My goal in writing this application paper is to incorporate the basic communication skills that I have learned from this course into the training that I give my crisis negotiators. I will concentrate this application paper on the following topics:

It is my hope to develop the communication skills of my negotiators in a way that applies to our unique workplace. Because of where we work, the police officer mindset does not always apply. Enhancing basic communication and listening skills will give my negotiators specific training to deal with situations that involve ordinary space center workers, rather than

(Knapp & Vangelisti, Interpersonal Communication and Human Relationships, “Some Means of Silence.” Allyn & Bacon, 1969.)

There may be times when the crisis negotiator may have to use assertive communication techniques to handle a crisis. The crisis negotiator may have to push the message hard without attacking the person to achieve a favorable outcome. This technique works well with an individual that is in the early stages of a crisis. The individual is told in a non-threatening way that the behavior that he or she is exhibiting will not be condoned. For example, an individual reports to work and has an argument with his boss. He then becomes upset and locks himself in his office and will not respond. The individual has shown no mental or suicidal behavior. The crisis negotiator will use assertive communication to talk the individual out of the office. The negotiator will be firm, and yet won’t attack the subject to inflate his anger. There is not a hostage involved, and the likelihood of a suicide situation is low, so the assertive style of communication can be used with minimal consequences.

This application paper has opened my eyes to new communication theories and techniques. Knowing basic communication styles, non-verbal communication, and the differences in communication between genders has increased my communication skills. I intend on using this new acquired knowledge to make my crisis negotiations team stronger and more prepared. Like I stated earlier in this paper, we are not a typical police department. It is unlikely that a criminal would drive through two badge checks to take hostages at a Credit Union that is completely surrounded by security officers with automatic weapons. It is more likely however, that we will get a workplace violence situation involving an employees laid off from a high-paying job after fifteen years of faithful service. How we communicate with this individual may affect the subject and the negotiator for the rest of their lives.

Most of the people that work on the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station have some kind of security clearance. Their identification is checked daily, and items such as weapons are not allowed. The workforce is diverse and consists of civil servants, military and contractor personnel. There is no housing present, so the likelihood of domestic problems is drastically reduced. As you can see from the description above, traditional negotiation techniques may not be as effective due to this non-criminal environment. I am responsible for keeping my negotiators trained for possible situations that may occur on the Space Center and the Air Force Station. Learning how to talk to effectively communicate with fellow space center workers will be of great help.

Gender differences can play a major role on how communication flows between the sender and the receiver. I found the information on communication differences between men and women enlightening. I was surprised on how little I knew about this subject. Most of us know a few stereotypes on the differences between men and women when it comes to communicating. The first thing that came to mind for me was that women tend to talk and gossip more than men. Whether this is true or not is a debate that I will refrain from getting involved with. What I am interested with is how gender differences can effect communication when it comes to crisis negotiations. This is important to me for three reasons:

A crisis can occur at any time and at any location. Negotiators must be able to apply their trade in a variety of circumstances. One that is becoming more prevalent is that of the face-to-face negotiation. Because of the very nature of our environment at the Space Center and the Air Force Station, I believe that this skill is a must. Crisis negotiators are taught that a face-to-face negotiation is no good. It puts the law enforcement officer in jeopardy and

Some topics in this essay:
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