Definition and Explanation
There are several important concepts in negotiations. First, the concept of perception defines the means through which a negotiator connects with the negotiation environment by ascribing to involved events and messages. Remarkably, perception is highly influenced by the negotiator’s role, state of mind and understanding of the conveyed communications. Second, the concept focuses on knowledge and understanding acquired through senses, experiences, and thoughts. Systematic errors are common among negotiators during their information processing, leading to a phenomenon known as cognitive biases, which are associated with hindering performance and outcomes in a negotiation. Finally, the element of emotions is also common in negotiations and has been associated with both positive and negative impacts and outcomes in the negotiation process. On the positive end, emotions communicate care or concern for others- and self-interests. Empathy potentially improves understanding and facilitates communication. Besides, hiding emotions or displaying them vigorously are effective negotiating strategies.
Personal Experience with the Concepts
From experience, I have applied all three concepts during negotiations. For instance, concerning perception, I once suffered from perceptual distortions (Gordon, 2022) about the capability of a firm to complete a project. The distortions were founded on the fact that the firm was a small legal firm, and based on its low brand recognition, I presumed that it would need to be more capable of offering the services I needed with the quality it deserved. However, I learned of their capability in time since I had to work with the company on the advice of the management. In another encounter, I experienced the element of cognition through the halo effect (Moses, 2020), where I have, in many instances, generalized issues based on a limited understanding of the other party and mainly due to the influence of hearsay about the party. Specifically, I have selected a negotiation team based on their past performance in other job roles. I have ignored capable individuals who are often reserved and non-vocal, only to realize later that they would have managed or handled a negotiation better. Finally, concerning emotions, I get angry due to frustration when working under pressure. The emotion of anger has been associated with the clouding of objectivity, narrowed focus, and the misdirection of the set goals (Adler et al., 2024).
Reflection
Based on the definitions of the three concepts and the real-life experiences, it is evident that perceptions can be distorted, consequently contributing to biases in negotiation and judgment. Perception is often associated with prejudice and stereotyping, which can contribute to perception distortion. This is closely related to cognition, which focuses on understanding the situation or others through past contact or experiences. Consequently, this can lead to cognitive biases, which negatively impact a negotiator’s performance. Common mental errors include irrational escalation of commitment, anchoring and adjustment, issue framing and risk, information presentation/communication, the winner’s curse, and mythical fixed-pie beliefs. Finally, concerning emotions, though they are unavoidable attributes of a person, managing them is critical since they can adversely affect the outcomes of a negotiation. Emotions such as anger and fear, common during negotiations, can distort the perceptions on gets from the other side and lead to a shift in positions by the other side, consequently cornering one to getting lower than expected outcomes.
References
Adler, R. S., Rosen, B., & Silverstein, E. M. (2024, January 12). Summary of “emotions in negotiation.” Beyond Intractability. https://www.beyondintractability.org/artsum/adler-emotions#:~:text=Emotions%20play%20positive%20and%20negative,can%20be%20effective%20negotiating%20tactics.
Gordon, J. (2022). Perception in Negotiation – Explained. The Business Professor, LLC. https://thebusinessprofessor.com/en_US/communications-negotiations/perception-in-the-context-of-negotiation
Moses, J. (2020, February 23). Strategies managers must employ in the age of continuous disruption. People Matters. https://www.peoplematters.in/article/talent-management/strategies-managers-must-employ-in-the-age-of-continuous-disruption-24790
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