Negotiation Information

The Six Rs for Changing MInds and Overcoming Resistance


This article borrows from Howard Gardner's book, "Changing Minds" (2004). In order to get people in conflict to cooperate or collaborate sufficiently to settle or resolve their differences, and perhaps achieve reconciliation, it is necessary that they change their minds. The reason they are in dispute is because they are of two different minds about a particular thing, which is what they are fighting over. People do not change their minds easily. Some people are prepared to be burned at the stake, literally, rather than change their minds, or admit to a change of belief. People cling to the artifacts of their own minds with great stubbornness. This is called resistance. When a mediator seeks to bring parties together, she will encounter resistance. If there were no resistance, if changing minds was easy, there would be no need for mediators.

Howard Gardner has identified six R's, which are helpful in helping people to change their minds. They are: reason, research, resonance, re-description, rewards and real world events.

Reason is employed by way of the use of argument in order to persuade.

Research is used in order to collect facts, also with the purpose of persuading, often a mediation is a conflict between competing facts.

Resonance appeals to the feeling part of the human personality. Does a proposal feel right? Some people rely heavily upon resonance, and prefer it to a reasoned and researched position. Orators and advertisers seek a message that will resonate their audience.

Re-description can be profoundly effective. Matters are often expressed in the negative, but when changed into a positive form of expression, convey a completely different and more attractive meaning. Mediations are often a persistent attempt to re-describe the problem in order to make solutions seem more attractive.

Rewards are an important part of any negotiation, and are usually accompanied by penalties. This is often known as the "stick and carrot" approach.

Real world events can have the effect of changing parties' perceptions completely. Such events may be quite trivial, like going out for lunch. After lunch, what was said in the morning and rejected out of hand may, with the benefit of the simple event of several hours passing and a meal, seem much more attractive.

The ever-present problem of the mediator is that parties do not want to budge, but unless there is some change they start to get impatient. So the job of the mediator is to continue to make some progress, so that there is a perception of movement. This is necessary in order to keep the parties at the negotiating table. So it is helpful to the mediator to be able to play upon the six R's, developing a facility with each one, in order to keep the parties going through the process in a productive way. Ultimately, the matter must be resolved, not by the mediator but by the parties themselves. The combined focused attention of their minds is what will accomplish the result that they have come to mediation to achieve. The mediator, by using the six R's, helps to maintain the process to its successful conclusion.

Charles B. Parselle is a mediator, arbitrator and attorney. He graduated from Oxford University's Honor School of Jurisprudence and is a member of the English bar, then was admitted to the California Bar in 1983. A practicing attorney, he is a prolific author and sought-after mediator. To consult him, please contact him through his website: http://www.parsellemediation.com


MORE RESOURCES:


CTV.ca
Larijani says Iran nuclear case solvable through negotiation
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran - 16 hours ago
Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani here Sunday said Tehran's nuclear case is not complicated and could be solved through ...
Iran will pursue its nuclear rights within NPT - Larijani Islamic Republic News Agency
Iran's top nuclear negotiator rejects UN resolution Monsters and Critics.com
UN resolution destroyed incentive package Tehran Times
Islamic Republic News Agency - Islamic Republic News Agency - all 299 related


Iran always welcomes negotiation: Asefi
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran - 19 hours ago
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said here Sunday that Iran has always welcomed negotiations in order to come to a solution. ...


Labor behind Indon-Aust prison exchange
Ninemsn, Australia - 22 hours ago
"Labor offers the government continued bipartisan support in the negotiation of bilateral prisoner transfer arrangements with Indonesia," Mr Rudd told ...


Iran adamant on gas price; expert panel formed for negotiation
Hindu, India - Aug 3, 2006
New Delhi, Aug. 3 (PTI): Iran today refused to lower the price of gas it wants to sell to India and Pakistan through a tri-nation ...


District, teachers reach tentative pact MAPS contract
Marquette Mining Journal, MI - Aug 4, 2006
... of the month. “This was a very positive negotiation process,” district Superintendent Jon Hartwig said. “It’sa tentative ...
Superintendent: MAPS contract negotiations looking ‘very good’ Marquette Mining Journal
all 2 related


County nurses continue to near contract
Auburn Citizen, NY - Aug 4, 2006
... Mark Genovese, NYSNA spokesman, said the union is trying to maintain a democratic working relationship with the county through the negotiation process. ...
County nurses wait on contract Auburn Citizen
all 2 related


“Dubious” Company in Negotiation With Government
Liberian Daily Observer, MD - Aug 3, 2006
MONROVIA, August 3 --A negotiation involving some key government officials and a Malaysia based Rimbunan Hijau Group of Companies for investment in Liberia's ...



Scotsman
NEGOTIATION IS GOOD BUT ON WHAT BASIS?
Banadir City, UK - Aug 4, 2006
Disclaimer: We have no insight into the Somali government or the Islamic courts workings. All this article is about is an observation ...
Another Afghanistan Could Be Averted Banadir City
all 198 related



Express Computers
The elements of negotiation
Express Computers, India - Aug 3, 2006
No matter what kind of conflict you plan to resolve through negotiation, there is one major goal. ... Avoid thinking of negotiation as a game or a contest. ...


Book Review: Improvisational Negotiation - A Mediator's Stories of ...
NewsBlaze (press release), CA - Aug 3, 2006
... with a compromise? Maybe, reading Jeffrey Krivis's Improvisational Negotiation: Stories of Conflict About Love, Money,. Anger And ...

home | site map
© 2006 Indexadvertisements.com

Useful Links

   
Biometrics Solutions Ayurvedic Biometrics Products Job opportunities
Tech News Online Advertisement Software Development Investments Guru
Biometrics Integrated Chipsilicon Matrimonial Semiconductors