Last week, we talked about how negotiation used to be viewed simply as a rational approach to solving disputes where both sides cognitively engage in what they want while trying to get the best deal.
This outlook was turned upside down after decades of research which now shows how much our emotions play a role in negotiations.
According to Daniel Kahneman’s 2011 book, Thinking Fast and Slow, “Man has two systems of thought: Fast and Slow. System one (our animal mind) is fast, instinctive and emotional and system two is slow, deliberative and logical.”
Kahneman was able to prove that system one is far more influential and guides our rational thoughts.
He goes on to say that, “System one’s inchoate beliefs, feelings and impressions are the main sources of the explicit beliefs and deliberate choices of system two. They are the spring that feeds the river.”
This was the breakthrough that the field of negotiations needed because it helped unlock the deeper desires and motivators behind every “want” in a negotiation.
We must understand this concept if we hope to someday be master negotiators.
This week, keep in the front of your mind that negotiation is what makes conflict potentially meaningful and productive for all parties.
