The Latest Updates from David B. Morse
Negotiators and conversationalists adapt to each other’s needs, reflecting mutual consideration (if they desire a successful outcome). Negotiation is a conversation, and the manner of engagement varies by person. Our involvement changes the context. It is easy to focus on the person in front of us and their age, nationality, or language. A person’s sex is the most basic of our classifications. But using that approach is deceptive.
A donkey and an elephant uniquely represent two different political parties in the U.S. Yet, the symbols leave much undefined. Does a particular member agree to this or that principle? Can members of one party believe in the principles of the other? A single word can convey different meanings, to different people, at different times, and in different places.
We negotiate to get somewhere and want to finish sooner rather than later. Job offers are no exception. Joining a social enterprise like a company may seem daunting; a David vs. Goliath journey. Yet, negotiations are between people, not things. Our visible and routine interpersonal skills pave the course.
Negotiation includes a ‘chicken or the egg’ dilemma similar to the geodynamo at the heart of our planet. As magnetic and electric fields are intertwined, we teach preparation precedes and accompanies engagement. But only encounters deliver results. Is one possible without the other, and where do they start?
Culture is our system for understanding information, and negotiations advance by detecting the signs of different perspectives. However, many of these are hidden from view, surfacing only in our movements and tone. Complicating the picture, people usually react innately, driven by subconscious processes out of their immediate control.
