How do you effectively respond to someone who is harming others or someone who is having a negative influence on the performance of others? Someone who will not engage with you in a meaningful manner? In other words, bad actors. You just can’t get that person to the table… Perhaps powerful backup is called for.
In Episode 12 of the On Conflict Podcast, Ben Hoffman talks about working in concert with former US President Jimmy Carter to encourage bad actors on the world stage to modify their behaviour. Ben describes these people as having a tightly-held and difficult-to-access set of values that justifies killing others, recruitment of child soldiers, rape, etc.
Although your encountering a character this extreme may be unlikely, how to deal with such a bad actor is instructive. It can inform the very challenging, but less severe situations that you may indeed find yourself in. Ben speaks about a kind of collaboration that is bookended by the application of meaningful authority, whether it be moral, political, reputational, economic, or military.
Ben explained how the bad actors only come ‘kicking and screaming’ to the negotiation table. The following is how it came to pass. President Carter would contact the individual and say, “I would like you to speak with and cooperate with my colleague Ben.” I imagine this could be partly based on returning a favour, or pointing out a possible consequence of not cooperating, or a threat if needed.
Ben explained that once so ‘encouraged’ by President Carter, the individual would often be willing to talk and cooperate in creating an agreement for ceasefire etc. Fundamentally though, Ben implied there would be a limitation to their investment in agreement terms. At this point President Carter would again get involved and essentially lead them, and if needed, threaten them into signing and committing. Any such threats would be based on real and available economic, reputational, or military consequences of not signing and following the agreement.
The operational principle seems to be that the person using collaborative skills and practices requires backup from a second person with real, relevant power to generate commitment on the part of the bad actor. This second person with power brings the bad actor to the table where the collaborative negotiator or mediator works with empathy, narratives, values, and interests to build workable resolutions. Then the second person is again required to induce the final steps of agreement formation and commitment. The two work in concert and both are required.
In challenging but less dire situations than Ben found himself in, you may need the assistance of someone with authority or influence to team up with you to first encourage cooperative dialogue with a challenging individual, and then to let the challenging individual know that actioning of agreement terms is being monitored.
Listen to Ben Hoffman in ‘Looking Violence in the Face,’ Episode 12 of the On Conflict Podcast. I am sad to report that the world lost Ben and his valuable experiences and wisdom to a terminal illness on February 26, 2019. Fortunately, his books such as the Violence Vaccine, Peace Guerillas, and Peaceweaving remain available. In a previous blog inspired by Ben’s term, I write about ‘Peaceweaving in Organizations – What it Means to Me’.
Thank you for your interest in my writing and I appreciate any comments you may wish to leave below.
Gordon
Hi Gordon, I like the format and the approach. Most of us won’t encounter such dire circumstances but it is helpful to understand what many of those in senior posts have to face. Best regards, Sandy.
Hi Sandy,
Thanks. Yes, we may not face those dire circumstances, but the principle can be effectively applied with benefit in many less extreme situations.