How do you use the Behavioral Change Stairway Model - a proven crisis negotiation scheme - in business?

Any conversation can turn into a crisis negotiation. how to use the Behavioral Change Stairway Model - a proven crisis negotiation scheme - in business?

What is the world we live in?

We live in a time where crisis has become an everyday occurrence. The COVID-19 pandemic was only the beginning of numerous events that are shaking the world: the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, global inflation, waves of layoffs, geopolitical tensions and increasing social polarization. Added to this is the relativization of violence - war broadcast live in the media, shootings in the streets, and the brutalization of the language of public debate.

Not surprisingly, the psychological condition of societies is dramatic. A 2025 SWPS study shows that as many as 36% of Polish women and men show symptoms of high risk of clinical depression. Importantly, as the authors of the report emphasize, political orientation, ideology or religiosity does not matter. Mental crisis has become a cross-divisional phenomenon, affecting all social groups. Another study by SWPS and the Pomagam.pl Foundation found that up to 1/4 of adult Poles have experienced a mental crisis. This is a real social phenomenon significantly affecting business relationships.

Global data also confirm the scale of the problem. WHO and the World Bank (2022 report) indicate that depression and anxiety disorders generate more than $1 trillion a year in losses to the global economy due to lost productivity. As a result, workers are tired, frustrated and prone to impulsive reactions. And this means that in the workplace, even a simple conversation can quickly turn into a crisis negotiation.

Crisis negotiation in the modern world - is it necessary?

• We live in a world of permanent crises that strain the psyche of individuals and entire organizations.
• SWPS research shows that more than 1/3 of Poles are at risk of clinical depression, and 1/4 of adults have experienced a mental crisis.
• Under such conditions, classic interest-based negotiations often fail because emotions dominate over rationality.
• The Behavioral Change Stairway Model (FBI) is a tool developed in hostage negotiation that is increasingly applied in business and HR.
• The key is: active listening, empathy, building trust, only then influence and behavioral change.

Why do ordinary conversations become crisis negotiations?

Until a few years ago, most business conversations had a relatively predictable course. Prices, terms of delivery, scope of services were negotiated - the pressure was real, but it was within the framework of the game of business. Today, the world looks different. People are overworked and confused. Everyone carries an "unlocked grenade" inside them - accumulated frustrations and fears that can explode at seemingly trivial occasions.

Added to this are the changing dynamics of the labor market. Not so long ago there was talk of a "market of the worker" - today indicators show that the situation is reversing. However, it will still be a long time before the awareness of this reaches the teams. In a period of inertia, it's easy to have a confluence of expectations: employees expect stability and development, while managers have to make decisions about cuts and changes. This is a situation where classic negotiation tools fail, because it's not enough to talk about business, you need to be able to talk about emotions.

What to do when the conversation is headed for escalation? Behavioral Change Stairway Model - a ladder of behavioral change

The Behavioral Change Stairway Model is the FBI's five-step negotiation model that teaches how to conduct crisis conversations - from listening to empathy to behavioral change. The FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit, after years of working with people in crisis (including hostage and suicide situations), has developed a model that assumes , before behavior change can occur, several steps must be followed:

1. Active listening - showing that we really hear what the other party is saying.
2. Empathy - naming the emotions behind the words.
3. Relationship - building a minimum of trust.
4. Influence - only then can solutions be offered.
5. Behavioral change - the last step that paves the way for adaptation.

In practice, this means that a manager or HR professional cannot immediately go to arguments, numbers and rational calculations. First he must "disarm" the emotions of the interlocutor - otherwise he risks escalation.

How to apply the BCS crisis negotiation model step by step?

Stage	What to do	Language and examples
1. Active listening	Repeat, paraphrase, ask open-ended questions	If I understand correctly, you say that... / Tell me more about...
2. Empathy	Name the emotions, but don't escalate	I can see that this is frustrating for you" / It sounds like you feel left out
3. Trust	Show your intention to cooperate	I want us to find a solution together / I'm not judging you, I want to understand
4. Influence	Only after trust, introduce options	We can consider two ways... / Which option is more realistic for you?
5. Change behavior	Help move to action and adaptation	Let's try it for a week and see the effect/ The first step is the hardest, but it will open the way further on

How is business negotiation different from business crisis negotiation?

Let's look at two situations:

Business case 1: a manufacturing company is negotiating with a supplier of electronic components. The customer demands just-in-time delivery, high quality and a reasonable price. The supplier proposes a cheaper option, but with inferior specifications and less flexible logistics. Negotiations last for weeks, the parties have time to analyze and compromise. Eventually they agree on a higher price, but with a better quality guarantee and flexible delivery schedule. The pressure was real, but manageable - this is where business and the value package mattered.

Crisis Case 2: HR has a conversation with the team about planned layoffs. Employees react with anger and fear. Questions are raised about the future of families, sense of security, sense of work. The classic arguments - about the need for restructuring and cost-cutting - only escalate the tension. Only when HR uses active listening and empathy ("I can see that this is creating great fear in you") does it succeed in lowering the level of emotion. Building trust by transparently presenting support options (e.g., outplacement, reskilling training) allows space to be found for conversation. Here, what's at stake is not a contract - what's at stake is peace of mind and a sense of security.

