Fluency in Physical Crisis Management Training: Not Just Important, It's Essential

Imagine you’ve just completed a training session. You feel ready to tackle any crisis, armed with fresh knowledge. But when the moment of truth arrives, and a real crisis unfolds, you find the training slipping through your fingers like sand. This gap between theory and practice can mean the difference between safety and calamity when it comes to crisis management.

Consider the case of an emergency room nurse trained in crisis intervention. In a simulation, she performs flawlessly. But when faced with an aggressive patient in the ER, her response falters, leading to a dangerous escalation. This isn't a failure of intent or effort; it's a failure of training that didn't convert knowledge into instinctual action.

During my 25 years as a crisis management practitioner and instructor, I've seen how perilous on-the-job learning can be. It's like learning to drive a car in the middle of a highway – the stakes are too high, and the room for error is too small. We believe there are many restraints that can be easily avoided through good prevention strategies; but still, when behavior becomes dangerous, there are times it is necessary. As such, training needs to go beyond mere instruction by building automaticity in responses.

Fluency-based Training

At PCMA, we adopt a unique approach to training: we don't just train; we ingrain skills using fluency-based strategies. This methodology is all about ensuring that our practitioners 'know' the procedures and 'become' the procedures. Fluency-based training is a process where skills are practiced beyond mere accuracy; they're honed to the point of being automatic and effortless.

Take the example of a school administrator tasked with de-escalating violent situations. Through our fluency-based training, this officer goes beyond memorizing the steps of de-escalation. The officer repeatedly practices these skills in various scenarios, each time receiving immediate feedback and adjustments. This high-frequency, intensive training transforms their learned responses into reflexive actions.

In the heat of a volatile situation, the administrator's reaction is swift, appropriate, and effective. This is because they’ve practiced it to the point where the right response is automatic. Their training has been internalized so deeply that it becomes a part of their instinctual response system, ensuring effectiveness even under extreme stress.

While some might argue that extensive training is time-consuming or costly, the truth is that there’s a much higher price to pay for inadequate training. A poorly trained staff member can inadvertently escalate a crisis, leading to injuries or worse. At PCMA, we believe in the integrity of our training process, ensuring that every practitioner is not just trained but transformed.

End Goal

In the end, the goal of training in physical crisis management isn't just to impart knowledge. It's to foster an unthinking competence, where the right actions flow naturally in the face of crisis. Let's not settle for traditional training methods that leave practitioners underprepared. Instead, let's aim for a level of preparedness where, in the midst of chaos, our training becomes our instinct. If you'd like to find out more about becoming a PCM instructor or bringing PCM to your school or facility, send an email to [email protected]

About the Author

Specializing in human performance, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni is a behavior scientist and educator who has worked across education and human services for almost three decades. In this capacity, he has served the needs of children and adults through various positions, including COO, Vice President, Director of School Improvement, Leadership Director, Professor, Assistant Principal, School Turnaround Manager, Clinical Coordinator, Therapist, District Behavior Analyst, and Director of Progam Development and Public Relations at PCMA. Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), or the science of human behavior, to make a positive difference in establishing safe, productive, and engaging environments that bring out the best in faculty and staff so they can bring out the best in the learners they serve. He is an active board member of the Opioid Awareness Foundation and World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance.

Known for his authenticity and practical approaches, Dr. Gavoni is the host of the Top 1.5% globally ranked Crisis in Education Podcast and a sought-out speaker at various Educational and Behavior Analytic Conferences Internationally. He a the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling co-author of The Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership: Behavioral Karma; Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership; Deliberate Coaching: A Toolbox for Accelerating Teacher Performance; and MMA Science: A Training, Coaching, and Belt Ranking Guide. Dr. Gavoni is proud to introduce OBM and Applied Behavior Analysis to worldwide audiences through his numerous publications and his work with PCMA to create productive, safe, and positive cultures.

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is also a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and a highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained world champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences. Coach Paulie has been featured in the books Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams at the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts, A Fighter’s Way, and the featured article Ring to Cage: How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest. He is also an author who has written extensively for various online magazines such as Scifighting, Last Word on Sports, and Bloody Elbow, where his Fight Science series continues to bring behavioral science to MMA. Finally, Paulie was also a featured fighter in FX’s highest-rated show at the time, The Toughman, and as an MMA coach in the Lifetime reality series Leave it to Geege.