Mitchell R. Hammer’s Saving Lives: The S.A.F.E. Model for Resolving Hostage & Crisis Situations is a book that discusses a specific, if not niche, area of negotiation and conflict resolution: law enforcement crisis and hostage negotiations. However, much of the information Hammer shares in this book is more broadly relevant and offers value to professionals with experience working in other areas of conflict resolution. He takes an academic approach that neatly integrates it with practical and real life examples…

 

...Hammer describes five emotional distress states encountered in hostage crisis negotiations, and in other negotiations as well: sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and shame, each of which has its own “action tendency.” For example, the action tendency of sadness is to seek help.  A negotiator is able to gain influence with the subject by responding to the emotional distress state and its “action tendency.”

Hammer explains the value but also the limitations of active listening, which by itself is not a “magic bullet” to bring about a peaceful resolution...