The Hostage Negotiator's Creed
We operate in often in the dark, where most, even our brothers and sisters, don't always fully understand our tactics.
In this darkness people think there is no way out, yet we illuminate a light providing options.
In this light there is hope. We build rapport, we develop trust—genuinely.
We are not there to fix long-term issues.
We have a goal; we have a plan. We are there to resolve the immediate crisis at hand.
While most think these incidents need swift, brute force and trickery, we utilize skills such as active listening to slow the process. We listen with curiosity in the moment, with the goal always in mind.
We know, from our experiences, that these aren't "soft skills" but rather necessary in saving lives.
We work as a team, and our successes are often only known by a few.
When it ends well, we walk away quietly.
We do this because it’s more than a job. We are humans and so are they.
It's what we do because we are Hostage Negotiators.
In this darkness people think there is no way out, yet we illuminate a light providing options.
In this light there is hope. We build rapport, we develop trust—genuinely.
We are not there to fix long-term issues.
We have a goal; we have a plan. We are there to resolve the immediate crisis at hand.
While most think these incidents need swift, brute force and trickery, we utilize skills such as active listening to slow the process. We listen with curiosity in the moment, with the goal always in mind.
We know, from our experiences, that these aren't "soft skills" but rather necessary in saving lives.
We work as a team, and our successes are often only known by a few.
When it ends well, we walk away quietly.
We do this because it’s more than a job. We are humans and so are they.
It's what we do because we are Hostage Negotiators.
This is free to use for law enforcement trainings, just let me know first. Jeff [at] TheNarrativeLab.org