The Transformative Negotiator: Find Your Anchors
Negotiations can often become complicated and challenging. Michèle Huff, an expert in communication and negotiation techniques, emphasizes the importance of grounding yourself with simple anchors like breathing and pausing to stay focused and calm during tense discussions. Deep abdominal breathing helps connect your logical mind with your intuition. It keeps your thoughts clear and your emotions steady. Japanese writer Michihiro Matsumoto even highlights the importance of this kind of breathing in negotiations. He describes it as deep, quiet, long, and rhythmic, and done with good posture to help clear your mind and maintain calm throughout the process.
Pausing is just as important as breathing. Taking a moment of silence slows down the pace and creates space for both sides to think, reflect, and understand each other better. While many people feel uncomfortable with silence, a pause can stop the back-and-forth reactions that often derail talks. Observing why someone pauses can give clues about their feelings or strategy. Maybe they’re gathering their thoughts or calming their emotions. Sometimes, a pause means they are running out of arguments, and you have an opportunity to guide the conversation in a new direction.
Huff cites Michihiro Matsumoto, who outlines nine key elements of proper breathing for negotiation success:
Breathing deeply from the abdomen (hara)
Keeping the breath quiet and steady
Taking long, rhythmic breaths
Holding the breath briefly between inhaling and exhaling
Maintaining correct posture with a straight but relaxed spine
Using breathing to generate energy or “chi”
Allowing breathing to become unconscious and natural
Using breath to connect with a sense of calm and presence
Discovering a deeper self-awareness through breathing
Combining mindful breathing with strategic pauses helps negotiators stay centered, clear-headed, and in control, even in the most challenging discussions. By practicing these breathing and pausing techniques, negotiators can maintain calm, stay present, and create more productive dialogues. These simple anchors can improve focus and emotional control, helping to navigate even the most difficult negotiations with greater ease and success.
Michèle Huff is a transactional lawyer with decades of experience negotiating for global corporations, universities, and individual clients. She is the Executive Director of Business Contracts and Brand Protection at UC Berkeley, overseeing contracts, intellectual property, and brand management. Previously, she was the University of New Mexico’s senior lawyer for research and technology and co-founded a Silicon Valley software start-up. A skilled speaker and educator, Michèle has taught negotiation and intellectual property courses and led workshops nationwide. Learn more at www.michelehuff.com