support.