When you negotiate, do you escape reality, or do you embrace it too much? To the degree that you escape reality during negotiations, you can create more successful negotiation outcomes.
During negotiations, there are times when we’re beset with setbacks. In other phases of a negotiation, we may find ourselves buoyed by the promise of a successful negotiation outcome. The difference between the two situations is the perception of the situation that we hold in our minds.
When seeking more beneficial negotiation outcomes, utilize the following five thoughts to enhance your negotiation efforts.
- To open your mind to the realm of possibility, stimulate yourself. Do what you do to get/put yourself mentally into a state of euphoria. Then, explore the realm of possibilities without restrictions, as it relates to the possible offerings you can make to ‘untangle’ the negotiation. When you escape the constraints of reality, you’ll be amazed at what you discover in your mind’s eye, as you develop solutions that can be applied to impasses.
- If perception shapes our perspective, whose perception do you adopt throughout the negotiation? You can give credence to the thought of the other negotiator to endear yourself to her, but in every situation, consider questioning the benefit, as it relates to the negotiation outcome you seek before doing so.
- During negotiations, be careful how you apply labels. Labels can convey different meanings to different people. Thus, labels can have unintended consequences, with meanings perceived as being negative.
- Always manage expectations during a negotiation. When confronted by negativity in a negotiation, be mindful of conversations you have with yourself. Make sure you validate assumptions. Don’t fall into the self-talk of assuming something is accurate, simply because “it’s always been done that way” and/or others are confirming it, because they’re of the same plight. Check your perception of reality.
- Engage in the negotiation in a manner that allows the other negotiator to perceive reality from your perspective, as you shape the outcome she wants.
To create the most advantageous environment in which to negotiate, keep your mind open and free to the endless realms of possibilities. One way to insure that process is to be willing to think ‘outside the box’. The way to accomplish such is to nourish the thought of mentally escaping from reality and ridding your mind of the constraint that affirms, ‘something has to be a certain way’. If you allow your mind to flow freely without restrictions, you’ll discover more solutions to any negotiation situation, your negotiation efforts will become more enhanced … and everything will be right with the world.
The Negotiation Tips Are …
- You can overcome impasses when negotiating by escaping reality. To do so, throw off inhibitions that would otherwise constrain your mind and explore the realm of possibility. Assume, if you can dream it, it can become reality.
- Sometimes, you have to explore the realm of possibility by going there before you get there. In essence, see in your mind’s eye the possibility that could become reality.
- Sometimes a picture paints more than a thousand words. When seeking ways to overcome impasses, be imaginative, escape reality.