Lateral thinking and the 10 powers of negotiation …

Does anyone doubt that men and women are sometimes different, or that they sometimes see the world differently? Has anyone experienced how men and women can sometimes have different perceptions of the same event? Can anyone seriously argue that men and women sometimes approach relationships very differently? So why is this? And why is this even remotely relevant in the context of negotiation?

To negotiate effectively, we need to use both sides of our brain. Left brain people focus on logic, math, rational thinking, and black and white thinking. Approximately 90% of the men in the world are dominated by the left side of the brain. People in the right hemisphere focus on intuition, emotion, and creativity. Approximately 90% of women in the world are dominated by the right side of the brain. To be effective negotiators, we must become lateral thinkers by learning to use both sides of our brain.

After spending more than 30 years negotiating agreements around the world and after researching Nelson Mandela’s approach to his historic negotiations with the apartheid government of South Africa, I identified ten negotiating powers. These 10 powers reveal the critical role of lateral thinking in the negotiation process by highlighting that negotiators need both left and right brain skills. You will notice that some require predominantly left hemisphere skills and others require predominantly right hemisphere skills. But, to unite all the Powers, the negotiators require a combination of both.

These are the 10 powers:

• The power to understand that a negotiation is a process.

• The power of preparation.

• The power of positioning.

• The power of common sense and logic.

• The power of dignity, friendliness, humility and humor.

• The power of truth and justice.

• The power of observation, of hearing and seeing.

• The power of morality, courage and attitude.

• The power of patience.

• The power to walk away.

The advantages of lateral thinking …

Because lateral thinkers are people who have the ability to use both the left and right sides of their brain, they have a significantly higher perception of human behavior than those who are not lateral thinkers. Not only do they see unusual behavior patterns that others might miss, but they also have a more nuanced and layered sense of what is going on around them. Because of this, they also see more options for problem solving and have far superior problem solving skills than those who are not lateral thinkers.

And because the negotiation process is about identifying the problems that each party hopes to solve, identifying the problems and finding different options and approaches to solve those problems are at the very heart of any successful negotiation.

Lateral thinking and empathy …

Nelson Mandela’s negotiation skills and experiences highlight the enormous importance of looking at each negotiation through the eyes of those with whom he is negotiating. He saw the enormous benefits this can present on many different levels in a negotiation. Your life is a remarkable window into your lateral thinking skills. It is quite fascinating how he honed these skills during his life and how he used them in his negotiations with the South African government.

When it comes to being able to see the world through the eyes of the other side, empathy is the name of the game. While it may be tempting to argue, using left-brain skills, that the position the other side is taking is “logical” or “illogical” or “black and white,” right-brain skills are almost invariably much more revealing. . and useful. Clearly, to get inside someone’s head, we must tap into their emotional state and understand it. We need to tap into all the intuitive skills we can muster. In doing so, we realize the enormous advantages that most women have over those who are predominantly left-brain oriented.

This is the reason why we have to develop the skills of the left and right hemisphere, or we have to form negotiation teams that possess these skills.

How lateral thinking exposes the risk of trading alone …

I have accepted that I am a predominantly left brain person. I think of myself as logical and rational, perhaps excessively. I have also always accepted the problem this almost inevitably creates, and the opportunities I could lose as a result. Therefore, I have accepted the absolute necessity to work on the functionality of my right brain. Unfortunately, what I have found at times is that when I began to focus on developing my right brain, I often found myself looking away from the functionality of my left brain. I needed to find a solution to this, and I did.

I decided that, whenever possible, I would never negotiate alone. Instead, I wanted the smartest right brain negotiator I could find by my side, as well as the smartest left brain negotiator to keep me focused. I would have to gather around me the most intelligent people from the left and right hemispheres that I could find. And because 90% of women dominate the right hemisphere, that’s where I would look for the right hemisphere part of my team.

As highlighted in the Ten Powers of Negotiation, negotiators must keep their eyes on my different balls simultaneously. And since they have to watch and listen to the negotiating team of the other party, and particularly when that team is sometimes quite large, it is almost impossible to do it alone. Having a team of left and right brain negotiators watching, listening and evaluating what is happening is a huge advantage and will always give better results than handling this alone.

So don’t be proud, folks. Assemble a team of the most skilled lateral thinkers you can find …