388 / SETTING YOUR STYLE
Negotiating from the
whole brain
Understanding your own style
Ned Herrmann, author of The Creative
Brain, proposed that there are four
thinking styles: the rational self, the
safekeeping self, the feeling self, and
the experimental self, which relate to
dominance in different quadrants of the
brain. Negotiating is a whole-brain task,
requiring the ability to be diligent and
rational (quadrant A activities), to plan
and organize well (quadrant B activities),
to interact well with others (a quadrant
C trait), and to be bold and take risks (a
quadrant D characteristic).
Improving your style
However, only four percent of the
population is dominant in all four
quadrants. So most negotiators have
strengths and weaknesses in performing
the negotiating task, and should work
to improve their weakest areas.
Negotiators who have limited abilities
in the feeling self (quadrant C), for
example, can improve by developing
their emotional intelligence. A negotiator
with limited abilities in the experimental
self (quadrant D) can improve by taking
creativity workshops.
We all think differently, and naturally bring our own “style” to the
negotiating table. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your
thinking style, and tailoring your approach to take into account the style
of your counterpart, can greatly improve your success in negotiation.
CHECKLIST...
YES NO
Utilizing thinking style differences in negotiation
1 Have you determined what your own thinking style is? ................
2 Have you identified your weaknesses in negotiation
and are you working to improve in those areas? ...........................
3 If putting together a team of negotiators, have you taken
each person’s thinking style into account?
Do they complement one another? ..................................................
4 Are you able to quickly assess the thinking style of others? ........
5 Do you take your counterpart’s thinking style into account
when negotiating with them? ...........................................................
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NEGOTIATING FROM THE WHOLE BRAIN / 389
Influencing others
The whole brain model can sometimes
help you to influence your counterpart
negotiators. For example, if you believe
that your counterpart’s strength is
in the feeling self (quadrant C) and their
weakness is in the rational self (quadrant
A), you will be more successful if you
connect to him or her emotionally by
building the relationship, and not by
trying to connect cognitively through
long speeches or rational arguments.
A: THE RATIONAL SELF
Individuals with brain dominance
in quadrant A tend to be logical,
analytical, fact-oriented, and
good with numbers.
B: THE SAFEKEEPING SELF
Individuals with brain dominance
in quadrant B tend to be cautious,
organized, systematic, neat,
timely, methodical, obedient,
and risk-averse.
C: THE FEELING SELF
Individuals with brain dominance in
quadrant C tend to be friendly, enjoy
human interactions, engage in open
communication, express their
emotions, enjoy teaching, and are
supportive of others.
D: THE EXPERIMENTAL SELF
Individuals with brain dominance in
quadrant D tend to think holistically
and see the big picture. They are also
often creative, comfortable with
uncertainty, future-oriented, and
willing to take risks.
The four types of
thinking styles
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