In this insightful episode of the EZ Conversations podcast, Andy Brown, a former Scottish police officer with 30 years of service, mostly in the Highlands and Islands, delves into the intricacies of negotiation and crisis management. Sharing valuable lessons from his extensive career, 15 years of which he served as a crisis and hostage negotiator, Andy discusses the importance of a negotiation mindset, active listening, honesty, and trust. He recounts tense moments from his career, including negotiating with terrorists and facilitating evacuations during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Andy also highlights the significance of maintaining mental health and shares personal practices such as meditation, walking in nature, and family support that have helped him stay grounded in highly stressful situations. Finally, Andy offers wisdom for young professionals entering first responder roles, emphasizing humility, empathy, and learning from experienced colleagues. Former Commander, Chief Inspector (retd.) Andrew B Brown is an internationally renowned negotiator with specialist knowledge and experience in dealing with kidnap for ransom and hostage/crisis incidents, particularly in humanitarian environments; in designing conflict de-escalation skills for field operations and acting as an expert witness to judicial inquiries on the response to hostage-taking. A Fellow of the Chartered Management and Security Institutes, he has developed advanced negotiation and crisis leadership skills for major corporations, public bodies, and Olympic sports coaches. His doctoral studies and experience in Afghan and African kidnappings have led him to research, critique, and advise INGOs on how to prepare, prevent, and respond to the threat of international kidnapping. As a Fulbright Alumnus, he continues to teach advanced negotiation tactics to many law enforcement agencies, including NYPD, USMS and the FBI. Published in his field, he remains an Advisor to the Editorial Board of the Crisis Response Journal. 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 01:15 Andy's Background in Policing 04:15 The Art of Negotiation 08:34 Hostage Negotiation Insights 11:57 Managing Stress and Mental Health 17:40 Challenging Negotiations and Emotional Impact 37:27 Advice for Young First Responders 43:31 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information Sponsors of the Podcast: BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/ez10 for 10% off your first month of therapy WeShape: https://weshape.postaffiliatepro.com/scripts/dcfogwyuk?a_aid=FurkhanDandia&a_bid=d7508fa8 for 35% all plans. Aura: https://aura.com/ez10 for a free two-week trial Plunge: https://plunge.com/ez Mint Mobile: https://trymintmobile.com/ez10 for 15$ for an unlimited cell phone plan Mental: https://getmental.com/ez If you would like to support EZ Conversations, here are all the ways you can do that: Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eunoiazen Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/eunoiazen YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrqBp_zdRiIfBRV4wURSZ2A LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/furkhan-dandia-macp-mba-072a8a1ba/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EzConversations Or find Furkhan's Book, Pursuit of Self Love: 30 Uplifting Messages and Reflections. The Kindle version is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Pursuit-Self-Love-Uplifting-Messages-Reflections-ebook/dp/B0C4D1XYL1 Subscribe to the EZ Reflections Newsletter: https://ez-reflections-newsletter.beehiiv.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
