I was amazed at how the seven element model of negotiation is applicable to my travels in this AIAD and to other areas of life. At the beginning of the AIAD process, I had to work on relationship and communication. I had to communicate with the instructors at West Point and then with the liaisons at Boston Scientific. I did not personally know anyone at BSC, so the relationships there originally were due to mutual acquaintances. The internship never would have happened if the relationship or communication did not work. I had to look at interests to prepare for the AIAD. I needed to know what I wanted out of the internship, what BSC wanted, and what West Point wanted. The options for what I was going to do at Boston Scientific should have, and did, met the interests of those involved. Then we had to see if these options were legitimate (mostly based on precedence), otherwise my expectations or those of Boston Scientific or West Point would need to change. Finally, the AIAD came down to BATNA or commitment. We ended in commitment and it turned out well. This was just up to the beginning of the AIAD. Similar to the troop leading procedures or the five paragraph operations order, the 7 elements of preparation can be applied to pretty much every situation in life.