Why Negotiations Fail?

Quantum negotiators create sustainable and satisfying outcomes.

- Karen S Walch, Stephan M Mardyks, And Joerg Schmitz

Geetha D took a director position eight years ago at a software company with flexible working hours. She was able to determine her own work schedule and meeting times within a small, energized global organization. The office atmosphere was casual, hours were determined by clients’ situations, and calls were often arranged within days or hours of requests. She loved her job and was rewarded as a valued, inclusive leader.

Last year, however, her company was acquired by an ambitious ‘analog’ legacy company hoping to make the exponential leap to a disruptive, digital one. She was retained while many of her colleagues were laid off. Despite the disappointment of losing some of her best employees, she was excited to influence the direction of the new expanding enterprise. However, within a few months, Geetha realized she had been making some of the mistakes many of us make in our negotiations. These mistakes can lead to failure, unsatisfying, or tortuous negotiations. Geetha illustrates how we all are often unaware of how much we negotiate when we are creating something new, problem-solving, and sharing resources and ideas. It requires quality preparation in order to avoid such failures.

Like Geetha, many of us can become extremely disappointed, tired and, even depressed about our ability to engage with others to get what we need. The most common mistakes made in failed negotiators are making ‘quick judgments about others, our own defensiveness, and our tendency to want to control’ others.