windycitykid

Hey Chris - I really enjoyed chatting with you at the Unleash event last week and look forward to our paths crossing again soon.

In your talks and your book, you relay a ton of information on how to use empathy to provide the other party the space to expand on their position and to also give the other party power - or the illusion of power in a negotiation (get them to 'no', "How am I supposed to do that?", etc.).

Let's assume a scenario where we have reached a point in a negotiation where the other party has hard limits set that are outside of my acceptable outcomes - i.e. we're at a complete impasse. What are some good ways forward to explain the reality of our impasse that also continue the conversation in a positive direction towards identifying new solutions?

Looking forward to playing with this idea and frame of mind!

Thank you for your thoughtful responses. Would be happy to spring for a cocktail the next time you find yourself in Chicago!

Another question: How do you detach yourself from the outcome of a negotiation?

Even in business scenarios, I find that I tie a certain amount of self-worth to the outcome of a negotiation and that tends to hinder me more often than not. I imagine that feeling is much more amplified when the stakes are higher in hostage scenarios. How would you emotionally remove yourself from the scenario and free yourself to focus on only the best outcome for everyone?