SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOFTER SIDE OF NEGOTIATION
Most negotiation guides understate theimportance of emotion. The first article in this package shows how essential itis to manage—and use—anger, excitement, and anxiety. In addition, we look atways to gain an edge before negotiations formally begin and rules for makingdeals across borders.
PSYCHOLOGY
Emotion and the Art of Negotiation
Alison Wood Brooks | page 036
Negotiations can be fraught with emotion,but it’s only recently that researchers have examined how particular feelingsinfluence what happens during deal making. Here the author shares some keyfindings and advice.
Anxiety leads to poor outcomes. You will beless nervous about negotiating, however, if you repeatedly practice andrehearse. You can also avoid anxiety by asking an outside expert to representyou at the bargaining table.
Anger is a double-edged sword. In somecases, it intimidates the other parties and helps you strike a better deal, butin other situations, particularly those involving longterm relationships, itdamages trust and goodwill and makes an impasse more likely. To avoid or defuseanger, take a break to cool off, or try expressing sadness and a desire tocompromise.
Disappointment can be channeled to reach amore satisfactory outcome. Before disappointment becomes regret, ask plenty ofquestions to assure yourself that you’ve explored all options. And don’t closethe deal too early; you might find ways to sweeten it if you keep talking.
Excitement isn’t always a good thing.Getting excited too early can lead you to act rashly, and gloating about thefinal terms can alienate your counterparts. But if feelings of excitement, likeother emotions, are well managed, everyone can feel like a winner.
HBR Reprint R1512C
NEGOTIATIONS
Control the Negotiation Before It Begins
Deepak Malhotra | page 044
Countless books and articles offer adviceon avoiding missteps at the bargaining table. But some of the costliestmistakes take place before negotiators sit down to discuss the substance of thedeal.
That’s because they often take for grantedthat if they bring a lot of value to the table and have sufficient leverage,they’ll be able to strike a great deal. While negotiating from a position ofstrength is certainly important, many other factors influence where each partyends up.
This article presents four factors that canhave a tremendous impact on negotiation outcomes and provides guidance on whatnegotiators should be doing before either side starts worrying about offers,counteroffers, and bargaining tactics.
Harvard Business School professor DeepakMalhotra advises negotiators to resolve process before substance, setexpectations, map out the negotiation space, and control the frame. Byfollowing those steps, managers position themselves for success at thebargaining table.
HBR Reprint R1512D
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Getting to Sí, Ja, Oui, Hai, and Da
Erin Meyer | page 050
To be effective, a negotiator must takestock of the subtle messages being passed around the table. In internationalnegotiations, however, you may not know how to interpret your counterpart’scommunication accurately, especially when it takes the form of unspokensignals. The author identifies five rules of thumb for negotiating in othercultures:
Adapt the way you express disagreement. Insome cultures, it’s OK to say “I totally disagree.” In others, that wouldprovoke anger and possibly an irreconcilable breakdown of the relationship.
Know when to bottle it up or let it allpour out. Raising your voice when excited, laughing passionately, even puttinga friendly arm around your counterpart— these are common behaviors in somecultures but may signal a lack of professionalism in others.
Learn how the other culture builds trust.Negotiators in some countries build trust according to the confidence they feelin someone’s accomplishments, skills, and reliability. For others, trust arisesfrom emotional closeness, empathy, or friendship.
Avoid yes-or-no questions. Instead ofasking “Will you do this?” try “How long would it take you to get this done?”
Be careful about putting it in writing.Americans rely heavily on written contracts, but in countries where humanrelationships carry more weight in business, contracts are less detailed andmay not be legally binding.
HBR Reprint R1512E