Coaching Services

Hostage negotiations are situations where a great deal is placed in the hands of a few for a short time for the sole purpose of producing an excellent outcome – saving lives.  In these high stakes situations, there is a principal negotiator and a coach who sits with the negotiator and just listens as the negotiation progresses. The coach is there as the team's chief strategist to ensure the principal negotiator is combining and balancing the elements of the negotiation process in a manner that will achieve the goal.

After identifying individuals who are well suited by virtue of professional temperament, training them in the proper use of the elements of the negotiation process, and having them practice in simulated negotiations, the next step in improving return on investment is a little coaching. Negotiation, like golf, tennis, acting, and skiing is a skill, and all those who are accomplished at their chosen skill have a coach. Those teaching a skill stand side by side with the student while student is engaged in real situations. This allows the coach to show the student how the principles can be successfully applied to the specifics of the situation at hand. A little coaching goes a long way toward creating truly expert negotiators.

You can benefit by taking the concept of coaching a step further. In creating negotiation teams, staff it with two accomplished negotiators. One acts as the principal negotiator and the other as a coach. The coach acts as a wingman protecting the principal negotiator from their intense focus and concentration.  While intense focus and concentration are required, they can lead one to overlook opportunities and dangers that are apparent to a equally skilled but the less engaged negotiator.

Both research and experience point to the fact that outcomes improve, often dramatically, when there are two accomplished negotiators in the room. These same coaches can also be used to act as the devil’s advocate in pre-negotiation simulations.  In addition every negotiation offers two opportunities.  The first: produce a superior outcome.  Second, use the results of the just completed negotiation to prepare for the next by debriefing the just completed negotiation.  After the negotiation, the principal negotiator and the coach can debrief and capture lessons learned for use in the next negotiation.  Otherwise the team inevitably winds up in a rut where they do the same thing over and over expecting a better result, and that is the definition of crazy. 

All of these coaching techniques and more can be employed to develop negotiating teams that produce truly superior outcomes.

For more information on how coaching can improve outcomes and return on investment, please contact us.