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Harvard-trained negotiator instructs USAFSOS students

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Melanie Holochwost
  • Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Today’s operational environment requires both communication and combat skills. Air Commandos at every level need this training, particularly in negotiation.

That’s where Hank Finn comes in. As the Air Force Negotiations Center deputy director at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, he travels to Hurlburt Field several times a year to teach negotiation techniques, based on a Harvard Business model, to Air Commandos.

Finn said anyone can benefit from this training.

“Negotiation doesn’t just happen in high-level meetings; it fills our daily lives,” he said. “We negotiate at home with friends about simple plans such as where and when to eat. We negotiate with co-workers and superiors about work schedules or taskers. And, we negotiate with friends from other partner nations on matters that directly support national security interests.”

Finn, who completed the basic and advanced negotiation courses at Harvard Law School, now teaches interest-based negotiation to students at the United States Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS).

“We don’t teach to negotiate for what you want, rather we should negotiate for what we need,” he said. “The key is to anticipate and prepare for your negotiation partner’s true interest to see if they meet yours as well.”

Asking questions is more important than making statements, Finn said.

“Far too often we worry so much about what to say and forget what to ask,” he said. “We have to dig deep to discover each other’s needs.”

Finn said he uses humorous personal stories to illustrate teaching objectives.

“I like to make it fun because it helps students remember the concepts,” he said. “I’m really passionate about teaching, especially to this community.”

Despite manpower shortages and budget restrictions, Finn has personally made support to the USAFSOS mission and its students a priority, said Maj. Kelli Moon, USAFSOS language and culture center chief.

“He has been an avid supporter of the Intercultural Competence Course as well as the AFSOC mission,” Moon said. “He constantly gets rave reviews from his students, which recently led to him winning the USAFSOS General Alison Educator of the Year Award.”

The art of negotiation is a life skill. Trained negotiators are more effective not only in the workplace, but at home and in the community. And, Finn encourages all Airmen to learn more about it.

“We have three courses on the JKO that are open to anyone,” he said. “They are very creatively designed courses with live actors, mentors, motion graphics, field insights from experienced Airmen, and avatars.”

Those interested in negotiations training can take these courses anytime on the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) @ http://jko.jfcom.mil/