ORGS 4560 Lecture 6: ORGS 4560 Lecture 6
28 Apr 2018
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ORGS 4560
Lecture 6
Address an opponent's anger.
- rarely hurts to acknowledge an opponent's anger even when one
disagrees that it is justified, an apology — even one felt to be
undeserved — will help smooth the course of a negotiation
- should not apologize, however, in a way that leads an opponent to
conclude that you have conceded a point that remains in dispute or
that you are a weak negotiator
- instead of offering a personal apology, you can — as easily and as
effectively — simply apologize for the "bad situation"
Respond to anger in strategic ways
- the only appropriate response to a lost temper is to lose yours as
well, temper losses often put the angry person at a disadvantage and
the nimble negotiator can advance his or her position decisively
- a modest concession on your part immediately after an outburst by
your opponent will elicit a much larger one from him or her
Help an angry opponent save face.
- the biggest deal breaker in negotiations is "face loss", parties feel
they will lose face if they agree to an opponent's demands, they are
likely to derail the negotiation even if it is not in their interest to do so
- critical is "face" to a negotiation that parties will hold to untenable
positions that will cost them money or even provoke wars
- one should always try to help an angry opponent save face especially
if lost face is what triggered the outburst in the first place, friendly,
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Address an opponent"s anger. rarely hurts to acknowledge an opponent"s anger even when one disagrees that it is justified, an apology even one felt to be undeserved will help smooth the course of a negotiation. A modest concession on your part immediately after an outburst by your opponent will elicit a much larger one from him or her. Critical is face to a negotiation that parties will hold to untenable positions that will cost them money or even provoke wars. One should always try to help an angry opponent save face especially if lost face is what triggered the outburst in the first place, friendly, reassuring (but not patronizing) approach may work wonders in these situations. Believe that a strong potential for destructive anger exists in a particular negotiation, enlist the aid of a mediator or someone whose presence will act as a calming influence to the process.
