The Negotiator: Lessons From the Front Line

by Andrew McLaughlin, Diploma programme director at the IMI

Upset by delays in the delivery of your product, a long term customer threatens to go public and picket your premises. A valued employee threatens to resign immediately and bring some of your top customers with him when salary negotiations stall. Such events may not seem to have much in common with police hostage negotiations but there are parallels. These are moments when the stakes are high and there is no time to prepare. The challenge is to keep emotional distance and to work on a successful outcome.

The negotiator who leads the police team is the focal point. He must establish a rapport with the hostage taker on a one-to-one basis. That is why there is usually only one spokesperson on the police side The bonding is critical to finding a solution in a collaborative way. The key is active listening. The negotiator is listening for underlying issues and concerns. He is acutely aware of the emotional expression of the hostage taker. Emotions are signals to what is important. The negotiator reflects back both the concern and the emotion, for example “it sounds as if you have been having a very frustrating time lately”

Emotions are like the graphic equaliser on a stereo system. They fluctuate from moment to moment. If not recognised they usually intensify. When an emotion is labelled and articulated its signalling function is discharged and it loses energy. This is the part that unskilled negotiators usually get wrong. They try to use logical reasoning. The mind is not susceptible to logic when in the grip of strong emotion. It takes emotional intelligence to get this right.

It also takes time and police negotiators know that time is on their side. So slowing things down is a useful tactic as strong emotions are acknowledged and processed. Negotiators often use self disclosure to create trust, talking about times when they “lost it” when trying to resolve a situation.

In FBI training negotiators learn to develop stamina as hostage negotiations often take up to 50 hours. The training involves exploiting the psychological vulnerabilities of the negotiators by getting information from friends about the flash points for that individual. Hostage negotiators have to transcend their own tendencies, for example, if particular circumstances trigger reactance, such as mistreating children, this could precipitate pre-mature action. Hostage negotiators require high self-awareness so that they can behave in a way that is appropriate to the particular incident.

In problem solving a hostage situation there is an emphasis on short term issues. Hostage negotiators try to broker a safe surrender rather than solving longer term problems such as custody of children or alcohol/drug rehabilitation. Good will is generated by acceding to demands for favourite foods and cigarettes if appropriate.

Managing a hostage situation is a team effort. A protocol or drill is established before beginning talks with a hostage taker. There will be agreement on the respective roles, who will make key decisions, what the non negotiable items are, what the strategy and tactics are and what a successful outcome would look like. There will be others giving well meaning advice, for example politicians, family, even senior police. The hostage team needs to have a united approach when the stakes get high.

It is often forgotten that the closing of a negotiation is as important as other stages. The key here is not to act in an arrogant way that suggests having won. After agreeing to surrender, the hostage taker is likely to be sensitive to the fact that he or she has conceded control of the situation. Negotiators are trained to act so that the hostage taker does not lose face. The goal is to maximise safety at this point. So everything at the concluding stage is done slowly and carefully with respect for the hostage taker.

William Ury in his book “Getting Past No” stresses the need for a “golden bridge” that enables your negotiating counterpart to see the negotiation outcome as at least a partial win for both sides.

Summary

Hostage Negotiations – Lessons from the front line

1. Establish a bond on a one-to-one basis
2. Listen for, reflect and explore emotions
3. Identify underlying issues and concerns
4. Solve short term problems and establish problem solving momentum
5. Maintain respect and do not boast about beating the other person

About the author
Andrew McLaughlin is programme director of the IMI Diploma in Organisational Behaviour and the IMI Diploma in Executive Coaching. He is an experienced executive coach who has worked with national and multi-national companies including Revenue Commissioners, Departments of Industry and Commerce and Defence, OECD and EU. Andrew is a Master Practitioner and certified trainer/ consultant of Neuro Linguistic Programming.