The Book of Real-World Negotiations

22Listening Them Down from a Tree

Based on an interview with Gary McDougall

A crisis negotiator for a police department has many things to consider when a situation arises. Often they do not have a lot of information or time to prepare, so they must rely on training and years of experience to determine what is really going on in a given situation. As in many negotiations, what initially manifests itself as the problem to be discussed is not what truly underlies the negotiation.

When you add in the dynamics of time pressure and the risky potential nature of the outcome, these negotiations challenge a negotiator's skillset to the maximum degree. The case that follows meets all of these criteria and then some.

Background and the Negotiation Challenge

The place was Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The situation occurred a number of years ago. Gary McDougall was at home when he got a call that he frequently gets. “Gary,” the dispatcher said, “we have got a situation on the outskirts of downtown Calgary. We need you down there right away.” “Okay,” Gary replied. “Fill me in as I get my things and get in the car.”¹

As Gary hopped into his car the dispatcher explained the situation. A husband and wife of indigenous origin (Native Canadians), who were in their mid-thirties and were also methamphetamine addicts, were having a life-threatening challenge. The wife, Mary, decided she had had enough of their drug-induced lifestyle and was going to check herself into a rehabilitation clinic to ...