When people mention "negotiation expert", they may think of Inspector Ho Shang-sheng played by Liu Qingyun in the movie "Dark War". Holding a walkie-talkie, he calmly walked into the scene of an armed bank robbery and talked with the robbers. Even if the opponent pretends to shoot, he is neither humble nor arrogant, and fearless, which makes the audience say he is so handsome.
Or in the TV series "The Negotiator", Peng Guodong, played by Ouyang Zhenhua, is sitting in a wheelchair and trying to persuade the gangsters: "There is a solution to everything. In fact, everyone has their own problems. The most important thing is, don't Magnify the problem infinitely, so big that you can cover your eyes so that you can’t see anything and can’t understand anything.” This passage is still regarded as a classic quotation of “positive energy”.
They seem to represent the different characteristics of "negotiation experts", and through their wonderful performances in film and television works, they have given this profession a mysterious veil and a shining aura.
What is the daily work of a "negotiation expert"? How to develop a pair of iron teeth and bronze teeth? And what the audience wants to know most is, how to become a "negotiation expert"? A China News reporter also turned into a little fan and curiously went to the Hong Kong Police Headquarters with these questions to find out.
01
Iron teeth or bronze teeth?
No, it's more about listening.
Waiting for reporters in the reception room is Cai Yuyu, the training director of the Negotiation Team of the Hong Kong Police Force. She has joined the Police Negotiation Team since 2009. She has handled countless cases in her 15-year career and is a veritable "negotiation expert" ".
But she is a little different from the image of the "iron lady" we imagine who is resolute and resolute in turning the tide. The Cai Yuyu in front of us has a soft voice, a crooked smile and a very approachable face. This is exactly what a good negotiator needs to have -
compared to To be eloquent, you need to be good at listening and to understand others with empathy; rather than being overbearing, you need to be able to handle problems flexibly and work in a team.
The picture shows Cai Yuyu, training director of the Negotiation Team of the Hong Kong Police Force. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Zhihua
02
Character filter shattered everywhere?
As we all know, the most classic theme of Hong Kong films is police and criminal films, and "negotiation expert" is an indispensable member of them. What are the creative filters for film and television dramas? What is the real job of a "negotiation expert"?
1. Misunderstanding of greeting: "Hello, I am Zhang San, a negotiation expert?"
——Best error demonstration
"Usually when I say 'hello', I have to say something (Cantonese, meaning trouble), and the other person will immediately say in a very aggressive tone, 'What's so good? What's so good? I'm not good!'"
Cai Yongyu said that in actual work, members of the negotiation team usually do not introduce themselves to prevent the other party from becoming wary. Most of them skip the English name. The focus is on the last sentence "I am here to help you" to clearly indicate their intention.
2. Misunderstanding about breaking into a den of thieves alone
--impossible
Cai Yongyu told reporters that negotiation teams usually go out in teams, with as few as 4 or 5 people and as many as more than 10 people, so teamwork is very important. After arriving at the scene of the crime, the negotiation team will divide the work according to the circumstances of the case. There will be a lead negotiator to conduct discussions, and the other team members will analyze the expressions and conversation content of the parties in real time in order to adjust strategies.
So if the person concerned is in a closed environment, how can he see his expression and hear his voice?
Good question, fuck-
Instruments required for the work of police negotiation teams. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Zhihua
These are the tools currently used by the police negotiation team to assist negotiations and are suitable for different crime environments.
Contestant No. 1 is a negotiation robot that can be used for remote communication. It can remotely drive into dangerous crime scenes. The robot comes with a 360-degree lens, speakers, etc., and can clearly transmit internal images and sounds to the off-site negotiation team.
Cai Yuyu demonstrates how to operate a negotiation robot. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Zhihua
Player No. 2 is a negotiation ball, which is so heavy that the police officer has to throw it at the crime scene like a shot put. The negotiation ball is also equipped with call and photography functions.
Cai Yongyu demonstrated the use of the negotiation ball. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Zhihua
Contestant No. 3 is a police mobile radio phone, and the negotiation team communicates with the parties through the phone.
Cai Yongyu demonstrates the operation of a mobile wireless phone. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Zhihua
3. Clear the area of misunderstandings and all irrelevant people should leave
——Stop imagining
Cai Yongyu said frankly that it is basically impossible to clear the scene like in the TV series and work without external interference in the densely populated Hong Kong, especially in the era when everyone is a self-media. But they are also accustomed to complex on-site environments and can carry out negotiations without distractions.
03
How to become a negotiator
This can be traced back to 1974, when a bank robbery lasted more than 20 hours and shocked the whole of Hong Kong, prompting the establishment of a police negotiation team. The negotiating team when it was first established mainly dealt with counter-terrorism and hostage-taking incidents.
However, in the past half century of changes, the negotiation team has been continuously given new functions and challenges, and its work content has become more integrated into social life.
"In addition to counter-terrorism and hostage-taking incidents, we will also handle suicide cases and mediate in large-scale public events. During the epidemic prevention and control period, we also assisted different departments in lobbying work."
Cai Yuyu said that in recent years, the negotiation team The team has also continued to grow, from more than 10 people at the beginning to more than 100 people now.
If you want to become a member of the negotiation team, in addition to passing a two-day selection, you must also participate in a two-week overnight crisis negotiation course to test the trainees' psychological quality in performing duties under high pressure and harsh situations. The training content includes crisis negotiation principles, active listening skills, suicide attempt handling, hostage handling, counter-terrorism activities and tactical negotiation, etc.
The voluntary nature of this job means that in addition to performing normal police duties, members of the negotiation team are on call 24 hours a day to handle emergencies.
Author: Han Xingtong
Source: China News Service WeChat official account