“Negotiation is a process of finding a mutually agreeable solution, not forcing your solution on others.” – George L. Morrisey

Negotiation sounds like a big scary word to some people. And yes, some negotiations are big, scary, high-steaks situations that can have knock-on effects for large numbers of people. Negotiation also happens on a daily basis, for us all, in a number of smaller and more pedestrian instances.

All relationships, large and small, personal and business, require compromise, communication, resolution and empathy. That said, this is not always easy, and when things get heated, it can be tricky to reach a point where both parties are happy that they have been seen and catered to.

There are many ways in which you might be able to improve your negotiation skills. However, in this article, we’ll be focusing on what mediation can do for you in that arena.

1. Being in the Present

One of the pillars of meditation is the ability to focus on the here and now. Negotiations can often get messy. Lots of people bringing in different arguments and points of view can easily knock the situation off the rails and make it about a bunch of other stuff that isn’t necessarily relevant. The practice of being in the present not only improves your ability to focus on the situation at hand without getting distracted by peripheral thoughts, but it also helps you to stay calm if things begin to get a little spicy… and perhaps allows you to cut through the noise and get back to the point!

2. Breathing

The heat is rising, and you begin to get flustered. There is information and noise everywhere, and you are getting overstimulated. Nothing brings you back to the centre and grounds you again like meditative breathing. A stressed and overwhelmed negotiator tends not to be a very effective one… this can often be dealt with by returning to the breath.

3. Emotional Consciousness

Mediation teaches you to check in with yourself; to recognise your emotions and have an awareness of what triggers them, therefore providing the tools to recognise and regulate how you feel during an interaction. In negotiations, emotions can run high. Frustration, anger, and even excitement. These reactive emotions can easily lead to rash decision-making. By improving your emotional consciousness through meditation, you gain the ability to pause, reflect, and separate your feelings from your logic. It also helps you to better understand the emotions of others, which often leads to enhanced empathy and communication.

4. Pause

A pause can be incredibly powerful in a negotiation. When tensions rise or a big moment presents itself, it can be very easy to jump the gun. However, a pause, a moment of stillness, can aid a successful negotiation. To my mind, this adi manifests in two ways. Firstly, it allows you to reflect on how you are going to answer and react. Second, the confidence required to pause before acting has significant power in it. Silence is very powerful.

5. Active Listening

Active listening is the cornerstone of effective negotiation. Nay, any effective communication. It’s not just about hearing the words being said, it’s about really digesting and understanding the dialogue coming towards you. Meditation improves your ability to listen actively by training your mind to stay present and focused. In listening actively, you become significantly more receptive to the other party’s concerns, needs, and emotions. Remember, a negotiation is not about you winning and the other side losing, it is about understanding the other side and finding ways to solve the situation in a way that it mutually beneficial.

By Chris Thomson

 

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