What s Negotiable And What s Not


What’s Negotiable And What’s Not

Before beginning any hostage negotiation, negotiators are trained to take a piece of paper and draw a line down the center. On the right side are things that are negotiable; on the left are things that are not. The list starts out with the obvious and gets more subtle.

For a hostage negotiator, the goal is to get the suspect to surrender with dignity without the loss of life. Negotiable items would generally include things like allowing food and water into the scene. Non-negotiable items would include things like alcohol, which could make the negotiations considerably more difficult to conclude. The lists tend to be similar from negotiation to negotiation, though there are always some new wrinkles popping up.

In everyday negotiations it’s at this point that the commander decides what he or she really truly wants, and what he or she is willing to give on. Unless you’ve done your initial intelligence gathering, you’re not going to be able to draw up your list of negotiable and non-negotiable items. Without it, you’re not ready to begin. To go back to our pickup truck example, you may decide that four-wheel drive is a critical feature because of the weather where you live and the fact that the vehicle has to get you to work through rain, sleet, and snow. You may also decide that while nice, a CD changer is not essential.

Ideally, the intelligence gathering shows you the cost or value the other side will place on each item. This is obvious in a car deal, where each option has a stated price. It’s not quite so clear-cut in most other business situations, however. In most situations, including hostage negotiating, intelligence gathering continues throughout the negotiations. New information comes in; assumptions are checked and rechecked.

Again, the commander makes the call on what the goal is, not the negotiator. It’s important, even in the face of new intelligence, to keep the roles separated.




Negotiate and Win. Proven Strategies from the NYPD's Top Hostage Negotiator
Negotiate and Win: Proven Strategies from the NYPDs Top Hostage Negotiator
ISBN: 0071737774
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 180

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