Terrorists are one of the most violent and unpredictable groups in the world, and nobody can speak to the devastating consequences of failed negotiations with them better than Cal Chrustie. Likewise, there’s no one better to teach us how to make the most out of those failures.

Cal served for 34 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and has also served as a Negotiations Mediator for the United Nations in the former country of Yugoslavia. He’s been involved in some of the highest stakes negotiation scenarios you can imagine. On this episode, he shares the most valuable lessons he learned from the most painful failed negotiation he’s ever experienced - one involving a terrorist group and the execution of hostages.

Outline of This Episode

[2:12] Getting to know Cal Chrustie, negotiator extraordinaire
[4:01] The worst negotiation experience Cal has ever had
[15:39] How to better assess the readiness of negotiation partners
[23:55] The importance and power of a debrief
[28:49] A negotiation Cal was engaged in that turned out super well
[41:15] The importance of taking risks appropriately

Resources & People Mentioned

BOOK: Thinking In Bets by Annie Duke
Cal’s previous episode on Negotiations Ninja
Herb Cohen - previous guest on Negotiations Ninja
Robert Cialdini
Negotiations Ninja episode featuring Gary Noesner

Connect with Cal Chrustie

Follow Cal on LinkedIn
Cal’s company website: InterVentis Global

Connect With Mark

Follow Negotiations Ninja on Twitter: @NegotiationPod
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn
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Connect on Instagram: @NegotiationPod

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Learning From Failed Negotiations With Terrorists