The Elements of Negotiation

ELEMENT 92Conveying Empathy

Empathy is about understanding things from another person's perspective. It involves not just putting yourself in the shoes of another person but also comprehending their emotional and rational needs. This understanding is crucial in negotiations as it helps build trust and leads to mutually beneficial outcomes.

However, empathy goes beyond mere understanding; it's about actively responding to the other party's needs and emotions in a business context. As soon as we start to judge another person, we hinder our ability to understand them fully, thus becoming incapable of seeing things from their perspective.

John and Sally took their three-year-old son, Ben, to the zoo. Ben really wanted to see the lions, so the first place they went to was the lion cage. John told Ben that he was to look at the lions and he asked him what he thought. Ben reacted by looking upset, which frustrated his father who repeated: “Come on, Ben, do as I tell you. Look at the lions.” Sally realized immediately that Ben could not see the lions properly because of the high wall, so she went over to him and lifted him up. Ben immediately started to smile and point at the lions.

How often do you see things from your own perspective?

Intuition: Your Moral Compass

We notice it when we have done the right thing. In the same way we notice it when we have done something that we do not feel is right. Our “emotional brain” communicates this via emotions or sensations in our bodies. ...