In “Interviews with Experts,” we interviewed Genoveva Vera, who, in addition to being a general health psychologist and an expert in neuroleadership and occupational stress management, is co-director of ISEP’s Master’s Degree in Neuromanagement and Talent Management. On this occasion, Genoveva delves into the importance of understanding the brain to conduct a good negotiation.
Why should we understand how the brain works to negotiate?
To understand the brain’s importance in negotiation, we must start from several key points.
Firstly, we must know that everything we do, think, or feel has its explanation in the brain. Every time we perform one of these actions, the brain releases a series of chemical substances, while certain brain areas are activated that influence both our well-being and our performance.
Secondly, we must consider that our brains are programmed with the primary goal of survival. This is why every time people engage in an activity that ensures our survival, the brain rewards it by primarily releasing dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter of pleasure, energy, and motivation. In this way, the brain ensures its survival.
Thirdly, we must not lose sight of the fact that people are social beings and that within the socialization process, communication, cooperation, and even negotiation are fundamental. Likewise, these three activities are also necessary for survival.
What is the importance of money in negotiation?
When we talk about negotiations, the first thing that usually comes to mind is money, and although it is not the only value in a negotiation, the brain recognizes it as something necessary for survival.
Money gives us stability and security, and that’s why the brain perceives it as a reward, and consequently, humans give it so much importance when negotiating.
When do we start negotiating?
We negotiate from birth, without anyone teaching us how. It’s something we learn quickly as babies. For example, we use crying as a means of communication to negotiate with our mothers and fathers, to persuade them and make them come closer. It’s the baby’s way of saying, “if you want me to stop crying, come closer or pick me up.”
Later, when we start interacting with other children, we also use negotiation in the exchange of games or toys.
Ultimately, it is a constant and unconscious exchange that we carry out throughout our lives.
What is negotiation?
As we have seen, negotiation is an interactive communication process in which two or more people try to reach agreements to achieve their objectives in the most satisfactory way possible, while also making concessions on both sides. From this definition, we deduce that in any negotiation, communication, cooperation, and negotiation, which we mentioned earlier, are combined.
When we make concessions to reach an agreement, what we are really doing is also cooperating with the other party to facilitate the achievement of their own objectives.
What intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal skills are required to conduct a negotiation?
But to reach satisfactory agreements for both parties, it is important to take care of relationships so that they are not damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to have good socio-emotional skills with which to persuade and convince others. Furthermore, it is also essential to learn pure and hard negotiation techniques, that is, to develop soft skills and hard skills.
Both types of competencies can be learned and developed through techniques. Likewise, thanks to the plasticity of our brain, we will be able to acquire knowledge to carry out negotiation processes that are satisfactory for us and for the other negotiating parties.
What is the importance of mastering these skills?
The plasticity of our brain will allow us to learn throughout our lives. Therefore, it is important to learn and train the techniques that will enable us to become more expert in whatever we wish to be.
In summary, the brain has a primary goal: to survive. Furthermore, as we have seen, the brain recognizes communication, cooperation, and negotiation as important components for survival. Consequently, it becomes necessary to learn techniques so that our brain feels more secure and protected, while also providing us with the skills to conduct effective negotiations.
Students of the Master’s Degree in Neuromanagement and Talent Management will learn different techniques to synergistically leverage the resources the brain makes available to us. Additionally, they will learn techniques to better manage their emotions and thoughts, which will help them make better and more creative decisions so that their negotiating behavior is the most appropriate to achieve their objectives.