Business Management Blog

Dog Day Afternoon is probably the best single film on negotiating that you can watch. Millions have seen a very young Al Pacino and Charles Durning turn in virtuoso performances as captor and cop in this classic film. Based on the true story of a bank robbery that turned into a hostage situation, the film shows the local police team trying hard to resolve the situation but fumbling a bit. Then the FBI team moves quickly into action and negotiates with skill and training. The events were re-created with incredible accuracy.

Each of the six basic principles of negotiating is clearly demonstrated in this film. Here is a friendly guide through the negotiation without ruining the film.

Prepare: You’ll notice right away that the robbers are unprepared for the hostage situation. They came to rob a bank, not to take hostages. In fact, one of the team members bails out immediately in a comic lesson about the importance of building a solid team that is fully prepared. Note how the police immediately and throughout the film try to gather information about the man holding the hostages. They use all the resources of the state to find out who they are negotiating against. Within hours, the cops find out things that shocked the man’s mother and his wife.

Set goals and limits: The police set limits before they ever start talking. Their goal is to get the hostages out safely. When a hostage is hurt, they find out how the injury happened. If it was an accident, they continue the negotiation. If it was an execution, they make a frontal assault on the site. Through it all, they never forget their goal, even though they appear willing to do so as far as the captors know.

Listen and clarify communications: This is a constant. Note in the barber shop that someone is always in the background wearing headphones. That officer is monitoring all the communications both ways to be sure that they are clear. He does not speak, but he is an integral member of the negotiating team. Most audience members would not notice. Also, note the body language of the FBI agent when he first meets Pacino’s character. The agent conveys authority and confidence, unlike the local policemen.

Push the pause button: The police have a firm hold on the pause button. One officer’s sole job is to observe everyone’s emotional state. This officer keeps a check on emotions and removes officers before the strain of the situation overcomes them.

Close: The authorities keep the goal constantly in mind. Notice how many times the police try to close this negotiation. You can watch this film more than once. Each time, you will notice something new about the way the skills in this book apply to this type of high-stakes negotiation. It is fun to note something new with each viewing.

Dog Day Afternoon is so instructive that it is shown at the FBI training school for hostage negotiators in Quantico, Virginia.