The (positive) emotional negotiator

Social psychologists have investigated over decades the role of positive emotions in a negotiation.

Most researchers claim that feeling and expressing positive emotions is an advantage, rather than a risk. This could be, because people process information differently, depending on their mood. The latter influences an individual’s cognitive evaluation of a situation. Negotiators tend to form in an early stage of the interaction a positive or negative impression of their counterpart. This impression affects dramatically the outcome of the negotiation. If the negotiators like each other, they will develop rapport and they will interpret the opponent’s arguments at the bargaining table in a more favorable way.

‍

In a series of experiments researchers found out that positive negotiators:

• better integrate information better
• express their thoughts in a more flexible and clearer way
• use more cooperative strategies
• exchange information more effectively
• develop more alternatives due to their positive mood, which again increases the probability of higher joint gains
• apply distributive tactics only exceptionally
• show no hostile attitude (no conflict spiral)

A positive negotiator is able to create a trusty and friendly atmosphere which increases the willingness of the counterpart to respond helpfully to the other’s needs and requests. He is able to avoid a competitive, hostile atmosphere which would lead to a conflict escalation.

The drawback of positive negotiators is that they might want to avoid anchorage and extreme offers at the beginning of the negotiation -  for the sake of the future relationship to their counterparts. This would be a misleading motivation. Research shows that people assess the negotiation in total as positive, if the last few minutes of the interaction have been experienced as positive.