If you’ve ever seen a picture of a race-horse, you’ve probably seen them wearing “blinders” or “blinkers” – those little plastic cups that are placed on the outside of each eye of the horse. The purpose is to reduce the horse’s tendency to be distracted and keep them focused on the task at hand by reducing their peripheral vision.
In negotiations, we usually have some kind of blinders on. Sometimes those blinders are useful – by keeping us focused – but often they just keep us from seeing potential opportunities. Each type of blinder impacts our ability to asses our options and negotiate effectively, but in different ways.
In the reading room, I’ll talk about common types of blinders that can diminish your effectiveness in a negotiation, and other general principles of mediation that can help you negotiate more effectively.