Negotiating Skills
Six Skills: Some Strengths, Some Weaknesses
Of the skills identified by Fisher and Davis in their article, "Six Interpersonal Skills for a Negotiator's Repertoire," there are two in which I believe I already excel. The first of these is remaining rational in the face of strong feelings; though I am very passionate about many issues -- passionate about any issue in which I take a real interest, in fact -- I have never really let my passions get the better of me, but am willing and able to calmly and rationally define and support my passion in a manner that does not cloud the facts or their logical connections and that is able to take in opposing views and facts without feeling any umbrage or emotional stress. I actually find that the more deeply I care about something the easier it is for me to remain rational due to the increased pressure I feel to make sure my views are heard and understood. Emotional appeals might seem more warranted in the moment, but I know full well that a rational response is more likely to be persuasive and thus this is what I employ. I am also a very good questioner and listener, and try to make sure I understand others' perspectives and opinions through clarifying questions and attempts to state (out loud) others' positions to make sure my understanding is consistent with theirs. Again, this is the most effective way to make my own views relevant and thus persuasive.
At the same time, I have a definite weakness when it comes to appropriately expressing strong emotion. I do not tend to let my emotions get the better of me, as described above, but the reverse can be deleterious, as well: I sometimes (perhaps often) fail to make the strength of my emotions known, and can seem dispassionate when the exact opposite is true. Finding a way to remain consistently rational while still expressing strong emotions is something I have tried to work on without a great deal of success, I'm afraid.
