2009 Headlines
Head of FBI's Behavioral Science Unit visits Johnson School
Greg Vecchi tells audiences how persuasion is to business as crisis communication is to a life or death situation
October 5, 2009 | Ithaca, NY | Ironing out the details of a contentious corporate merger in the board room may pale in comparison to securing the release of hostages whose lives depend on rescuers who can bend the will of a desperate and/or deranged individual, but the two situations have some important similarities, according to an FBI agent who recently spent a few days with students at the Johnson School.
"In all negotiations it's critical to understand the motivation of the other party based on their needs, values and desires," says Gregory M. Vecchi, head of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit (BSU). "How do we get people to cooperate? The answer often requires the ability to understand, and influence, another person's behavior."
Vecchi, an authority on behavioral-based conflict analysis who has served with the FBI since 1996, contends that crisis communications skills are valuable tools for executives, as well as law enforcement personnel, who may need to practice the art of persuasion in resolving disputes.
The lessons he imparted to MBA students focused on effective, active listening techniques that keep the other party engaged in negotiations, as well as the questions to ask that will lead to both sides to finding common ground.
Such instruction in conflict resolution and crisis management was but one aspect of Vecchi's visit to campus. "This is part of the research by the FBI to connect with institutions of higher learning in an effort to test, and improve, our training methods," he says, noting that the BSU's three primary activities are training, research and consultation.
Connecting with schools like Cornell also enables the FBI to consult with academics who have expertise in behavioral sciences such as psychology, psychiatry, operations research and cognition. "Our primary mission is to train law enforcement officials in the FBI, the intelligence community and the military, but for people like MBA students, our training can prove to be quite valuable when they enter into high-risk negotiations or other situations requiring conflict resolution skills."
