Negotiation a core capability for all Airmen

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published October 02, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The secretary of the Air Force announced a commitment to formally solidify the Air Force Negotiation Center as the focal point for negotiation research, teaching and outreach efforts while speaking at the Women in Negotiation Summit in New York City Oct. 1.

“Building negotiating skills into leadership training throughout our Airmen’s career ensures that all Air Force members have the skills needed to succeed in our complex and diverse environment,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.

As a core competency, adaptive negotiation skills will foster collaborative relationships to enhance success in the joint environment, build partnership capability, increase cross-organizational communication, and achieve better results for both the Air Force and taxpayer.

“Adding new tools to help us ensure our Airmen have the right negotiation skills to make better decisions will ultimately help keep the Air Force the strongest on the planet,” James said.

By adopting the center’s negotiation model service-wide, Airmen will have a common frame of reference when developing individual skill sets and while mentoring others. The standardized model facilitates the development of an enterprise-level capability allowing Airmen to use lessons learned to inform future negotiations.

The negotiation model helps Airmen think critically as they recognize the initial conditions and understand the most productive negotiation approach for a specific problem. Airmen will gain both ongoing and situational understanding to adapt their strategy as the negotiation environment evolves.

The Air Force Negotiation Center offers both in-residence and distance learning coursework across all Air University schools and colleges. Coursework ranges from introductory skills through advanced cross-cultural negotiating techniques.

In fiscal year 2016, the center will continue providing negotiation education and training to more than 35,000 Airmen. With the added resources and support, this number will grow to 200,000 in addition to reaching a wide community of federal agencies and the public.