412 / CONDUCTING NEGOTIATIONS
Managing impasses
Dealing with deadlock
Skilled and experienced negotiators expect there
to be impasses in the negotiating process. They
anticipate deadlocks and develop counteractions
to deal with them when they occur. They view an
impasse as a natural ingredient in negotiations
and do not give up easily in their attempts to reach
an agreement.
Impasses usually generate negative emotions
and sometimes deep feelings of resentment.
Prior to and during the negotiation process, you
should always be sensitive to the other party’s
concerns, feelings, and, particularly, their self-
image. Research has suggested that negotiators
have an image to uphold and that negotiations are
less likely to be successful when either or both
parties are not sensitive enough to each other’s
dignity, or “face.” You should always be mindful not
to harm the self-image of your counterpart, and this
is never more important than during critical
moments of an impasse.
Negotiations do not always conclude with an agreement. You may
encounter an impasse or a deadlock during the process. How should you
deal with a deadlock? Should you leave the negotiation table, concluding
that the process has failed, or should you encourage yourself and your
counterpart to remain at the table and keep the negotiations going?
12%
greater profits
are achieved when
parties negotiate
over a meal
US_412-413_Managing_impasses.indd 412 30/05/16 3:07 pm
MANAGING IMPASSES / 413
Oiling the wheels
If you are facing an impasse, experts
suggest that, in the intensity of the
moment, you should first take time out
to cool down. This will help to defuse
the emotional situation and you can
resume the discussion at a later time.
When you reconvene, start with any
existing mutual benefits. Impasses often
occur after some progress has been
made. So, it may be useful to frame
the impasse in the context of what has
already been achieved and highlight
the potential losses to both parties if
agreement is not reached.
If you are still deadlocked, you may need
to try expanding the pie. If you maintain
a zero-sum, fixed-pie mentality toward
the negotiation, this will restrain your
creativity in negotiating for the best deal.
The purpose of negotiation is not to win
an argument, but to find solutions that
would maximize the benefits for both
parties. Consider new ideas to help you
reach agreement. Expand the issues
you are discussing, but avoid making
concessions. In this way, you may be able
to overcome the impasse on one critical
issue by adding another issue that is
attractive to the other party.
Anticipating potential impasses
and planning in advance how to
deal with them
Being open-minded and flexible,
and finding creative solutions
Reacting calmly and using your
emotional intelligence, because
you know that deadlock situations
can be resolved
Believing that you can just think
on your feet if a problem arises
Thinking that deadlocks always
lead to “no deal”
Leaving the negotiating table early
because you are deadlocked with
the other party
MANAGING DEADLOCK SITUATIONS
Do’s Don’ts
greater profits
are achieved when
parties negotiate
over a meal
US_412-413_Managing_impasses.indd 413 30/05/16 3:07 pm
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