Eat Up - You'll Need Your Strength!

No matter how well you prepare for any negotiation, there are always unknowns that you won't have control over. One of these, is the intricacies and complexities of an individual’s personal life and its effect upon the negotiation.

I once negotiated a complex and high-risk deal with a woman on the counter-party’s team who was engaged to be married. We had a series of in-person negotiations that followed a cycle of decent progress and discussion in the morning followed by difficult and unproductive afternoons. As the day progressed, she became withdrawn and sullen, stubborn and uncompromising.

At the recap at the end of each day, our internal team would brainstorm what we could to in order to achieve success and expedite the progress of the negotiations. All of us noticed that this woman ate very little during the day despite the plethora of lunches and snacks available. During the course of idle chatter during one of the breaks, I learned that this lead woman negotiator was on a strict diet to lose weight before the wedding.

Food and the associated acute mental energy it provides is a critical tool in any negotiation. Beginning the next day, we stocked the conference room with fresh cut fruit and many healthy snack alternatives. We managed the flow of negotiations to start earlier in the day, shortly after breakfast when the energy level was the highest. We learned quickly to hit the hard issues in the morning followed by the easier issues in the afternoon.

To be mentally acute, eat right! In-person, day long negotiation sessions take a lot of energy. Food is key to maintaining energy. Don't skip meals! Look into healthy alternatives - this is better for everyone involved so you don't mix the sugar high with the inevitable sugar crash.