Defence Mechanisms Used in the Negotiation Process

This piece from the latest edition of The Negotiation Times is worth a read as you start your week because it looks at how conflict arises at the table (as distinct from the substantive conflict the people are there for).

This kind of fits with my experience - that the chemistry on the day is every bit (more some days) as important - as to whether a consensus is possible - as the relative merits of each side's position.

"There are two ways to view how conflict can arise during a negotiation...
1. A negotiator's internal state will directly affect the interaction between the parties at the negotiation table.
2. The interaction that occurs at the table, will have a direct affect on the negotiating parties.
A conflict or dispute causes us to become defensive or offensive... Our reaction as people is complex... Here are some of the most prevalent of the defence mechanisms, used by negotiators in a conflict setting...." [read more]