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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhile engaging in debate on the important issues under discussion, it is important not to let emotion blind you, or allow your counterparts\u2019 emotional theatre to mislead you. Stay calm, listen to the underlying interests being conveyed, and hold your ground for a fair deal. As most of us learned in\u00a0Psych 101<\/em>\u00a0(or its equivalent), emotion leads to mistakes and poor decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes there just isn\u2019t a universally agreeable solution to a problem; more often, however, there is at least a mutually disagreeable one. In a seemingly intractable debate, getting to a good outcome often just requires significant creativity\u2014maybe even redefining your idea of what a \u201cgood\u201d outcome looks like. In being creative, protect the core interests of your position and maintain your bottom line\u2014don\u2019t erode your list of \u201cabsolute must-haves\u201d unless it was unrealistic\u2014then find a deal that meets them while allowing the other parties to meet theirs. That deal may not look anything like the outcome you expected, but if everyone\u2019s core interests are met, then it\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For an outcome to be successful (and by that I mean be \u201caccepted\u201d and implemented by the parties), its \u201clegitimacy\u201d is paramount. For an outcome to be legitimate, each participant needs to feel that the process was fair, that everyone won some\/lost some, that their bottom lines were protected, and that they weren\u2019t bullied or sidelined. Further, participants in the policy discussion are likely colleagues or neighbors, community players, or \u201cfuture combatants\u201d AND you\u2019ll negotiate with each other again. It\u2019s therefore essential that negotiators, especially powerful parties, avoid the \u201cgorilla trap.\u201d Bullying or betraying the trust built in a discussion may help one (gorilla) party to easily win its position in one specific debate, but it\u2019s a losing tactic in the long run. Each negotiator\u2019s behavior helps set the tone not just in this debate, but in future discussions, and a deal made in bad emotion will mean a deal that doesn\u2019t work as well as it might have otherwise, because its legitimacy is in doubt. Lesson One is really the most important of these.\u00a0 In every negotiation, I\u2019ve found that it\u2019s the key to a successful outcome. The other lessons show us that\u2014equally important\u2014is each individual negotiator: you and your approach will make all the difference in any policy debate. Each individual has power\u2014to impact the tone of the discussion, the terms of the debate, and the legitimacy of the process. She also has a responsibility\u2014to herself, her position, and a workable policy outcome. That power and responsibility are increasingly important in public and international policy debates. Because this stuff is serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those who want to improve their conflict management and mediation skills, Our Masterclasses are typically 8 hours long and are recommended for people with some existing knowledge of mediation and ADR.<\/p><\/div>Lesson Four: Be a creative problem-solver.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lesson Five: Protect the legitimacy of the outcome.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Masterclass – Conflict Resolution Through Negotiation<\/h3><\/div>