Sunday, February 23, 2014

Trust Building Tactics

Australians Losing $7 Million A Month To Internet Fraud
Australians transfer at least $7 million a month in to the accounts of fraudsters but police say many victims refuse to believe they've been the subject of a scam and so they're now teaming up with psychologists to develop more effective ways to stop the fraud. 
See how this type of crisis situation is created by a skill used by crisis and hostage negotiators...

Monday, February 17, 2014

5 Tips On Measuring Crisis & Hostage Negotiation Progress


This article explores how progress is measured during crisis and hostage incidents based on research while it can also be applied to non-hostage and crisis negotiations.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

FBI Reveals Hostage Negotiation Strategies

Denver FBI agent Dave Joly said says there are two objectives a negotiator has going in a standoff situation. 
1- Public safety. 
2- Bring calm to any escalating confrontation.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Saving Lives: The SAFE Model for Resolving Hostage and Crisis Incidents


(From the review)- This book is a concise modern-style textbook that allows the reader to get substantive content grounded in research and brought to life by actual examples. The stories are provided in a much more practical and beneficial manner- ones that are straight to the point while also being analytical and utilizing a new model. The end result for the non-hostage negotiator reader is coming away with a firm understanding of what makes negotiators effective in a specific setting, and if he or she chooses, ample opportunities to apply it to their work.

Monday, February 3, 2014

The Power of Empathy

Why read about empathy when you can watch RSA Animate short clip below?

For those are not aware of RSA Animate, think of TED Talks but drawings or animations instead.  The ones I have seen are good, really good. 

I frequently say during my trainings, workshops, and lectures that empathy is one of the most important words not only in crisis and hostage negotiation incidents but in life in general.  

Not only is it an important word, but the importance is pointless unless it is understood and practiced daily.  Empathy is a tool, when used genuinely, that can help a crisis hostage negotiator be effective in assisting people that are involved in a crisis. Remember empathy, as the video explains, is not the same as sympathy. 

Empathy is what shows we are not "full of it" but rather we actually want to work collaboratively with the subject while also it is what makes active listening effective.  The contrast is just letting the person talk while not engaging in any of the active listening skills here. Empathy is critical to building rapport, developing trust, and being charismatic to guide the subject to reappraise their situation and seek out alternatives to resolving the situation.


Instead of me writing more (I can do that in another post!), enjoy the short clip below:

Saturday, February 1, 2014

In This Corner: When Worlds Collide




IN THIS CORNER
...When Worlds Collide

By Lynne Kinnucan

“The past is never dead.  It's not even past.”
William Faulkner


The nightly news runs films of returning veterans, happy families, strangers holding up signs of gratitude and respect. Yet too many never make it back at all, and of those who do - the ones who suffer no memorial but their own - re-entry is often more of a collision than a homecoming. The shell-shocked father in a shouting match with his wife as the family begins to crumble.  The commanding officer who knows that obedience is the first law of survival and goes into shock when a workplace employee says no.