Let's compare how business and crisis negotiations differ?

Aspect	Business negotiation	Crisis negotiation
Goal	Obtaining an agreement, maximizing the value of the contract	Deescalation of emotions, saving lives, preserving safety and peace of mind
Response time	Days or weeks, opportunity for consultation and analysis	Minutes or seconds, no time for extensive analysis
Emotional pressure	Moderate, formally controlled	Extreme, dominates rationality, requires empathy
Risk of error	Loss of contract, reputation, relationships	Escalation of crisis, loss of health, life or reputation of the organization
Language and tone	Formal, factual, data-driven	Simple, empathetic, deescalates tension
Procedures	Flexible, dependent on organizational culture	Strictly defined crisis protocols (e.g., services, HR)
Long-term relationships	Crucial - business focused on lasting relationships	Secondary to primary goal - immediate stability

What can managers and HR learn from the FBI, Harvard and the Red Cross about crisis negotiation?

The FBI has stressed for years that a negotiator's true effectiveness is not in how quickly he or she can bring the conversation to a conclusion. The key criterion is the ability to lower emotional tension - because only then can any solution be reached.

A similar conclusion comes from analysis by the Harvard Program on Negotiation. Cambridge researchers point out that classical negotiation approaches, based on positions and interests, cease to work in crisis situations. Under such conditions, emotions, rather than rational arguments, determine the course of the conversation.

This can be seen even more strongly in the practice of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Humanitarian negotiators working in war zones describe that their goal is not long-term cooperation or lasting relationships. The priority is de-escalation and immediate security - saving lives, calming the situation, creating space for further action.

All these experiences have a common denominator: emotions first, interests second.

Applying the Behavioral Change Stairway Model (BCSM) in everyday work situations translates into tangible benefits: it allows you to build trust in your team, resolve conflicts faster and effectively implement change, even under time pressure and difficult emotions.

Real benefits for companies and teams in which BCSM is a conflict defusing tool:

• Reduction of tension and conflict - when emotions arise in a team, active listening and an empathetic approach defuse potential "grenades" of frustration. This not only alleviates situations, but enables constructive search for solutions.
• Faster reaching of agreement - by going through all stages of BCSM, interlocutors open up to cooperation, and decisions are made consciously - not under pressure, but with a sense of understanding and shared responsibility.
• Increased commitment and loyalty - employees who feel listened to and treated with respect show greater motivation and openness to implementing change, even under difficult conditions.
• Practical adaptation - a manager, using BCSM, is able to conduct conversations about layoffs, restructuring or new assignments in a way that minimizes stress and keeps the team psychologically safe.

An authentic leader using BCSM builds a culture of trust where everyone feels noticed, understood and ready for change. This translates into real benefits: greater team resilience in the face of crises, better performance and a sense that even the most difficult situations can be handled respectfully and effectively.

What can you do today to find yourself in crisis negotiations?

• Stop and count to three before you respond. Silence lowers tension.
• Instead of asking "why?", ask "what" and "how": "What makes this difficult for you?".
• Name the caller's emotions: fear, anger, feelings of injustice.
• Prepare A/B scenarios - give choices instead of putting them up against the wall.
• Set yourself mentally: your goal is not to win the argument, but to guide the other party through the emotions to adapt.

What lessons for Managers and HR about crisis negotiation?

In a world where people are tired, frustrated and live in a permanent sense of crisis, any conversation can turn into a crisis negotiation. The Behavioral Change Stairway model teaches that the path to behavioral change is through listening, empathy and building trust. It's a tool that every leader, HR professional and manager should know. Because today's greatest value is to defuse emotions and maintain dialogue in a world that balances daily.

Also take a look at: https://www.heuresis.pl/pl/blog/czym-sa-negocjacje-i-kiedy-warto-w-nie-wchodzic-czy-kazda-sytuacja-wymaga-negocjacji

Want to learn practical BCSM techniques? Check out the training https://www.heuresis.pl/pl/szkolenia-i-certyfikacja/szkolenia-otwarte-z-zarzadzania-i-hr/excellence-business-negotiations-csmExcellencein Business Negotiations©

The most common questions about crisis negotiation (FAQ):

1.What is the Behavioral Change Stairway Model (BCSM)?
BCSM is a five-step negotiation model developed by the FBI that teaches how to conduct crisis conversations - from active listening and empathy, to building trust and influence, to changing the behavior of the interlocutor.

2.How to apply BCSM in business and HR?
In practice, this means that a manager or HR should first defuse the emotions of the interlocutor (listening and empathy), and only then offer options and solutions. This is key when talking about layoffs, restructuring or conflicts in teams.

3.How does business negotiation differ from crisis negotiation?
Business negotiation focuses on deals and contracts, and response time is measured in days or weeks. Crisis negotiations require an immediate response, and their goal is to deescalate emotions and ensure psychological safety.

4.What are the key steps of BCSM?
The five steps are: 1) active listening, 2) empathy, 3) trust building, 4) influence, and 5) behavior change. The key is to go through each stage in turn.

5.What are the benefits of using BCSM in resolving conflicts in organizations?
Model helps reduce conflicts, reach agreement faster, increase employee loyalty and support adaptation to change. It is a practical tool for building a culture of trust and team resilience.