The Why Podcast: Why should I care about who I’m negotiating with?

Negotiating situations can be tense. It’s often assumed you need to wield power, grab what you can and then get out. But it doesn’t have to be so: if you can build trust and work out what the other person cares about, you’re more likely to get a result that’s good for both parties. Empathy takes practice – and, before the other person even opens their mouth, you’ll have made a snap judgement about them based on their appearance. And that’s just the start of what can work against you and the likelihood of achieving a constructive outcome. Kathleen O’Connor is Clinical Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Director of Executive Education at London Business School. Kathy Brewis is Senior Managing Editor of Think at London Business School. • Listen to more insights from LBS faculty and alumni @londonbusinessschool. • Discover more of our thought leadership at london.edu/think. • Follow LBS on Twitter: twitter.com/lbs and LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/london-business-school.