Richard Mullender worked as a detective investigating serious crimes at the London Metropolitan Police before he became a hostage negotiator and lead trainer at Scotland Yard’s National Hostage and Crisis Negotiation Unit. He was part of the team that negotiated the high-profile release of three UN workers held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2004 and his listening expertise contributed to the intelligence that informed the rescue of Norman Kember in Iraq in 2006. He has also trained and advised international government bodies including: The United Nations, The World Food Programme, The Maltese Government and The Indian secret services.
Masterclass overview
We’re all taught to talk. None of us are taught to listen. And yet we know that all effective communication starts with listening. Listening is a skill that’s seriously undervalued in the business world. This training is developed by an experienced hostage negotiator to help you and your team gain a skill very few people have and use it ethically to influence and persuade. Expect to be entertained; be challenged; and learn valuable skills from the closely guarded world of hostage negotiation.
Value and expected outcomes
- Bust the five big communication myths
- Learn to listen like a hostage negotiator
- Learn to apply the rules of negotiation to get the outcome you want
- Use language to influence and persuade others and win tough negotiations
What is covered?
- Listening – discover what to listen for; interpret the true significance of what’s being said; and test your hypothesis without offending the other person
- Questioning – learn the specialised techniques used by Scotland Yard detectives
- Preparing and planning – walk away with the ability to prepare and plan like a hostage negotiator for an important conversation
- Dealing with difficult people – learn how to discover the root cause of the problem and discuss it frankly, and find and apply a solution that’s acceptable to both sides
- Negotiation skills – use language to optimum effect to engage and involve
- Persuasion skills – build obligation and engender trust; see how we are programmed to confront and how this can be harnessed
A hostage negotiation scenario can be played as part of the masterclass to put your new skills to the test in a controlled ‘life or death’ crisis situation.
