To transcend initial rejection and overcome obstacles, a skilled negotiator must engage their creativity and generate ideas. Negotiation is a conflict of interests where gaps must be bridged, discrepancies ironed out, and accord reached. Creative negotiators can best generate solutions when they are not singularly focused on their own needs and instead looking at mutually beneficial outcomes.
The antithesis of a creative negotiator will be a person strictly abiding by the rules, going by the book, or sticking to a line of conduct no matter what. They see novelty as a threat to their objectives. They lack flexibility and have few alternatives to offer. They let fear drive their actions.
If your mind is trained to be creative you will be more resourceful and therefore you improve the quality of your deals. Research has shown, for instance, that attending a creative workshop to prepare for an important negotiation helps negotiators to find integrative solutions that are mutually beneficial.
There are certainly people born creative, such as Mozart and Leonardo da Vinci, although their success was probably the result of a number of circumstances. Yet, creativity can be learned and encouraged. Contrary to Nietzsche, I don’t think you need to have chaos in yourself to give birth to a dancing star. Ideas just need the right compost to grow. Patterns can be adopted to foster creativity.
In 2018, Ophthalmology published a study in which researchers enrolled a group of ophthalmology students for 3 months in art training class taught by professional art educators at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Observation and descriptive skills of the students significantly improved after the class was over. The ability to focus attention with full awareness is known to foster creativity.
So, how do you become more creative as a negotiator?
Take time to think, disconnect, and read (not only books in your field). Reading books is highly beneficial and a great way to sharpen your mind. Reading stimulates the mind and increases emotional intelligence. Books can also strengthen a vocabulary. Look into the lives of great business leaders, and you will likely find that most of them are avid readers, using reading to stay on top of new trends. Bill Gates reads around 50 books a year, and Warren Buffet reads hundreds of pages a day (and not only financial reports).
Exchange ideas with others, including creative people. Visit and travel. Be curious and keep an open mind. Set some effective routines. Take care good care of your brain and body. Take notes. Ideas will follow. Just be consistent.
Negotiation is a problem-solving exercise. It requires your mind to be agile, to be able to bounce back and connect dots. This is why maintaining peak performance and balance is important.
Bill Gates, again, is well known to spend two weeks every year alone away from civilization to read, think, and get fresh ideas. He has always considered that “you control your time. Sitting and thinking may be a much higher priority. It is not a proxy of your seriousness that you have filled every minute of your schedule.”
