Emotional Awareness in Negotiations: Managing Intense Negative Emotions for Successful Outcomes

Emotions are an integral part of being human and often play a significant role in negotiations. Intense emotions can impact the course and outcome of negotiations, even if they stem from unrelated events. Recognizing and effectively managing our emotions is crucial to becoming more emotionally aware negotiators. This article explores strategies for identifying emotional triggers, assessing emotional intensity, and responding appropriately to ensure that negative emotions do not jeopardize the negotiation process.

Identifying Emotional Triggers:

Anger and fear are two common negative emotions that arise during negotiations. It is essential to understand what triggers these emotions in you. Examples include violations of rules or assumptions, threats to identity, rudeness, or excessive demands. By identifying these triggers, you gain insight into the emotional challenges you may face during negotiations.

Managing Emotional States:

When intense negative emotions arise during negotiations, you must regain control of your emotional state. Taking a physical and mental break is a helpful technique. Press the metaphorical "Pause" button and focus on your surroundings—the airflow, the sensation of your body on the chair, or your hand on the table. Redirect your thoughts to pleasant and meaningful aspects of your life, such as family or upcoming plans. Engaging in a brief activity, like a bathroom break, can also help calm your mind.

Adopting a Detached Perspective:

To gain a clearer perspective:

1. Step back and detach from the negotiation process.

2. Evaluate how the strong negative emotion, whether anger or fear, influences the process and potential outcomes.

3. Reflect on your underlying interests and consider what actions you should take before reengaging.

By adopting this objective viewpoint, you can make more informed decisions and prevent emotions from derailing the negotiation.

Mastering Techniques:

Every negotiation is unique, and different techniques work for different individuals. Identifying the strategies that resonate with you and feel comfortable to use is crucial. Experiment with these techniques during uncomfortable conversations to become proficient in applying them effectively during challenging negotiations.

Becoming an emotionally aware negotiator is essential for successful outcomes. By identifying emotional triggers, managing emotional states through breaks and refocusing techniques, and adopting a detached perspective, negotiators can navigate intense emotions and prevent them from derailing the negotiation process. With practice and mastery of these techniques, negotiators can enhance their ability to handle tough negotiations with composure and make sound decisions based on their underlying interests rather than being driven solely by emotions.